Welcome to the European office of the Friedrich Naumann Foundation for Freedom. Our activities aim at fostering dialogue on European politics, democracy and human rights and transatlantic relations.
The Award Ceremony of our third “Animate Europe” comic competition is getting closer – we’re already very excited to announce the winner at the event on 11. July (sign up for the event here). In the meantime, we wanted to share with you some of the highlights of our Animate Europe exhibitions we have had in the past– while we are looking forward to many more to come!
Animate Europe International Comics Competition 2017
Award ceremony, exhibition and reception
Tuesday, 11 July 2017, 18.30-21.30
Venue: Belgian Comic Strip Center, Rue des Sables, 1000 Brussels
The EU has surely experienced easier times – outside forces and
internal struggles are shaking the once strong and confident body to its very core. The European heartbeat has lost its rhythm. What can we do to “Re-Animate Europe”? That is the question the Friedrich Naumann Foundation for Freedom asked comic artists and graphic novelists in the third round of their international comic competition “Re-Animate Europe”. Find out what vision our seven finalists, selected out of more than 70 entries, have for a newly revived Europe”!
Have a look at the entries and meet the artists!
Programme
18.30 Registration
19.00 Award ceremony
20.00 Reception/ atmospheric music by Sofie la Digue & the Blue Skies
Kindly register for this event before 7 July 2017: https://tinyurl.com/reanimate2017 *
Welcome
Willem De Graeve
Director, Belgian Comic Strip Center
Remarks
Dr. Wolf-Dieter Zumpfort
Member of the Board of Directors, Friedrich Naumann Foundation for Freedom
Gesine Meissner MEP,
Alliance of Liberals and Democrats for Europe
Maura McHugh & Gert Jan Pos
Comic Book Writer Teacher, editor, photographer
Re-Animate Europe Jury Members
Awards
Hans H. Stein
Director European and Transatlantic Dialogue, Friedrich Naumann Foundation for Freedom
*Please note that you will be forwarded to a Google sheet. Should you wish to register with us directly, please send an email to register.brussels@fnst.org. Photographs will be taken at the event for use on the FNF website, social media, in the press, FNF marketing materials, and other publications. By entering this event, you consent to FNF photographing and using your image and likeness.
From personifications of the mythical Europe, from stories of refugees and migration to tales about European art and culture – we were overwhelmed by the record number of entries for our “Re-Animate Europe” comic competition.
By our deadline in early February we received 75 entries from 24 different countries. Our expert jury surely didn’t have an easy job selecting our seven finalists.
In the end, however, they found consensus and agreed on the following artists (in alphabetical order):
Jordana Globerman (UK): “My Uncle’s Dream”
Find her here: http://www.jordanagloberman.com/
Stefan Haller (Switzerland): “Back to the Grass Roots”
Find him here: http://www.stefanhaller.ch/illu/comic1.html
Štepánka Jislová (Czech Republic): “How to Save the World”
Find her here: http://www.jislova.com/
Noelle Kröger (Germany): “There’s a Way”
Find her here: https://noellekroeger.tumblr.com/
Magdalena Kaszuba (Germany): “Spaziergang durch Europa/ A Walk Through Europe”
Find her here: http://magdalenakaszuba.blogspot.de/
Davide Pascutti (Italy): “The CreatEUre”
Find him here: http://davidepascutti.deviantart.com/
Paul Rietzl (Germany): “A Dream of Europe”
Find him here: http://www.paulrietzl.de/website/pages/page_start.html
The seven finalist were now asked to send in their full eight-page comic story. End of May, our jury will meet once more to determine the winner of this years’ competition.
We’re more than looking forward to getting our hands on the completed stories – and finding out who has the most convincing story of how to “Re-Animate Europe”!
With “Animate Europe” we are bringing Europe to life through comics. Our international comic comeptition is currently running in it’s third round (you can enter until 5. February).
However, within the Friedrich Naumann Foundation for Freedom, we’re not the only ones using the “Ninth art” to spread ideas and messages. Find out what our colleagues in the Philippines are doing:
19 young artists from all over the Philippines shared their dreams for the country in a comic strip!
The Philippine Office of the Friedrich Naumann Foundation for Freedom (FNF) launched its very first comics competition dubbed as ‘I Am Free To Dream’ on 22 June 2015, which aims to exhibit Filipinos’ dreams and aspirations for the Philippines, especially those wishes that ordinary citizens can contribute to making real.
“Filipinos are very creative, not only in drawing but in everyday life – they find ingenious ways to enjoy their freedom!,” said former FNF Country Director Jules Maaten. “The aspirations that the artists sketched for I Am Free To Dream contest are realizable because there is freedom in the Philippines that allow people to pursue their dreams. This is why we should always value our freedom especially when it is challenged,” he added.
The comics contest was organized under the banner of FNF Philippines’ Freedom Project, an annual search for initiatives that promote freedom in the Philippines. The top three artworks, along with the eight finalists’ were printed in a book as a chronicle of how Filipinos would like to see the Philippines in five years. The common theme of the winning entries turned out to be a ‘nation that has greater freedom, and Filipinos that are more responsible.’
On January 12, 2016, the results were released proclaiming the following winners: the entry by Harold Dela Rosa of Talavera, Nueva Ecija (northern part of the Philippines) emerged as the best artwork. Patrick Acma’s (Iloilo) comics on transforming communities through education, and Freddie Vicente’s (Bulacan) illustration on preserving culture and tradition were awarded as second and third place respectively. “They were all very well done, and speak of practical action,” commended Pugad Baboy creator Pol Medina, who was a member of the contest’s jury.
Medina, Presidential Communications Office Assistant Secretary Kael Co, and top advertising agency Lowe Philippines Creative Director Rene Dominguez sat as judges.
The young and talented participants were grateful to have been given a platform by which they could voice-out their dreams for themselves and for the Philippines. FNF Philippines recognizes the power of both the youth and the arts in transforming societies.
Participants were required to submit comics entries that are at least two pages, and a maximum of four pages. The text could be either be in English or Filipino. The entry must be submitted together with a one line description. Professional and amateur artists, teachers and students were eligible to join. National and international entries were welcomed. Aside from seeing the best artworks published in a book, the finalists received cash prizes.
Following the success of the I am Free to Dream Comics Competition, FNF Philippines collaborated with the comics genius and member of the jury of ‘I am Free To Dream’ Comic Competition, Mr. Pol Medina, in compiling his comic strips on Martial Law in one Marcos Special comic book.
“FNF is lucky that Polgas, the famous character of the Pugad Baboy Comics series, is joining the bark against Martial Law. Pol Medina cleverly illustrates the threats of an authoritarian comeback. This book is a smart analysis of what have become of people’s attitudes – their forgetfulness of the atrocities of the past, and their unconscious willingness to give up their freedom,” said former FNF Country Director Jules Maaten.
“We should do what we can to preserve freedom while we are still free,” said Medina at the launch on 14 April 2016 at Plaza Ibarra, Quezon City. In the cover page of his book he wrote: “It wasn’t really my plan to come up with a compilation of anti-Marcos comics, but people kept posting on my facebook page about the glory days of Martial Law. To me, this is like spitting on the victims of atrocities, and this itched me to do something, hence this book.”
Medina first published Pugad Baboy in 1988, and has since become a representation of Filipinos sentiments on political and social issue, and a reflection of the pop culture.
“FNF Philippines looks forward to more initiatives and partnerships that the ‘I am Free to Dream’ Comics and the Pugad Baboy Marcos Special Comics have already started. Filipinos’ talent, ingenuity and love for freedom are astonishing and should be no less than promoted,” adds the current FNF Philippines Country Director Mr. Wolfgang Heinze,
I Am Free to Dream Comics and Pugad Baboy Marcos Special Comics are available upon request. Should you wish to receive a copy, please email FNF Philippines at philippines@fnst.org or send a message on FNF Philippines’ facebook fan page – FNF Philippines: It’s All About Freedom.
Why did we choose the medium of comics, for our Animate Europe competition (currently running in its third round)? Why not movies or caricatures or something else entirely? It might have to do with the fact that we’re right in the heart of comic country Belgium. Willem de Graeve, Director of the Belgian Comic Strip Center and jury member in our first two Animate Europe competition rounds, gives us some insights into why the “ninth art” is so popular in Belgium.
With more than 700 professional comic strip authors, Belgium has more comic strip artists per square kilometer than any other country in the world. It is in this country where comic strips have grown from a popular medium into an art in its own right. Nowhere else are comics so deeply rooted in everyday life and in peoples’ imagination.
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Our international comic competition “Animate Europe”, currently running in its third round, is one attempt to create interest in the topic of Europe, launch discussions, thought processes and foster civic engagement, for an informed and open society. It is one examples, how graphic arts and the often neglected comic scene in particular, can be a valuable approach to discussing and presenting social and political issues. The Civil Development Forum, partner in our 4liberty.eu network, has for several years used a similar approach – with the main difference that they focus specifically on economic education. Marek Tatala, Vice President and Economist at the Civil Development Forum (FOR Foundation) shared with us their ideas and strategies behind the project.
Democracy relies on well-educated and informed citizens. This includes knowledge about fundamentals of economics, rule of law and individual rights. All of these aspects should be taught to children at an early age and in a way, which makes it accessible and attractive to them.
That’s why the Civil Development Forum (FOR Foundation), a Polish think tank and 4Liberty.eu network member, decided to develop economic comic books.
In November 2016 FOR Foundation published already the 8th edition of “Econ-Comics” (“Komiksy Ekonomiczne” in Polish).
Comprehensively communicating and discussing political and social issues and creating engagement – definitely not an easy undertaking these days. After all, we’re living in times of often intransparent mass media and an increasingly, or at least so perceived, complex society.
New forms of communication and methods of engagement are required. Our international comic competition “Animate Europe”, currently running in its third round, is one attempt to do just that. It is one examples, how graphic arts and the often neglected comic scene in particular, can be a valuable approach to discussing and presenting social and political issues.
We talked to Eva Hilhorst, graphic journalist and finalist in our previous comic competition, who approaches journalism through storytelling on her platform “Drawing the Times”:
