The "United Buddy Bears" from Berlin are an exhibition of 120 large plastic bears, painted by 120 artists from 120 different member countries of the United Nations and standing in a circle, which have been travelling around the globe since their debut in Berlin in 2003 raising funds for charity organisations (further information: www.buddy-bears.com ).
The exhibition, created in 2002 by the inventors of the Buddy Bears Eva and Klaus Herlitz in Berlin, is scheduled to visit Sydney in 2005. On this occasion, the German Embassy in Canberra has acquired one unpainted Buddy Bear to be positioned as a welcoming figure in front of the Embassy building in Yarralumla. As the bear, so far, is still "undressed" and plain white, the Embassy has asked for the help and artistic creativity of secondary school students in the ACT to give him (or her?) a coat of colours. It has invited the year 12 students in the ACT to participate in a competition for the best "German Embassy Canberra Buddy Bear Design". With a view to the up-coming FIFA Soccer World Cup 2006 in Germany (more: www.fifaworldcup.com or www.socceringermany.info), the designs should in some way or another include reference to this big Soccer event and the motto of its German host-country: "A time to make friends". The entrants are requested to paint their designs (front and back of the Bear) on A4 or A3 prints of the white Bear:
The winner will be chosen by the Embassy from the entries submitted by 30 April 2005. He or her (or the whole class if it is a team entry) will be invited to actually transfer the winning design onto the Embassy's Buddy Bear. It is also planned to organize an exhibition which will present entries of every participating school to the public.
The schools have been informed of the competition, their co-operation will be very much appreciated.
For further details please contact the German Embassy Press Department (phone: 02-6270 1911, email: info1@germanembassy.org.au).