On Friday, July 10, the Final Round Judges of TOward TOmorrow, the 2020 international contest from Toward2030, What are you doing?, picked up the winner of this year’s Instagram based competition. With a grand prize of 10k Euro to engage global creatives in a discussion on Art and the Global Goals, the contest is supported by Juxtapoz, Art and SDG ambassador Arts Help and the United Nations SDG global Action campaign. 

In the project, Creative Director Charlotte Pyatt also aligned 17 global NGOs all using art as a bridge to urgent action to generate support and awareness for their respective causes, while championing the power of culture. From over 400 entrants, we formally announce this year’s winner as PRICKLY SAUCE, a UK based artist whose work embodied SDG16, Peace Justice and Strong Institutions. “The bound hands of justice grab tightly the fingers of the peace symbol binding both as strong institutions," explained Rob Thomas (Prickely Sauce). “The chain pulling out sideways reinforces this strength. It feels like a strong image that visually represents the relationship and the fact that these are ultimately about people and their lives.”

 
 
 
 
 
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After hundreds of submissions from around the world, an amazing global effort, we are excited to announce the winners of the @Toward.2030 "Toward Tomorrow" contest! For the Over 18 and Grand Prize winner of 10,000 Euro, meet @PricklySauce (slide 1) and his work for SDG16 Peace Justice and Strong Institutions! "The bound hands of Justice grab tightly the fingers of the Peace symbol binding both as strong institutions...the chain pulling out sideways reinforces this strength...it feels like an strong image that visually represents the relationship and the fact that these are ultimately about people and their lives." And for the youth category and the winner of 1000 euro in art supplies, meet @Sarashatat_art (slide 2) who made work for SDG3 Good Health and Wellbeing. "I know u all are going through many hard situations but we all need to help and support each other bc we're a family..."

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“We are filled with enthusiasm today for the official nomination of the winner of this innovative edition of Toward 2030,” commented Company Board Director Francesca Lavazza. “Toward 2030 is an award-winning cultural project conceived by Lavazza’s Sustainability Department and executed in 2018/9 with the City of Turin. Covid-19 forced us to rethink 2020 plans to consider how we continue our mission in this difficult time, Toward Tomorrow was born! The initiative offered economic support for artists and highlighted the efforts of NGOs across the world, more fundamentally it allowed us to maintain our core mission of using art to communicate awareness of the global goals in ways that were engaging and impactful”- declared Francesca. 

The competition was a playful way to address the global issues that have been exacerbated by the pandemic. Composed by two sections: over and under 18 and two financial awards (for the over 10.000 € and 1000 € for the under) every stage was constructed to incite positive and meaningful discussion to reflect on how Art engages with the world. 

An International panel of Art and Sustainability ambassadors were appointed to select the winning artist, they include: Francesca Lavazza (Lavazza Group), Evan Pricco (Juxtapoz Magazine), Martha Cooper (photographer), Marina Ponti (UN SDG Action Campaign) and Wisam Salsaa (the Walled off Hotel) together with 17 Ngos selecting the final 17 artists (1 winner per SDG category) from all over the world using art and culture as part of their awareness strategy.

“The mission was to encourage artists to consider their work through the filter of the 17 Sustainable Development Goals. We couldn’t realise our efforts for 2020 in public space, and so we adapted with an online project to unite artistic and sustainability communities in a positive and meaningful way during Covid," remarked Charlotte Pyatt, Creative Director of the Toward Tomorrow campaign. “Of the many aspects I am proud of for TOward TOmorrow, I am inspired and humbled by the trust, energy and awe-inspiring work of the incredible 17 organisations we were able to align with. This was one of the most challenging aspects of this project, but certainly one of the most rewarding in demonstrating creatively and practically how art can mobilise people toward action. The level of engagement and support we have received from artists has been overwhelming, a true celebration of the transformative power of culture and its ability to affect meaningful change in the world.”

1 Lebanese Artist Roula Abdo

SDG 1—End poverty in all its forms everywhere / ART FOR AMNESTY (winner, Lebanese Artist Roula Abdo)
Selecting the winner for #SDG1 on behalf of Art for Amnesty is Bill Shipsey, a human rights activist, artist event promoter, producer and consultant, Barrister, and the founder of Art for Amnesty, Amnesty International's global artist engagement programme. He has consulted widely with other human rights organisations around the world, seeking to partner with artists in the promotion of human rights campaigns. Artists include Yoko Ono, Bono and Sting.

2 Indonesian Artist Novemto Komo

SDG 2 ZERO HUNGER - End Hunger and Achieve food security and improved nutrition and promote sustainable agriculture / FOOD FOR SOUL (winner, Indonesian Artist Novemto Komo)
Selecting the winner for #SDG2 on behalf of Food for Soul / @foodforsoul.it is their President Lara Gilmore / @laratgilmore. Together with Massimo Bottura / @massimobottura, Lara launched Food for Soul as a way to redefine the role of traditional community kitchens. Her in-depth knowledge of contemporary art and of the importance of culture and art as tools for inspiring change has been instrumental in the definition of the organisation’s approach and mission. 

3

SDG 3 – GOOD HEALTH AND WELLBEING - Ensure healthy lives and promote well being for all at all ages / C.A.L.M. Campaign Against Living Miserably (winner, Indian Artist  Tejal Naruka)
Selecting the winner for #SDG3 on behalf of @calmzone is Ben Hawley - Marketing & Communications Director at The Campaign Against Living Miserably. CALM continue to utilise cultural touch points across art, music, sport and comedy to land their message. CALM have galvanised leading figures and organisations that represent a wide range of communities and viewpoints to help shift awareness of the issue and the culture that makes it so. 

4 Mexican Artist Adriana Delfin

SDG 4 - QUALITY EDUCATION - Ensure inclusive and equitable quality education and promote lifelong learning / CASA AMARELA (winner, Mexican Artist Adriana Delfin)
Selecting the winner for #SDG4 on behalf of Casa Amarela is Co Director Tiphanie Da Silva Constantin. Tiphanie and her Co Director Nina Soutoul are currently working on @casaamarelaproidencia COVID-19 Response project, providing food and hygiene baskets to the most vulnerable areas of the Favela.

5 Statement by Spanish artist Jofre Oliveros

SDG 5 - GENDER EQUALITY - Achieve gender equality and empower all women and girls / ARAVANI ART PROJECT (winner, Spanish Artist Jofre Oliveras)
Selecting the winner on behalf of The Aravani Art Project is Founder Poornima Sukumar. “We have a passion for art as a social practice. Through our creative collaborations we want to raise awareness of the social possibilities of art making and the conversations that it enables.”

6 Spanish Artist Octavi Serra

SDG 6 — CLEAN WATER AND SANITATION - Ensure available and sustainable management of water and sanitation for all / VIVA CON AGUA (winner, Spanish Artist Octavi Serra)
Selecting the winner on behalf of @vivaconagua is Co-Founder and Conceptual Activist Michael Fritz / @michafritz. VCA’s international network consists of more than 15.000 volunteers working across Uganda, Austria, the Netherlands and Switzerland. 

7 American Artists Lady Mags and Amanda Lynn

SDG 7 – AFFORDABLE AND CLEAN ENERGY - Ensure access to affordable reliable sustainable and modern energy for all / LITTLE SUN (winners, American Artists Lady Mags and Amanda Lynn)
Selecting the winner on behalf of Little Sun / @littlesun is Felix Hallwachs Foundation Director. Visit the website https://littlesun.com/covid-19-response/ to find out more about *Powering Health* Little Sun's Covid-19 response project. Little Sun are working in many areas of the world where proper health care is not a given, the nearest hospital may be hundreds of kilometers away. More than 30% of clinics in sub-Saharan Africa are without electricity, making health care even more difficult – especially now, with the world facing a global pandemic. 

8 Portuguese Artist Out IAM

SDG 8 – DECENT WORK AND ECONOMIC GROWTH - Promote Sustained, inclusive and sustainable economic growth, full and productive / TEMWA (winner, Portuguese Artist Out IAM)
Selecting the winner on behalf of @temwa is Managing Director Jo Hook / @johook. Malawi is one of the poorest countries in the world, Temwa train villagers to grow a variety of vegetables and fruit to improve their nutritional intake; plant trees to combat the devastating effects of deforestation and climate change; run HIV testing clinics and work to combat the associated stigma; and fund students through their secondary school education. 

9 Italian Artist Chiara Boragine

SDG 9 - INDUSTRY INNOVATION AND INFRASTRUCTURE - Build resilient infrastructure, promote inclusive and sustainable industrialization and foster innovation / LOVE WELCOMES (winnter, Italian Artist Chiara Boragine)
Selecting the winner on behalf of @lovewelcomes is CEO and Co Founder Abi Hewitt / @abihewitt. The proceeds from each sale at Love Welcomes goes directly to the women who wove it, all profits are used to support refugees including language lessons, computer training, and transportation for things like lawyer meetings or going to the market to buy food. Our aim is to empower refugees to support themselves and their families through employable skills, providing them with dignity and the ability to positively contribute to society.

10 Palestinian Artist Malak Mattar

SDG 10 - REDUCED INEQUALITIES - Reduce inequality within and among countries / SKATEISTAN (winner, Palestinian Artist Malak Mattar)
Selecting the Judge on behalf of Skatistan / @Skateistan is Programs Director Talia Kaufmann. This is the Skateistan story so far… You can support by joining the Citizens of Skateistan, a global community of supporters, skaters and students who share their vision of empowering children through skateboarding and creative, art-based education. 

11 British Artist Gabriel Pitcher

SDG 11 - SUSTAINABLE CITIES AND COMMUNITIES - Make cities and human settlements inclusive safe, resilient and sustainable / HELIOTROPE FOUNDATION (winner, British Artist Gabriel Pitcher)
Selecting the winner on behalf of The Heliotrope Foundation / @theheliotropefoundation is their Board chair, Zahra Sherzad / @zahrasherzad Visit Heliotrope to find out more about their latest covid response project Artists in Action, which focuses ways in which we can sustain the art community who have donated works to support them over the past 10 years. The project is a unique activities handbook with each page created by a different artist, the booklet will be distributed for free to the vulnerable communities they work with.

12 Indian Artist Raajadharshini

SDG 12 - RESPONSIBLE CONSUMPTION AND PRODUCTION - Ensure sustainable consumption and production patterns / SUMATRAN ORANGUTAN SOCIETY (winner,  Indian Artist Raajadharshini)
Selecting the winner on behalf of #SDG12 SOS is the Director of Sumatran Orangutan Society, Helen Buckland. SOS has partnered with cultural initiative Splash and Burn / @splashandburn for the past 4 years, an ongoing campaign responding creatively to a major driver of forest loss in Sumatra: the palm oil industry. One of their key strategies is to reclaim and rewild oil palm plantations, turning the clock back on deforestation and restoring the land for wildlife, including orangutans, tigers and elephants. Sumatran orangutans and Tapanuli orangutans are critically endangered species - every life is precious.

13 Singaporean Artist Khing Chong Wong

SDG 13 - CLIMATE ACTION - Take Urgent action to combat climate change and its impacts / AFRICAN ARTISTS FOR DEVELOPMENT (winner, Singaporean Artist Khing Chong, Wong)
Selecting the winner on behalf of #SDG13 African Artists for Development / @aad-fund is Co-founder Gervanne Leridon. AAD are currently coordinating The African Space Art Project dressing a satellite with a reproduction of a unique art piece created by a contemporary African artist, the first African artistic exploration of space. Partnering with the European Organisation for the Exploitation of Meteorological Satellites (EUMETSAT), a satellite will be positioned above the African continent to monitor the climate and weather over Africa and Europe. As African meteorological, climatic and environmental data become widely available and more accessible, they will be critical for unlocking the continent’s future. This data is particularly important in two fields related to sustainable development. They will be critical to helping improve agricultural output and generating sufficient renewable energy, using accurate data to support planning and decision-making in Africa. 

14 American Artist Ajax Atlas

SDG 14 – LIFE BELOW WATER - Conserve and sustainable use of oceans, seas and marine resources for sustainable development / PANGEASEED FOUNDATION (winner, American Artist Ajax Atlas)
Selecting the winner on behalf of @Pangeaseed is the foundation founder Tré Packard. Recognised worldwide for their groundbreaking art program ‘Sea Walls: Artists for Oceans’, PangeaSeed produce larger-than-life public art to foster a sense of community, belonging, and environmental stewardship. In response to Covid 19 and in celebration of 50th anniversary of Earth Day, PangeaSeed launched Home an open call for artists to paint murals in the safety of their homes, the world’s first stay-at-home environmental mural festival.

15 Belarusian Artist Dima Kashtalyan

SDG 15 - LIFE ON LAND - Protect restore and promote sustainable use of terrestrial ecosystems, sustainably manage forests, combat desertification, halt and reverse land degradation and halt biodiversity /
THIRD MILLENNIUM ALLIANCE (winner, Belarusian Artist Dima Kashtalyan)
Selecting the winner on behalf of Third Millennium Alliance / @thirdmilleniumalliance is their Executive Director Ryan Lynch. From colouring books sharing information about endangered species, to Phone Sreensavers of the incredible wildlife found in the JamaCoaque Reserve, their creative projects aim to increase an appreciation for nature and wildlife conservation. For details of their latest COVID-19 response campaign addressing vulnerable communities and species. 

16 Prickly Sauce

SDG 16 - PEACE JUSTICE AND STRONG INSTITUTIONS - Promote peaceful and inclusive societies for sustainable development, provide access to justice for all and build effective, accountable and inclusive institutions at all levels / A BLADE OF GRASS (winner, British Artist Prickly Sauce)
Selecting the winner of.behalf of A Blade of Grass / @abladeofgrassorg their Director of Programs Prerana Reddy. This organisation believe art in service of communities has concrete, generative effects in the world. Artists who share the creative process can model alternatives, change perspectives, and collaboratively create symbolic and practical shifts in everyday life that inspire deeper commitment to social change.

17 American Artist Strider Patton

SDG 17 - PARTNERSHIP FOR THE GOALS - Strengthen the means of implementation and revitalize the global partnership for sustainable development / MIGRATE ART (winner, American Artist Strider Patton)
Selecting the winner on behalf of Migrate Art / @Migrateart is co Director Simon Butler. In 2019, Migrate Art invited leading artists to create works from pencils salvaged from the Calais refugee camp after its demolition in 2017– among them Anish Kapoor, Sean Scully and Rachel Whiteread. The exhibition ‘multicolour’ and its subsequent sale received widespread media coverage and raised a staggering £121,000 GBP.