with monetary prizes, honorary mentions, publications, access to additional education, and opportunities to pitch the winning projects at major international events in the field of sustainability. At the same time, the foundation is focused on BE OPEN Art. It operates an online gallery that supports emerging artists around the world, helping them to gain visibility and find their place within the creative community. BE OPEN’s art committee performs a worldwide selection of artworks in an unprecedented variety of media, ranging from the traditional painting, photography, and graphics styles to more innovative and trending mediums such as NFT, AI Art, Urban Art, wall sculptures, feminist art, and much more. “Due to the regional outreach, we are increasing the versatility of art represented in the BE OPEN Art Gallery,” Elena added. “Introducing such initiatives as ‘By Artists for Artists’ and ‘Community Support Fund’ that offer useful and applicable content by the more-to-less successful artists featured in the gallery will help to build a healthy, supportive community rooted in the values of BE OPEN Art.” Despite its worldwide reception, BE OPEN has certainly encountered challenges over the course of its operations. The most significant hurdles have been related to establishing productive communication and building long-term relations within the array of communities and institutions that are central to its work. The organisation has partaken in a wide range of relevant events that aid it achieving maximum visibility whilst providing lifetime opportunities to its project participants. This event engagement began with the UN Global Conferences COP28 in 2023 and COP29 in 2024. BE OPEN has also attended the 2024 International Conference on Sustainable Digital Innovations Conference and Exhibition, the MED9 Ministerial Summit for Education for Sustainable Development, and the UNECE Forum on Sustainable Development Education: Empowering Youth for Sustainable Futures, as well as the International Sustainable Energy Conference 2024, the Sustainability Expo Asia 2025, and various other events. Similarly, capturing the attention of young people is not easy in this modern age of information overload, even when a project poses clear benefits to their future. BE OPEN has found establishing the necessary communications and earning support from schools and universities to be an ongoing challenge, but a challenge it will face with determination and perseverance. “We believe in consistency and focus,” said Elena. “BE OPEN has assembled an incredible community of creative and highly professional people from many walks of life, who appreciate and support what the foundation does and tries to achieve. They are curators, professors, students, artists, researchers, designers, futurists, and many more. They are supportive and generous with their expertise, knowledge, and experience; and they help us grow personally and professionally.” BE OPEN Foundation This sense of unity and passion is reflected throughout BE OPEN’s internal team, who serve as the very heart of all the foundation stands for. BE OPEN is propelled by a close-knit team of employees boasting specific areas of expertise and responsibility, and rarely ever looks to recruit. Instead, any necessary expansion for a new project comes from individuals the team has worked alongside on previous projects, such as those met at panels and conferences, engaged as curators or experts, or even past participants of BE OPEN competitions. This expansion model allows for shared interests, respect for creativity, and unconventionalism to guide its work. BE OPEN is currently in the stages of finalising this year’s SDG5focused competition for students and graduates: Design Equality with Innovation. This will mark the seventh year of the programme, as well as a seventh sustainable goal that BE OPEN has approached by channelling the creative and innovative minds of young people to mend a worldwide injustice. Competition winners will be provided with monetary prizes, in addition to the opportunity to attend a major international conference that will allow them to become a part of the conversation and, hopefully, the solution. “Every time a student comes back to report being able to move further with their solutions due to our involvement – whether expanding, refining, or taking to the implementation stage – it is the greatest achievement,” Elena shared. “Every year we get reassurance that educating and motivating young people to become leaders of creative industries and sustainable change is the best way forward. And every year, BE OPEN tries to do more by offering them a platform for discussion and exchange of ideas, opportunities for self-education, boosting their confidence, and helping them to see that they matter.” Contact: Lilia Valieva Company: BE OPEN Foundation Web Address: www.beopenfuture.com
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