Are you trying to make sense of the world and your place in it?

Teen World of Arts and the European Democracy Institute at Bard College Berlin invite you to take part in the first annual essay competition of the Democracy School. The competition is open to high school students (years 11 and 12) and undergraduates.

Join the conversation, make your voice heard, and maybe even get published and win a prize.

Read the prompts

Before You Begin: Competition Information

What

1

Write a 500–1000 word essay responding to one of the prompts here.

Your essay should be accompanied by a short biographical note where you state your date of birth, your grade/year in school or college/university, and briefly introduce yourself in 100 words or less. Please refer to our AI guidelines before writing the essay. The essay should be written in English.

Who can enter

2

High school students (years 11 and 12) and undergraduates.

Deadline

3

Submit your essay by email as a separate attachment (preferably as a Word document) to essay@teenworldarts.com by 1 September 2026. In the subject line of the email, please indicate whether you are competing in the junior (high school/years 11 and 12) or senior (undergraduate) category. If you are under eighteen, your parents need to submit your essay on your behalf.

Prize

4

There will be two categories: junior (high school students in years 11 or 12 ) and senior (college undergraduates). In each category, the prizes will be:

1st Prize: EUR 200; written jury feedback and individual online feedback session with faculty from Bard College Berlin or the editor-in-chief of TWoA; certificate.

2nd and 3rd prizes: written jury feedback and individual online feedback session with faculty from Bard College Berlin or the editor-in-chief of TWoA; certificate.

The three winning essays in each category will be published on the TWoA website and Substack, and on the website of the European Democracy Institute, Bard College Berlin. The essays will be promoted on our social media channels.

Essay Prompts

Choose one topic and write a 500–1000 word essay. Be as honest, quirky, and free as you would like to be. Remember: this is not an essay for school. We want to hear your voice and your own opinion. Use this as an opportunity to be creative, to let your thoughts roam, and to record your observations in a clear, cohesive, and engaging manner.

Your essay should be accompanied by a short biographical note where you state your date of birth, your grade/year in school or college/university and briefly introduce yourself in 100 words or fewer.

Prompt A: Creativity in Exile

Choose an art work, composition or choreography created by an artist in exile. Discuss the art work and how the experience of exile has shaped it. The artist can be either a contemporary artist or someone who lived in the past.

For inspiration, read From Berlin with Love: Nureyev – The Price of Freedom.

Prompt B: Music and Propaganda

To what extent could Dmitry Shostakovich’s 7th Symphony be used as political propaganda, or is instrumental music too open to personal interpretation to carry a fixed ideological message?

Focus on the first movement of Shostakovich’s 7th symphony, but feel free to listen to the entire symphony. This is our recommended recording.

For inspiration, read Ode to Manipulation.

Prompt C: Free Essay

Write your own “city letter.” Attend a cultural event in your city – it can be an exhibition, a concert, a performance, or something else. How does the cultural event you attended reflect the state of democracy in your city - through its themes, venue, audience, and atmosphere - and what does it reveal about who gets represented, included, or excluded from cultural life?

For inspiration, read “The Southbank Centre - Culture as a Democratic Social Good” and “On Singing, Soft Power, and the Very Best Food of My Life”

Prompt D: Music as a Force of Reconciliation

How does Yo-Yo Ma’s Acadia project use music as an act of reconciliation or political action - specially through collaboration with Wabanaki musicians - and what does it suggest about the role of art during crisis and social change? 

For context, listen to the podcast “Acadia: Yo-Yo Ma and the Wabanaki Play for the Dawn.”

Watch this short clip as well.

Why This Matters

The arts are often seen as a luxury – one that must take second place to more “functional professions,” such as engineering, law, medicine, or business. But that is too simplistic. The arts fulfil an instrumental role in democratic societies: they show a society where it is coming from, where it is right now, and what it might one day become. Since the earliest days of human civilization, music, dance, and the visual arts have provided the most profound expression and record of our own humanity. Nothing explores and interprets the emotional, spiritual, and moral dimensions of being human better than the visual and performing arts. They help us make sense of the world – and our place within it. 

A critical engagement with the arts trains the type of critical thinking essential for thriving democracies. In a world that is increasingly visual, image-driven, and shaped by artificially generated texts and images, the skill of looking at images, musical compositions, and choreographies through an analytical framework enables you to notice and decipher implicit ideas, ideologies, and meanings. This is how visual and cultural literacy emerge, allowing for a deeper understanding of both the self and one’s place in society. 

As part of the Democracy School (European Democracy Institute, Bard College Berlin), TWoA is dedicated to fostering cultural awareness and supporting the next generation in making their voices heard.  The essay competition will be held annually. It links the visual and performing arts to broader social, political, and historical topics. High school and university students are warmly invited to enter the competition – and engage with the world and its arts through one of our four prompts. 

AI Guidelines

TWoA is dedicated to promoting real human voices. Because of this, we do not accept the use of artificial intelligence for producing texts. AI doesn’t generate the type of creative texts told in a unique, human voice we are looking for. To enter the competition, you must write the essay entirely by yourself – without the help of peers, mentors, or AI programs. You are not allowed to use AI to generate ideas, create an outline or a first draft, or edit your essay. You may only use a regular spell and grammar check. 

You may use AI to look up basic facts and definitions, to get an overview of available sources and to search for examples of relevant artworks. You should not rely on AI to summarise sources. Do not rely on any AI claims without thorough and independent verification. Rely on reputable sources and cite all relevant sources at the bottom of your essay. 

Frequently Asked Questions

Still have questions? Take a look at the FAQ or reach out anytime. If you’re feeling ready, go ahead and apply.

Submit

  • The competition is open to high school students (years 11 and 12) and undergraduates from around the world. Whether you are deeply involved in the arts or simply curious about culture, politics, music, performance, or visual storytelling, you are warmly encouraged to apply.

    You do not need to be an expert in art history, music, or political theory. We are far more interested in originality, curiosity, thoughtful observation, and a genuine engagement with the topic than in technical or academic perfection.

  • Essays should be between 500 and 1000 words. We encourage concise, thoughtful writing that develops a clear idea or argument while still allowing room for creativity, reflection, and personal voice.

  • You are not allowed to use AI for generating ideas, outlining, drafting, writing and editing your essay. The ideas, structure, and writing have to be entirely your own.

    This competition is designed to encourage independent thought, creativity, and genuine personal reflection.

    You can use AI to get an overview of available sources, but you should then consult the original sources (they can be internet sources but need to be reputable). You are not allowed to rely on AI summaries. Consult articles on the internet, physical books and articles, interviews, recordings, and other research materials while preparing your essay.

  • The winners will be announced within three months of the deadline.

  • The winning essays will be published on the Teen World of Arts website and the publication’s Substack platform, and on the website of the European Democracy Institute, Bard College Berlin.

    They will also be featured across TWoA’s social media channels and on social media channels associated with the European Democracy Institute, Bard College Berlin.