“Artists all over Europe are breaking through Corona Coller, Pandemic Blues – we have so many names for that feeling of just wanting to scream. But we also have the creativity that heals our world.”

With her haunting poem, Hannah Sauchella not only won the Best Paper Text of the Special Task award, she also got to the heart of what the European Competition has done in the exceptional school year 2020/21: Namely, to counter the fear and narrowness of the pandemic with colourful creativity.

In the new Best of – Film of the 68th round of the competition, in addition to Hannah’s poem, about 160 pictures, texts, videos and songs by prize winners can be seen and heard, in which they creatively deal with digitalisation, but also with the reality of their lives during the pandemic. The 8-minute film impressively shows the high level of problem awareness that children and young people have with regard to digitalisation, but also their basic optimistic attitude and their enormous creativity in dealing with it.

The youngest ones have made, painted and filmed practical robots that solve their homework, comfort them or suck Corona away. The older ones developed futuristic future scenarios, warn against hate speech in social media and thoughtless online consumption. “Ordered a package online, for little money you pollute the world, just with one click they send you plastic and you’re not even asked if you want it,” Borna Novakovic and Nick Ahrens rap in their self-produced music video.

The stressful living situation of children and young people during the pandemic speaks from many of the artworks submitted to the 68th European Competition. But the participants have used digital tools and art to counter the isolation and worry in a positive way. The children and young people whose works are shown in the new Best of – film prove that they believe in Europe despite the crisis – an encouraging signal in difficult times!

“In this situation, which we have never been in before, we remain strong, we become innovative, creative through social media. Music, art and connectedness: we feel we are Europe. We are not alone, networked we are united despite distance.” (Hannah Sauchella)

See here for the original post and the best of video.