In January 2023, the European Patent Office (EPO) had launched a collective art competition for elementary schools on the theme of sustainability, technology and innovation. 56 schools from 19 countries participated in this competition with 135 artworks, a total of over 3600 children. Our school also participated with several entries.
At the end of the last school year, we learned that our Art Challenge group won one of the four main prizes with their artwork. On Friday 10/5/23, the group was invited to the Patent Office for the award ceremony. 14 children from the group, their art teacher Diana Gelles as well as Susanne Hatzinger as art coordinator of the elementary school attended the ceremony. This took place in the context of the 50th anniversary celebration of the Patent Office.
The children followed the beginning of the ceremony in an adjoining room on a large screen and were very impressed by which personalities were sitting directly in the hall, were connected live or sent video greetings. For the art award ceremony, many different artworks of the competition were shown first. Then the children of the Art Challenge course were invited on stage and their artwork was shown behind them.
Professor Wolfgang Heckel, General Director of the Deutsches Museum, presented the certificate and asked a student a question about sustainability. The group then left the stage to watch the live broadcasts, during which the other certificates were presented to groups of students in Iceland, Cambodia and the Netherlands - in the case of the last group, from the hand of the Dutch King Willem-Alexander.
The award ceremony was a very impressive and special moment for everyone involved. This is how the children put it:
- "I found it really exciting to be on stage in front of many cameras and famous people. I also found it very interesting to learn which other schools from different countries won the award."
- "I really enjoyed doing something so big with so many other kids."
- "We were amazed to find such a full hall; it was exciting to go on stage and receive the award."
- "We all made a piece of art together and won pins and received a diploma, a great experience."
- "I liked that we all worked together and that we won. The award ceremony was very nice, we were greeted so warmly, I liked everything very much. What I found very interesting was that the Dutch king attended and many other politicians and important people from Europe."
- "We couldn't wait until we were called on stage. What I liked the most was the lively music that was played when we entered the stage. It felt so fantastic."
The video of the event can be found here:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JD_8klSVkWc
https://www.epo.org/de/about-us/50-epc-anniversary/kids-collaborative-art-competition
Copyright photos: European Patent Office Munich
