8 August 2017 – The Joint Secretariat of an EU co-financed initiative Interreg-IPA Cross-border Cooperation Programme Hungary-Serbia organizes the Photo Contest “Beautiful sights of the Hungary-Serbia border region” between 8 August and 10 September 2017, as a part of this year’s celebration of the European Cooperation Day.
The Hungary-Serbia border region, which is also the Programme Area of the Interreg-IPA CBC Hungary-Serbia Programme, includes Csongrád, and Bács-Kiskun counties in Hungary and Vojvodina in Serbia – counties: West Bačka, North Bačka, South Bačka, North Banat, Central Banat, South Banat and Srem.
With the goal to encourage citizens to take an active part in the celebration of the European Cooperation Day, the Programme invites photo enthusiasts and professionals, who are 18 or older, to participate in the contest with their photos capturing the beauty of the Hungary-Serbia border region, including its nature and landscapes, or sights of countryside or towns with the well-known landmarks.
Authors of the three best photos will be awarded with valuable and practical Programme-branded gifts, and along with the other nine selected photos, the photos will be featured within an outdoor exhibition, celebrating the European Cooperation Day. The exhibition will be organized in the second half of September 2017, in partnership with the Regional Art Center – REÖK in front of the Palace, in the well-known promenade Kölcsey Street, downtown Szeged, Hungary.
Authors of the best 12 photos will further be honoured having their photos featured in a print 2018 calendar, which by the end of 2017 will be distributed to the numerous partnering organizations of this Programme, including the European Commission, governmental organizations of Hungary and Serbia as well as many non-profit organizations from the two countries implementing joint projects within the Programme.
To enter the Photo Contest, photos must be submitted electronically to the Joint Secretariat of the Programme to email address: ecday@interreg-ipa-husrb.com in the period 8 – 28 August 2017 along with the author’s name, contact information, and a short description of the photo. Authors of the photos must follow the Terms and Conditions of the Photo Contest, available on the website of the Programme www.interreg-ipa-husrb.com in order to participate.
Photos that match the formal criteria in terms of technical specification and content will be posted in one batch in the Photo Contest album on Facebook page of the Programme.
Voting for the best photos will take place in the period 1-10 September 2017. The Jury of the Photo Contest, consisting of an expert-member of the Jury, photographer Csaba Vörös and two representatives of the Programme’s Managing Authority and National Authority will select the First- and the Second-place photo. The Third-place photo will be selected on principle of having the most “Likes” via public vote on the Facebook page of the Programme. The Jury of the Photo Contest will also select the remaining nine photos which will be featured in the outdoor exhibition in Szeged, and in the Programme’s print 2018 Calendar.
Winners of the Photo Contest, as well as the dates of the photo exhibition will be announced on 12 September 2017 on the Programme’s website and its Facebook page, and the authors of the best 12 photos will be awarded at the exhibition opening event.
“One of prominent features of the Hungary-Serbia border region is the common natural, historic and cultural heritage of the two neighbouring countries. At the same time, one of the Programme’s priorities is encouraging cooperation in tourism, cultural and natural heritage preservation. These elements served as inspiration for this year’s celebration of the European Cooperation Day,” explained Peter Racz, Head of the Joint Secretariat of the Interreg-IPA CBC Hungary-Serbia Programme.
The European Cooperation Day is an annual observance taking place on 21 September and the surrounding days to celebrate the achievements of territorial cooperation in different regions in Europe, including the neighbouring countries of the European Union.