Challenge the “Sensible”: The YouFab Global Creative Awards Announces 2019 Call For Entries

A rare “category-free” award, the YouFab Global Creative Awards is open to creators from all backgrounds all around the world, regardless of age and nationality, and all works, products, and services will be accepted, whether they fall under the fields of art, performance, architecture or even span multiple fields. Submissions should be created using digital production tools and past the planning stage. Works should be physically or practically implemented, be currently in operation or have already been published or released. 

See winners from last year here.

The theme for this year’s awards is the idea of “Conviviality,” derived from philosopher Ivan Illich’s groundbreaking Tools for Conviviality. The theme interprets society itself as an outdated operating system that we, as individuals, are unable to rely on to solve the problems of today. It urges the individual to go out and create something that breaks the system and allows us to solve these problems; as such, works should, in some way, aim to bring about social impact and revolution. Learn more about the theme here. 

Creators can also simultaneously apply for consideration for the special prize- YouFab Next STEAM Prize presented by Panasonic. STEAM stands Science, Technology, Engineering, Art, and Mathematics and refers to the concept of combining the topic areas to produce a uniquely artistic work that educates.

The Next STEAM Prize celebrates submissions that provide humans with the tools that enable us to concretely answer questions that push humans towards discovery and creativity, such as “How far is the sun from the earth?”, “What exactly are my genes made of?”,  “How do planes fly?”, “How can we predict where the Northern Lights will appear?”. Ultimately, the prize seeks to answer the question: “What sort of learning will we require in relation to technology in the future?” 

Next STEAM Prize entries should:

• Encourage and promote learning 
• Envision shared learning spaces
• Demonstrate a clear vision for activities that result from the learning

The YouFab Global Creative Awards is the brainchild of FabCafe, a global creator’s cafe network founded by Loftwork Inc. Since its founding in 2012, the chain has birthed more than 15,000 ideas through creative workshops and events at its comfortable spaces in 10 locations around the world, from Taipei to Strasbourg, Bangkok to Barcelona. FabCafe, which was founded in Shibuya, Tokyo, combines the ideas of of FABulous and FABrication to create spaces where individuals are free from the constraints of mass production and the market to share their ideas and connect with others around the world to form a creative community. The awards began after a year of such community activities, with FabCafe curators compiling the impressive works creators showcased at each of the 10 locations around the world.

The YouFab Global Creative Awards recognize that the next generation of talent is not only found in advanced research facilities but also in small towns and communities around the world. As part of its “From Local to Global, Global to Local” philosophy, the awards aim to spur creativity around the world and make creative businesses ever more engaging by showcasing their creativity on the world stage. Read interview with Neil Mendoza here.

Former editor-in-chief of Wired Japan, Kei Wakabayashi, will reprise his role as chief judge this year and will be joined by Leonard Bartolomeus, a member of the Indonesian art collective ruangrupa & Guskul Ekosistem and curator at the Yamaguchi Center for Arts and Media, as well as cultural anthropologist Keiichiro Matsumura and Chiaki Hayashi, creative firm Loftwork Inc.’s founder and representative director. 

The Next STEAM Prize will be judged by a special panel of judges comprised of Loftwork Inc. founder and representative director Chiaki Hayashi, Triple Seven Creative Strategies Co., Ltd. Representative Director & Co-Founder of FabCafe Toshiya Fukuda, Panasonic Corporate Strategy Office for Future Strategies and 100BANCH organizer Rie Noritake, and other additional judges to be announced.

The YouFab awards are open to all individuals and corporations around the world, regardless of age and nationality. As the awards are not split into categories, all works, products, and services are welcomed. Work should be created using digital production tools and must be completed and implemented physically, practically, or currently in operation. Works that have already been published or released will also be accepted. If the work that are still in the draft or prototypal stage, we will base our evaluation on the way it has been attempted and the future potential. Applications from individuals, groups, and/or businesses are permitted.

Prize Information

• Grand Prize: Trophy and $1,000 prize money, awarded to one winner.
• First Prize: Trophy and $500 prize money, awarded to one winner.
• General Prize: Award certificate and $300 prize money, awarded to an individual or corporation.
• Student Prize: Award certificate and $300 prize money, awarded to an individual enrolled at a university or vocational school at the time of submission.
• Finalists: Award certificate, awarded to multiple winners.
• Next STEAM Prize: Award certificate and $1,000 – $3,000 prize money, awarded to multiple winners.

Next STEAM Prize Information

• A single entry will be awarded $1,000 – $3,000 in prize money (multiple winners may be selected)
• Entrants have the chance to have their work exhibited at the YouFab Exhibition 2019, which will be held in March 2020 in Tokyo, as well as related Panasonic spaces in August 2020 in Tokyo.
• Winners will be invited to attend the YouFab Creative Global Awards ceremony in March 2020 in Tokyo.
• Funding for touch-ups to creations may be available to some winners.

Key dates
Entry period: 12pm (JST) Wednesday August 1, 2019 – 12pm Wednesday October 31, 2019.
Initial review results announced: December 2019 (TBC)
Final review results announced: January 2020 (TBC)
Award ceremony March 2020 (TBC)

All winning works will be exhibited at the award ceremony and at the upcoming Shibuya QWS venue in March 2020 in collaboration with Media Ambition Tokyo. All winners, regardless of nationality, are invited to attend and take part in the unique networking opportunity. This will take place at Shibuya QWS , a coworking space that connects diverse people and ideas in Shibuya to the greater world, that is scheduled to be open in November 2019.

Sponsors
– Panasonic (Platinum sponsor)
– Shibuya QWS (Gold sponsor)
– Ezoe Memorial Recruit Foundation (Bronze)

Collaborators: Media Ambition Tokyo
Planning: Loftwork Inc.
Organizer: FabCafe Global

Loftwork Inc. is a global creative company, which designs programs, spaces, services, communication and websites through collaborations. We are located in Hong kong, Taiwan, Tokyo and Kyoto . We also operate various owned media and platforms. Digital craft cafe “FabCafe” , and material design lab “MTRL” , the online creator platform “AWRD”, and an open community bio lab “BioClub“.  Loftwork is dedicated in building a global community of innovators. Through the design process, we create good impact to society.