EU PRO Plus programme has officially launched its annual art competition for high school students in 99 cities and municipalities across the regions of Šumadija, Western, Southern, and Eastern Serbia.
This year’s theme – Create, Play, Connect the World! – invites students to explore the powerful connection between sports and art, two areas that inspire, unite, and drive creativity.
Organised with the support of the Delegation of the European Union to Serbia and the Ministry of European Integration, the competition aims to encourage young people to be creative, engaged, and active members of their communities.
This year’s theme puts a spotlight on how sports and art can come together to build stronger, more inclusive communities and enrich everyday life.
Students are invited to express, through visual art, how they imagine a world shaped by both athletic and artistic spirit — a world of teamwork, passion, and creativity. The competition also encourages reflection on how EU support in Serbia — through investments in sports halls, playgrounds, cultural centres, and youth mobility programmes — helps foster inclusion, equality, and opportunities for expression.
The public will have the opportunity to vote online for their favourite works among a shortlist of 20 selected by an internal jury. The 12 most voted-for entries will be featured in the EU PRO Plus 2026 calendar. Online voting will open after the competition closes and will remain active for five days.
Public votes will count as the fifth member of the jury in the final selection. The authors of the 12 selected artworks will receive laptops, tablets, and mobile phones as prizes. In addition, schools are encouraged to organise internal art competitions — with the most active school being rewarded with a laptop and projector.
Competition is open until November 14, 2025, and full details and entry guidelines are available on the EU PRO Plus website.
EU PRO Plus programme, which supports balanced socio-economic development across Serbia, is funded by the European Union with €40 million. Implemented by the Ministry of European Integration, the programme aims to strengthen local governance, boost economic growth, and enhance social infrastructure and cohesion across 99 local governments in two major regions: Šumadija and Western Serbia, and Southern and Eastern Serbia. Field activities are managed by UNOPS.
