Deadline: February 26, 2027
Never Such Innocence International Competition 2026/27
Organizer
Never Such Innocence (NSI), a UK charity that helps young people's voices be heard through its "Conversations on Conflict" programme.
Location
A global international competition open to young people worldwide; works are submitted via online forms on the official website.
- Competition opens: Monday, September 28, 2026;
- Submission deadline: Friday, February 26, 2027;
- Winners announced: by Wednesday, May 5, 2027.
Competition Category
Three creative categories (one entry per person or group per category; entrants may take part in multiple categories):
01. Poetry — must have a title, not exceed one A4 page in 12-point font; may be written in any language and must be typed or legibly handwritten;
02. Art — must have a title and may be produced in any medium, including sketches, paintings, sculpture, photography and digital media;
03. Short Films (new for 2026/27) — must have a title, be no longer than 3 minutes, and may be submitted as an MP4 file or a YouTube / Vimeo link; formats include documentary, animation, drama, archive footage, video diary and mixed media.
Entries are judged in four age groups: 9–11, 11–14, 14–16 and 16–18. Entrants aged 15 and under must have their work submitted by an adult. Individual, group and multiple (e.g. class) entries are accepted. All works must be original; AI-created works are not accepted, and submissions are anonymised for judging.
Eligibility
Open to young people aged 9–18 worldwide. Those outside the 9–18 age range may submit work but cannot win.
Entry Fee
Free; no entry fee.
- Winning works are published in an official digital booklet;
- Winners receive an NSI prize pack;
- Winners are invited to take part in special opportunities;
- Copyright remains with the author, while Never Such Innocence is granted the right to publish and broadcast entered works.
(No cash prizes are offered.)
Core Introduction
The Never Such Innocence International Competition 2026/27, themed "Through My Eyes," invites young people aged 9–18 worldwide to share their own unique perspective of war and conflict — considering what has shaped that perspective, including experience, nationality, heritage, gender, proximity, age and education — sending their voices across borders to inspire others. It offers three categories, Poetry, Art and Short Films (the latter newly introduced this year), judged across four age groups (9–11, 11–14, 14–16, 16–18); entrants aged 15 and under must have work submitted by an adult, and individual, group and class submissions are welcome. Entrants may submit one work per category, with poems limited to one page and short films to three minutes; all works must be original and AI-created entries are rejected. The competition is free to enter; winners are published in a digital booklet, receive an NSI prize pack and invitations to special opportunities, with results announced by May 5, 2027. The organization also provides extensive professional resources to support children in talking about war and conflict, from Save the Children, BBC Children in Need, UNICEF and the Imperial War Museum, among others.
