Design Shanghai × Earth Partner Prize: Spotlighting Sustainability and Next-Generation Design Innovation

The 7th annual Earth Partner Prize (formerly #CreateCOP),
a youth engagement contest for creatives aged 14-30 to respond to any aspect of the climate emergency,
is now open for submissions.

​​​​Apply Now

As Asia’s leading international design event, Design Shanghai has long been dedicated to promoting sustainable design and cross-disciplinary innovation. The event recognises that design is not only an expression of culture and aesthetics, but also a powerful instrument for addressing environmental challenges and driving social change. This year, Design Shanghai is pleased to announce its first collaboration with the Earth Partner Prize, with Zhuo Tan, Event Director of Design Shanghai, invited to serve on the international jury. This partnership marks a significant step in Design Shanghai’s sustainability journey, underlining both its sense of responsibility on the global stage and its ongoing commitment to supporting the next generation of creative talent.

Zhuo Tan shared: “Design Shanghai has always placed a strong emphasis on sustainable design, with the belief that the true value of design lies not only in creating beauty but also in driving positive change for society and the environment. This is not only about supporting young creatives, but also about giving the next generation a voice on the global stage. Through this collaboration, I hope design can become a universal language that connects the world and helps shape a shared future for both humanity and the planet.”

Art Partner, one of the world’s leading creative agencies, is proud to announce the launch of the 2025 Earth Partner Prize, an annual contest for youth engagement generating creative action for climate justice. The contest opens on Wednesday, 11th of June, and closes on Friday, 10th of October at 23:59 CET. Art Partner invites artists of all nationalities, races, genders, and faiths, aged 14 to 30, to submit work that comments on the ecological crisis.

Submissions are welcome in any medium, including, but not limited to, photography projects, docu-style and experimental film, performance art, spoken word, musical compositions, fashion design, app development, dance, new media, and social media projects. Participants might explore themes such as: biodiversity loss, climate justice, corporate greenwashing, Indigenous rights, material innovation, wildlife conservation, plastic waste and pollution, grassroots activism, recycling and circularity, intersectionality, the physical and mental impacts of the climate crisis, political economy, and nature-based wisdom.

Eight finalists will be awarded cash prizes of $10K, $5K or $2K. An additional 20 creatives will receive honourable mentions from a globally recognised panel of judges, to be announced over the summer. All finalists and honourable mentions will have their work showcased in a virtual exhibition on artpartner.com and earthpartner.com, and featured on our Instagram accounts, @artpartner (407k followers) and @earthpartner. In addition, winners and honourable mentions will be considered in future editions of the Earth Partner Exhibition, a physical travelling exhibition which has been hosted at the United Nations Headquarters in New York, Fotografiska Shanghai during Shanghai Climate Week, Photo London 2024 and, in the future, at the Vatican’s Borgo Laudato Si’ in September, during the 2025 Jubilee.

Through the Earth Partner Prize initiative, it is aimed to mobilise creative youth engagement by providing a supportive platform where emerging voices, especially from marginalised communities, can be heard and their impactful perspectives on socio-ecological issues can resonate widely. Art Partner is committed to leveraging its creative expertise, networks and reach to raise awareness and inspire conversation and action on urgent environmental issues.

Amber Testino, President at Art Partner and founder of Earth Partner, shares: “I’m proud and honoured to support the next generation of creatives in their commitment to care for the planet. I’m very proud to share so many different perspectives year after year.”

Art Partner is a global agency at the intersection of fashion, luxury, and beauty. For over 30 years, Art Partner has pioneered brand storytelling, strategy, creator-led brand building, product development, and cultural relevance — spearheading some of the industry’s most iconic imagery.

Earth Partner is the sustainability division of Art Partner and a global community of climate conscious creatives. Art Partner began the Earth Partner journey with the goal to reduce the carbon footprint of Art Partner’s offices and productions, and to send no waste to landfill by the end of 2020. Since then, Art Partner has evolved into a global community of creatives who believe in art’s transformative impact. Through our signature Earth Partner Prize (formerly #CreateCOP), sustainable production practices within Art Partner, and year-round initiatives, Art Partner connect the dots for positive change by creating links between people, platforms, businesses, governments and organisations all over the world. Throughout the years, Art Partner has partnered with many institutions and initiatives such as UNESCO, Mentoring Matters, the UN Conscious Fashion + Lifestyle Network, the World Land Trust, Natural Capital Partners and the Ellen MacArthur Foundation.

Contact：
earthpartner.com
earthpartner@artpartner.com