Dear Cartoonist Friend,

Eskişehir International Cartoon Festival is a cultural activity organization organized one in two years by Aktiffelsefe Cultural Association. The festival started in Istanbul and later continued in Eskişehir. This year, we are organizing the 13th edition of the festival. In previous years; Karma (1997), East – West (2000), Water and Life (2003), Global Warming (2005), Intercultural Tolerance (2007), Energy (2009), Philosophy (2012), Volunteering (2014), World Heritage (2016), Black – White ‘Consensus’ (2018) Differences and Similaraties (2020), Migration (2022). Many cartoonists from different countries participated in the festival with thousands of cartoons.

The theme of our 13th International Cartoon Festival to be organised this year will be “Human is the bridge”. We aim to address the engagement of people to each other, solidarity, unity and integrity of humanity with the power of expression of caricature.

The metaphor of “human is the bridge”, which is distilled through the ancient wisdom of humanity, offers us a unique perspective to understand our existence and our role in society. This analogy emphasises that, just as a bridge connects two sides, human being is a path that brings different areas and elements together, connects, integrates and, most importantly, transfers human values to the next generations.

Bridges and humans share the mission of uniting the separated areas. Bridges create a path that connects lands by overcoming natural barriers such as rivers, cliffs, or seas. Similarly, humans become a generational bridge, transmitting knowledge, experience, and human values, thus forming a passage across the flowing river of time.

Just as a bridge is built on solid foundations, a person goes through a process of constructing its own existence as well. This process begins with being born from parents and continues through growing up as part of a society, developing physically and mentally, and emerging with a resilient inner structure capable of facing life’s challenges. This inner strength helps individuals contribute to society as valuable members and realize their potential. Just as the solid foundations of a bridge determine its carrying capacity, this inner structure, characterized by confidence, action motivation, values, and moral principles, provides stability, consistency, and reliability to our lives.

The most fundamental task of human is not only to build his own existence, but also to build bridges that will contribute to making society a better place. This involves becoming a path that conveys one’s own experiences. These bridges can be built through studies in education, art, science, philosophy and other fields, and through the spirit of solidarity and cooperation created in society. In order to see the presence of values such as generosity, justice, self-confidence, love, respect, etc. in future generations, the bridge must have a solid structure so that it can fulfil its duty of transferring these values. In this way, just as a solid and aesthetic bridge beautifies a city and makes it more livable, people can contribute to the development and progress of society and make it a better place.

The metaphor “Human is the bridge” inspires us not only to understand our existence and our role in society, but also to develop ourselves, contribute to society and build a better world. This metaphor reminds us of our individual and social responsibility and encourages us to connect with each other, show solidarity and act together. It is important in the sense that each of us, as a carrier of this bridge, bears the responsibility to build a fairer, more peaceful and more livable world.

As Aktiffelsefe, we have been trying to build the idea of “a better human and a better world” for 35 years. This year, we would like to reiterate this notion by examining the concept of “Human is the Bridge” for our 13th International Cartoon Festival.

The artworks exhibited at this festival will later be presented in various cities across Turkey, including Adana, Ankara, Antalya, Bursa, Eskişehir, Istanbul, Izmir, Izmit, and Mersin. These exhibitions will be organized through the branch offices and representatives of the Aktiffelsefe Cultural Association, as well as through collaborations with other organizations that the association works with internationally.

This will allow art enthusiasts across the country to appreciate the works presented at the festival.

PARTICIPATION TERMS: THEME

1. The theme of the exhibiton is “Human is the Bridge”. Cartoons with different subjects can not participate in the festival nor the exhibition. Organizing Committee has all the rights. The Committee works under the leadership of the cartoonist Tan Oral.

TECHNIQUES

1. Technique is free. It can be black white or coloured.

2. Size is A4 or A3. Cartoons with sizes other than these will be evaluated but not be exhibited.

3. One or more than one cartoon can be sent.

SENDING TERMS (POSSIBLE IN TWO WAYS)

1. Via E-mail: contact@cartoonfest.org

The works that will be sent via e-mail should be scanned with 300 dpi resolution and uploaded as JPEG format. (2 MB max.) Names of the works should be as follows: the artists country_name and surname of the artist_work no.jpeg (türkiye_alikorkmaz_1)

RESENDING OF THE WORKS

1. The works will be archived in Aktiffelsefe International Cartoon Festival archives and will not be resent. (If resending is required, it should be declared.)

USING RIGHTS OF THE WORKS

• All the rights belong to Aktiffelsefe Cultural Association with the exception of being used with commercial purposes. Aktiffelsefe Cultural Associaiton can publish the works domestic and abroad, can exhibit them, can use them in the published media such as books, catalogs, magazines etc., can send to another association abroad for publishing or exhibiting without commercial purposes. The cartoonist has all the publishing and commercial rights. The cartoons exhibited will be collected in a festival catalog and the news in the press with this catalog will be announced on the website of Aktiffelsefe Cultural Association (www.aktiffelsefe.org) and on the website of the cartoon festival (www.cartoonfest.org). Aktiffelsefe Cultural Association is responsible for its own sharings.

DEADLINE

1. The deadline for the cartoons to arrive to the Organizing Committee of the Cartoon Festival is September 1st, 2024.

WHAT IS AKTIFFELSEFE CULTURAL ASSOCIATION?

Aktiffelsefe Cultural Association is a philosophical-cultural movement which was founded in 1989. It has no commercial, political and religious purposes and it is formed by volunteers. Aktiffelsefe contributes to the society with public interest activities, to the cultural world with cultural activities, to the nature with ecology activities and to the people in need in emergencies with GEA search and rescue activities. Aktiffelsefe does all these activities based on universal principles:

• To integrate the people having different beliefs, societies and social status with the nature and the active-philosophical unity ideal.

• To provide a wholistic view by investigating comparatively the arts, sciences, beliefs and philosophies.

• To make it possible for the people to know themselves in order to develop their potentials and integrate them with nature. Aktiffelsefe Cultural Association Eskisehir Branch

Public Relations Unit Aktiffelsefe Cultural Association

Visnelik Mah. Gul Sok. No:18 26020 Odunpazari – Eskisehir / TURKEY Tel: +90 222 220

51 66

Whatsapp: +90 553 167 26 93

E-mail: contact@cartoonfest.org

Web: www.cartoonfest.org

For your questions, you can send e-mail or phone between 09.00 a.m. and 7:30 p.m