Breaking Barriers photo award invites photographers to capture inclusion through sport

The European Paralympic Committee is inviting entries for Breaking Barriers, the international photography award of the European Para Youth Games (EPYG) Legacy Initiative.

Breaking Barriers focuses on one central theme: The inclusion of persons with disabilities through sport.

The award invites photographers to show how sport at any level - high performance, amateur, school or community - can create opportunities for inclusion, empowerment, personal development and improvements in communities.

The call invites participants to highlight values such as effort, teamwork, perseverance, personal growth, fulfilment, self-esteem and social inclusion.

The competition forms part of the EPYG Legacy Initiative, led by the European Paralympic Committee to promote Para sport and strengthen the inclusion of people with disabilities across European society. Through education, development activities and awareness-raising, the Initiative recognises sport as an important tool for social participation, connection, shared achievement and the removal of barriers.

Participation in Breaking Barriers is free and open to photographers of any nationality, age, place of residence or background.

Each participant may submit up to five original photographs before the deadline of 23:59 (CET), Tuesday, 15 September 2026.

Prizes and exhibition

Three prizes will be awarded:

• First prize: €600

• Second prize: €300

• Third prize: €100

The jury will select a group of finalist photographs for inclusion in a collective exhibition during the EPYG Legacy Initiative Final Forum in Istanbul on 23–24 October 2026. 

How photographs will be assessed

Entries will be judged according to:

• Sensitivity and respect towards the people and situations represented

• Relevance to the competition theme

• Visual impact and expressive strength

• Technical and formal quality

The jury will include:

• Teodora Malavenda, Visual Editor and Creative Consultant

• Carlos Folgoso Sueiro, photographer

• Rubén Bahamonde Delgado, EPYG Legacy Initiative representative

• Two representatives of the European Paralympic Committee

How to enter

Submissions close at 23:59 (CET), Tuesday, 15 September 2026.

Each participant may submit up to five photographs.

Images must:

• Be submitted in JPG or TIFF format

• Measure at least 3,000 pixels on the longest side

• Be submitted in colour or black and white

• Be original and authored by the participant

Photographs may be taken using any photographic device and do not need to be previously unpublished.

Entries should be emailed to: EPYG-legacy@europaralympic.org

The email subject line must read: Breaking Barriers Photo Award

Entries must be accompanied by a text document containing:

• The photographer’s full name

• Age

• Country of residence

• Email address

• Contact telephone number

• Title of each photograph, where applicable

• A brief description of each image, where applicable

Participants under the age of 18 must also provide signed authorisation from a parent or legal guardian.

Image integrity and permissions

Participants must submit their own photos, and not photos captured by someone else, nor any imaged created wholly or partially using artificial intelligence (AI). Basic photo editing is permitted, providing that editing does not alter the photo in a way that changes what was originally captured.

Entrants must hold the necessary rights and permissions for their photographs, including permission from identifiable people shown in those photographs. Selected images may be used for non-profit EPYG Legacy Initiative communications and activities, with the photographer credited. Please see the full competition rules for details by clicking this link: https://epyg-li.org/breakingbarriers/.

Breaking Barriers forms part of the European Para Youth Games Legacy Initiative, co-funded by the European Union through Erasmus+.