Visually narrate
a story from a tribe
in a single frame
Tribal Design Forum announces its second edition of the Visual Arts Contest and invites all members of tribal communities in India to participate in this initiative.
Background
Tribal peoples constitute 8.6 percent of India’s total population, about 104 million people according to the 2011 census (68 million people according to the 1991 census). This is the largest population of the tribal people in the world.
There are some 705 communities recognized by the Government of India as Scheduled Tribes. They range in size from the Gonds (roughly 7.4 million) and the Santals (approximately 4.2 million) to only eighteen Chaimals in the Andaman Islands.
Context
Each tribal community is culturally rich and diverse with unique belief systems, rituals, festivals, dance, music and culture; blessed with rich oral traditions and folklore that connect them closely to nature. However, many of these unique cultural attributes often go unnoticed as it is missing f rom the consciousness of the urban mainstream.
TDF Visual Arts Contest is an attempt of the Tribal Design Forum to unearth these existing facets about tribal culture and heritage and bring to the fore these fascinating aspects through visual arts.
TDF Visual Arts Contest 2025
Theme
Stories from Tribes of India
Objective
Tribal Design Forum invites you to visually narrate a compelling story from your tribal community in the form of an artwork. The artwork could be an illustration, painting, linocut or any form of visual representation, using any media. The visual should aesthetically and powerfully represent the ethos, cultures or story unique and central to your tribal community. However, the final submission would need to be as a digital file. Contestants working on a non-digital platform can take high-resolution pictures of their work and submit as a high-resolution PDF file.
We encourage you to present the unique stories and folklore of your tribal community to audiences through your entries.
Exciting tribal produce and products as prizes are up for grabs.
How to Participate?
- Identify a story, a myth or from the folklore from your tribe (or any tribe), which you feel is one of the cornerstones of your (selected) tribe’s culture.
- Create an artwork to depict this story in one single composition in a square format (420mm x 420mm). If you are creating the artwork without using any digital software or tools e.g. hand illustrating, painting, linocut, etching or any other innovative form, make sure the canvas is in a square format; take a high-resolution photograph and then create a PDF file for submission.
- Please do not put any text or written matter on your composition.
- Prepare a Word document that contains the name of the tribe depicted, name of the story (if there is one) and the story along with along with your full name, postal address and contact number.
- Once you have created your artwork as a high-resolution PDF file and the Word document, submit the artwork and the document by mailing it to art@tribaldesignforum.com as a digital file latest by 10 March, 2025, 2100 hrs.
- The entries should be submitted only after registering through the process mentioned above. Entries submitted without registration will not be accepted.
- The contestant may submit a maximum of five (5) entries.
Important Dates
- Registration for this edition is now OPEN.
- Registration and Submission closes on 10 March, 2025, 2100 hrs.
- Screening of entries and Jury closes on 10 April, 2025.
- Announcement of the winners 31 April, 2025.
- The winners will be announced on www.tribaldesignforum.com and on Instagram @tribaldesignforum.
Awards
- First Prize: Cash prize of 20,000
- Second Prize: Cash prize of 15,000
- Third Prize: Cash prize of 10,000
- Seven Additional prizes of gift hampers of assorted products designed and crafted by indigenous entrepreneurs
- Top 10 will be provided with Certificates
- Wining works shall feature on TDF social media and collaterals with artist credit
Rules of Participation
Eligibility
- The competition is open to ALL citizens of India
Technical Guidelines
- All works should be originally created.
- All digital artworks to be submitted online art@tribaldesignforum.com
as a high-resolution PDF file (preferred form of submission). - Submissions as .jpeg or .eps will also be acceptable.
The digital file should be in actual size: 420mm x 420mm - Submission of artwork without the Word document will be disqualified.
- The contestant may submit a maximum of three (5) entries
Terms and Conditions
- Each entry must be the original work of the artist.
- All judges‘ decision is final. Anonymous judging will be employed. Hence no name, signature or text should be on the artwork. The judges will not know the name of the artist until after the decisions have been finalised.
Rights and Reproduction
- Any moral and paternity right regarding the project sent in for the contest is the artist’s property. However, by submitting an entry in the competition, the participant agrees to give Tribal Design Forum the first right of refusal to the exclusive use of the design concept. This option is valid until 08 April 2027.
- All participants agree to allow their entries to be published or showcased by Tribal Design Forum in print, online and electronic medium where it deems fit to promote Tribal Design Forum or the TDF India Visual Arts Contest until 08 April 2027.
- Tribal Design Forum reserves the right to reproduce the image/artwork for use in Tribal Design Forum promotions including but not limited to merchandise and promotional materials until 08 April 2027.
- Tribal Design Forum retains the right to publish the submissions and information associated with them and the participants in all communication exercises for Tribal Design Forum campaigns.
- All participants agree to allow registered members of Tribal Design Forum to use their artworks for editorial, academic, commercial and non-commercial usage, with due credit attributed to the designer.
- Any employee or agent of the Organisers will NOT be liable for:
- any costs incurred/loss/liability suffered by participants in relation to the programme
- any lost expectation of profits by participant
- any failure by participants to understand their rights in relation to Intellectual Property or the rights of the Organizers in relation to Intellectual Property any other benefit applicants may expect to gain by participating in the programme
Terms and Conditions
- Tribal Design Forum may change the Terms and Conditions of participation at any time without specific notice. The amended Terms and Conditions will be effective immediately upon being posted on www.tribaldesignforum.com and Tribal Design Forum social media. Important changes to the Terms and Conditions will be highlighted on www.tribaldesignforum.com for your convenience; however, you acknowledge that it is your sole responsibility to regularly visit the website and social media to read any changes to the Terms and Conditions of Entry. Conditions apply. The decision of the judges will be final and not appealable.
Contact and Communication Channels
Submission email
art@tribaldesignforum.com
Website
www.tribaldesignforum.com
Contact
contact@tribaldesignforum.com
Social Media
www.instagram.com/tribaldesignforum
www.facebook.com/tribaldesignforum
www.linkedin.com/company/tribaldesignforum
