Global initiative to foster creativity and innovation
BE OPEN has received an observer status to the United Nations Environment Programme after making an application describing the multi-year educational programme dedicated to the Sustainable Development Goals. This accreditation marks the achievement of an important stage in BE OPEN’s progress in supporting creative approaches to various areas of human activity, in order to achieve a better, more sustainable future.
On October 18th a historic street of Nicosia became the stage for an open-air fashion show – the immersive experience that weaved a historical timeline of the island through garments and the everyday figures of street sellers. Co-organised by the BE OPEN Foundation and the Centre of Visual Arts and Research (CVAR), Here Come the Cypriots offered the public a unique window into Cyprus’s rich and ever evolving identity.
For the BE OPEN Regional Art competition, July, August and September became the months of celebration of young South American artists whose art best represents their regional, cultural and ethnic identities. The programme covered Argentina, Bolivia, Brazil, Chile, Colombia, Ecuador, Guyana, Paraguay, Peru, Suriname, Uruguay, Venezuela, the Falkland Islands, South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands, French Guiana.
DESIGN EQUALITY with Innovation is the 7th international competition in the SDGs-focused programme by the socio-cultural initiative BE OPEN and its partners. The competition is open to students, graduates and young professionals. The competition aims to encourage creation of innovative solutions by younger creatives, for a more prosperous and sustainable future, and the focus of the competition is the United Nations’ Sustainable Development Programme.
BE OPEN Foundation has launched Cyprus Future Heritage Competition, an international competition for young artisans, artists, and designers, organized in collaboration with the Cyprus Handicraft Service of the Deputy Ministry of Culture and the Society of British and International Interior Design (SBID).
The 2025 edition of the Cyprus Future Heritage Competition is dedicated to celebrating and reimagining Cyprus’s weaving and embroidering traditions, aiming to preserve cultural heritage while inspiring contemporary creative practices.
BE OPEN Art continues to run BE OPEN Regional Art, the regional competition for emerging artists aimed to support those whose art best represents their regional, cultural and ethnic identities, for the third year now. In 2025, the BE OPEN expert community continues selecting those artists who best represent the artistic tradition of a certain region to feature in the BE OPEN Art gallery and offer them greater visibility.
The third stage of the third year of the programme will cover the countries of South America: Argentina, Bolivia, Brazil, Chile, Colombia, Ecuador, Guyana, Paraguay, Peru, Suriname, Uruguay, Venezuela, the Falkland Islands, South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands, French Guiana.
BE OPEN has identified the winners of the Public Vote and Founder’s Choice Prizes in Designing Futures 2050, our sixth international competition for students, graduates, and young professionals within the programme to support the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals..
The competition programme was established by BE OPEN in 2019 to raise awareness among young professionals in creative and engineering fields about the urgent need for action regarding the Sustainable Development Goals. Prior to this one, BE OPEN has held 5 competitions and covered SDGs 2, 7, 11, 12, and 13.
BE OPEN Art announces the winners of the 2nd stage in this year’s BE OPEN Regional Art, the competition for emerging artists aimed to support those whose art best represents their regional, cultural and ethnic identities, for the third year now.
For the competition, BE OPEN expert community select artists who represent the artistic tradition of a certain region to offer them greater visibility. The recently finalised stage covered the countries of Oceania: Australia, East Timor, Fiji, Kiribati, Marshall Islands, Micronesia, Nauru, New Zealand, Palau, Papua New Guinea, Samoa, Solomon Islands, Tonga, Tuvalu, and Vanuatu.
On June 25, BE OPEN attended the 18th session of the Committee on Innovation, Competitiveness and Public-Private Partnerships organised by the Economic Commission for Europe in the UN headquarters in Geneva.
The aspect of the session that presented particular interest for BE OPEN was “Unleashing the Power of Innovation for Climate Action: Policy Recommendations for ethical and sustainable Artificial Intelligence”. The session explored the potential of AI for climate change mitigation and adaptation. Experts highlighted opportunities, challenges, and risks, ultimately proposing policy recommendations for action.
BE OPEN has identified the winners of the First, Second and Third prizes for “Designing Futures 2050,” its sixth international competition for students, graduates, and young professionals. This initiative seeks to inspire the creation of innovative solutions by young creatives for a sustainable and prosperous future, aligning with the objectives of the United Nations Sustainable Development Programme.
