CHOGM2009

Musicians and young speakers invited to enter Commonwealth Video Contest First competition of its kind open to 2 billion people offers talented performers and advocates a chance to gain international acclaim An online video competition showcasing the raw potential of ...musicians and young speakers from around the Commonwealth was launched in Trinidad and Tobago last weekend. Inaugurated to help celebrate the diversity of the modern Commonwealth in its 60th anniversary year, the ‘Commonwealth Video Contest’ offers passionate people, performers and bands a platform to showcase their talents to the world. The competition was officially launched last week at a youth forum for more than 600 young people as Commonwealth Heads of Government gathered in Trinidad for their biennial summit. Competition entrants are asked to upload a Youtube video of them either: Performing an original song, or Highlighting an issue (peace, climate change, democracy, human rights, education, health, youth issues or anything else). Younger entrants may want to: Talk about themselves, their hobbies, friends, family, home country or local community. Commonwealth Secretariat Spokesperson Eduardo del Buey said: “There is huge diversity, passion and potential in the Commonwealth, which today spans a population of more than 2 billion, and the video contest is a perfect way to celebrate and showcase this. “The competition will allow us to create, using homemade videos, a unique audio-visual collage of the Commonwealth in its 60th anniversary year.” The most original, inspiring or entertaining video will earn the prestigious Best Commonwealth Video title and win either a netbook computer or an iPod Touch. The singer, musician or band responsible for the best musical video will be crowned Best Band/Artist in the Commonwealth and receive £200 worth of Amazon vouchers. The deadline for entries runs until 26 February 2009 and the winners will be announced on Commonwealth Day, 8 March 2010. While the contest is targeted at young people, no age group is barred from entering. Entrants must however be citizens of a Commonwealth country.