Writing, Art, and Film Contest 2023

WAC big hero image

Holocaust Center For Humanity Writing, Art, and Film Contest 2023

The Writing, Art, and Film Contest challenges students to explore the history and stories of the Holocaust.  

Open to students in grades 5-12 from Washington, Idaho, Montana, and Alaska. 

Over 30 prizes awarded in different categories:

First Prizes: $200

Second Prizes: $100

Third Prizes: $50  

 Navigate directly to a subtopic:
Prompts | Resources & Rubrics | Prizes | Rules & FAQs | See Previous Winners | Submit your Entry!

Arora Suhani

Suhani Arora 
9th-12th Grade Division

Xu Claire

Claire Xu
7th/8th Grade Division

Newman Ayar

Ayar Newman
7th/8th Grade Division

Chen Aida

Aida Chen
7th/8th Grade Division

Bassli Shelli

 Shelli Bassli
7th/8th Grade Division
      

Contest Prompts

Choose one of the two options below.

Students may enter more than one category.*

*Students can submit entries in more than one category, i.e., art and writing, but they can only win in one category. Students cannot enter both the physical art category and the digital art category.

Option 1: Creative Writing, Physical Art, Digital Art, and Film

Rubrics:
Creative Writing | Physical Art | Digital Art | Film 

Background:  “...I consider that everything should be recorded and noted down, even the most gory, because everything will be taken into account." -Yitskhok Rudashevski, teenage diarist murdered during the Holocaust. 1927-1943

This year marks the 80th anniversary of the Warsaw Ghetto Uprising, the largest, symbolically most important Jewish uprising, and first urban uprising in German-occupied Europe.  While organized armed resistance was the most direct form of opposition to the Nazis, resistance also included escape, hiding, cultural activity, and other acts of spiritual preservation.  Such non-armed resistance refers to attempts by individuals to maintain their humanity, personal integrity, dignity and sense of civilization in the face of their oppressors' attempts to dehumanize and degrade them.

Prompt: Describe or illustrate, in the art form of your choice, how a Holocaust survivor's experience with resistance during the Holocaust can inspire us to make meaningful change today.

*Use one or more entries in the Survivor Encyclopedia: Washington State and/or the story of a survivor about whom you have learned in your class to inform your entry.

Option 2: Argumentative Writing

*Note: This year, HCH has split the prompts between Grades 5-8 and Grades 9-12 

Rubric:
Argumentative Writing

Grade 5-8

Background: The Holocaust Center for Humanity has been asked to submit a recommendation to the Office of the Superintendent of Public Instruction (OSPI) in the state of Washington regarding whether instruction about the Holocaust should be required in public schools, and if so, in which grades.  

The current law, which “strongly encourages” teaching about the Holocaust, indicates that, “The studying of this material is intended to: Examine the ramifications of prejudice, racism, and intolerance; prepare students to be responsible citizens in a pluralistic democracy; and be a reaffirmation of the commitment of free peoples never again to permit such occurrences.”

Prompt: In a cohesive paper, write a letter to the legislature arguing in favor of mandating (requiring) Holocaust education in Washington State schools.  Use one or more entries in the Survivor Encyclopedia: Washington State, and/or the life story of a survivor about whom you have learned in your class, as well as at least one of the sources provided to inform your entry. 

Grades 9-12

Background: Any study of the Holocaust raises questions about what might have been done to stop the rise and expansion of the Nazis in Europe. The Nazis built a society based on exclusion and persecution of the Jews and other marginalized groups in Germany and, eventually, throughout Europe.  Over time, governmental leaders in the United States made choices that drove the American response to the atrocities committed by the Nazis and their collaborators.

Prompt: Was the American government response to the Holocaust (1933-1945) sufficient?  In a well organized paper, support your position by discussing two or more specific events related to the American response.  In addition, based on what you have learned, how should America respond to human rights violations in other countries?  Explain your thinking.

Suggested Resources

For all categories and prompts: Survivor Encyclopedia: Washington State (Stories, videos, photos of local Holocaust survivors)

Resources to support prompt “Option 1: Creative Writing, Art, and Film”:

Resources to support prompt "Option 2: Argumentative Writing":

Grade 5-8 Prompt:

Grade 9-12 Prompt:

Where can I go to learn more about the Holocaust and to read/hear stories from survivors, rescuers, and others?

Prizes & Categories:

Entries will be judged in the following groups. Winners will be identified in each group.

Argumentative Writing 

  • 5th/6th
  • 7th/8th
  • High School

Creative Writing

  • 5th/6th
  • 7th/8th
  • High School

Physical Art 

  • 5th/6th
  • 7th/8th
  • High school 

Digital Art

  • 5th/6th
  • 7th/8th
  • High school 

A few words about physical vs. digital art: 

  • The separation of categories is new this year to allow for a more even playing field with different types of visual art.
  • Examples of types of art best suited for the physical category: painting, drawing, prints, or film photography.
  • Examples of types of art best suited for the digital category: art created on the computer/with a computer program or photographs sent as a jpg, tiff, png, or other digital file.
  • 3D or multimedia pieces that do not fit into the rules for acceptable physical art can be scanned or photographed and submitted as a file for the digital art category. 

Still have questions about whether your art falls under physical or digital? Email This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.!

Film 

  • 5th - 8th grade
  • 9th - 12th grade

Prizes:

First Prizes - $200 | Second Prizes - $100 | Third Prizes - $50 

Winning entries will be displayed at the Holocaust Center, at events, and in publications throughout the year. Winners will be announced in June 2023.  

Rules & FAQs:

OFFICIAL RULES: All entrants must review the Official Rules. 

ENTRY FORM: 

Writing, Films, and Digital Art:

Students entering these three categories MUST submit the online entry form linked here using one of two possible methods provided below (Option 1 or Option 2):

Option 1: Email the entry file(s)

  • Send file(s) to This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
  • Send from the same email that you have provided in the entry form
  • File formats accepted by the HCH are pdf, jpg, png, tiff, and word documents.
  • We will not accept entries for these categories that are mailed or dropped off to the Holocaust Center.
  • If you are submitting for the digital art category, please email both your art’s file and the artist’s statement. The statement can be provided in a pdf or document format.

Option 2: Provide a link to the entry in the entry form 

  • PLEASE DOUBLE CHECK to make sure that the file's permissions are set to: "On-Anyone can with the link can access"

Physical Art:  

Students entering this category MUST submit the online entry form linked here and utilize one of the two possible submission methods provided below (Option 3 or Option 4):

Option 3: Mail your Physical Art entry to the following address:

Holocaust Center for Humanity
ATTN: Rosa Campos
2045 2nd Ave
Seattle, WA 98121

 

Option 4: Drop off your Physical Art at the Holocaust Center for Humanity

  • To organize a drop off time, please email This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

Important rules for Physical Art only:

Art pieces may not exceed 18”x24” and must be flat. We cannot accept sculpture or any kind of 3D art. Please use fixatives on charcoal, chalk, and pastel. All art pieces must include an artist statement (100 words or less) and a printed entry form when mailed or dropped off at the Center.

  • ALL ENTRIES MUST cite sources when you draw information from them; when you summarize, paraphrase, or quote; and when you refer to facts, figures, and ideas.
    • Provide complete publication information for each source in your bibliography or list of works cited.
  • Art—If you are making an artistic representation of an existing photo or piece of art, be sure to cite it.
  • Film—do not use copyright images or footage without permission and reference.  

JUDGING: 

A panel of judges will review the entries. Judges are educators, artists, writers of various faiths and backgrounds. They will be looking for creativity, thoughtfulness, and an understanding of the question. Judges will be looking for you to relate your knowledge and studies of the Holocaust to your own personal life. Judges will also be looking for proper spelling, grammar, punctuation, and artistic talent. 

Are there special considerations that you want the judges to know? If so, please include this in your essay, artist's statement or video.

MORE:

  • Group and class projects are welcome. All students who participated in creating the work should be noted in entry form.
  • Entries that do not follow the guidelines will be disqualified.
  • Entries will become the property of the Holocaust Center for Humanity.
  • The Holocaust Center reserves the right to publish and/or display all work.
  • A student may enter multiple categories in their grade (writing, physical art, digital art, film) but they can only win in one category.

Questions? 

Please reference our FAQs or email This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

See Previous Winners

See our winners' packet Celebrating Life: Holocaust Writing, Art, & Film Contest 2022 here.