Visa International, a worldwide Olympic partner and the official payment system of the Beijing Olympics Games, today announced the Visa Olympics of the Imagination (VOI) competition in Hong Kong, inviting children to express their feelings about the Olympic Games through art. Two lucky winners will receive a round trip to the Beijing 2008 Olympic Games. Five other winning young artists will each receive a HK$5,000 art class sponsorship. 
 
The VOI program is organized by Visa International, in association with the Sports Federation & Olympic Committee of Hong Kong, China (SFOCHK) and supported by the Education Bureau (EDB) of the Hong Kong SAR Government. Hong Kong children aged 10 to 14 years old are invited to use their imagination to create a piece of original two-dimensional artwork (by hand), based on the Olympic theme of global unity: “Show how the Olympic Games connect different cultures and capture the Beijing theme – One World, One Dream." Children will have until 22 February 2008 to submit their artworks.
 
“Visa has been a partner of the Olympic Games since 1986 and has been encouraging the involvement of youth in the Olympic Movement around the world,” said James Dixon, Country Manager, Hong Kong and Macau, Visa International. “This is the first time Visa Olympics of the Imagination is introduced to Hong Kong. It will offer a platform for children to share their dreams and creativity, and a chance to experience one of the world’s greatest sports events.”
 
The VOI program aims to educate the children about the goals, ideals and history of the Olympic Games while exercising their imaginations by creating an artistic vision based on an Olympic theme. VOI was started in 1994 and it is the first time to be introduced to Hong Kong by Visa. Besides Hong Kong, VOI is now running in Asia, Europe, Africa, North America, South America and the Caribbeans.
 
Speaking about the VOI program, the Honorable Timothy Fok, President, Sports Federation and Olympic Committee of Hong Kong, China, said, “This unique program provides children with the exclusive opportunity to attend the Olympic Games while they learn about Olympic values and different cultures. We congratulate Visa on creating and managing this wonderful program for the first time in Hong Kong.”
 
Contest entry forms and posters have already been distributed to all primary and secondary schools in Hong Kong, which include in-school materials featuring a teachers’ guidebook that combines the history and images of the Olympic Movement and Olympic Games with creative in-class exercises. Entry forms and competition rules can also be found at www.visa.com.hk
 
Judging of VOI will be based on originality, imagination, artistic merit, and how well their art communicates the theme. Winners will be chosen by a panel of judges comprising some celebrated local artists and independent members who are invited by the organizing committee.
 
Two first prizes will be awarded in this competition, with each consisting of a four-night, five-day trip for the winner and his or her parent/legal guardian to the 2008 Olympic Games in Beijing, including admission to selected Olympic events and cultural and sightseeing activities. There will also be five second prizes of an art class sponsorship each with the value of HK$5,000. In addition, some of the winning entries may be selected for display during the Games and featured on screen savers, postcards and other materials.
 
The entries of the two Hong Kong first prize winners will be judged alongside winners from the other participating countries to determine the overall VOI Grand Prize winner. That child will earn a special trip for two to the 2010 Olympic Winter Games in Vancouver, Canada. During the Torino 2006 Olympic Winter Games, Vladimir Oratovskyi, age nine, from Kiev, the Ukraine, was chosen Grand Prize Winner and will accompany this program’s winners to the Beijing 2008 Olympic Games.
 
“The VOI program was launched at the 1994 Olympic Winter Games in Lillehammer, Norway.  Over the past seven Olympic Games, VOI has seen over one and a half million school children submit an original piece of art based on selected themes,” said Dixon. “Through this program, we hope to spread the Olympic spirit to the young generation, to let them think out-of-the-box and have their artwork admired by the world.”
 
For more details, please visit http://www.visa.com.hk
 

Competition name:	“Visa Olympics of the Imagination”
Theme:	Use your imagination to create a drawing that shows how the Olympic Games can unite different cultures and capture the Beijing 2008 Olympic theme of “One World, One Dream”
Deadline:	From now until 22 February 2008 (inclusive)
Eligibility :	Legal Hong Kong SAR residents aged between 10 and 14 (inclusive) during the Competition Period
How to win:	Entries will be judged on the basis of the artwork’s originality and imagination (50%) and the artwork’s artistic merit (50%). The descriptive title in English and / or Chinese will form part of the judging process
Prizes:	Second prizes (five) – art class sponsorship with the value of HK$5,000 per prize   First prizes (two) - a four-night, five-day trip between 5 and 12 August 2008 for the winner and his or her parent/legal guardian to the 2008 Olympic Games in Beijing, China, including hotel, round-trip economy class flight, selected meals and admission to selected Olympic events   Grand prize (one) – one grand prize winner will be selected from all first prize winners around the world. The grand prize consists of a four-night, five-day trip for the winner and his or her parent/legal guardian to the 2010 Olympic Winter Games in Vancouver, Canada
Requirements of the artwork:	The finished artwork should be no smaller than A4 (210mm x 297) and no larger than A3 (297mm x 420mm) The artwork must be a two-dimensional illustration on paper – no photographic images can be used Each piece of artwork requires a descriptive title in English and / or Chinese
How to enter:	Entrants must fill out an entry form in full (download from our website at http://www.visa.com.hk), and have a parent or legal guardian sign it before submission Entrants should submit the original of the drawing by post by 22 February 2008 (The drawing cannot be returned after the competition) Number of entries for each entrant is unlimited
Entries should be sent to:	Administrator designated by Visa International: Ketchum Hong Kong 33/F, Two Chinachem Exchange Square 338 King’s Road, North Point, Hong Kong Please state “Visa Olympics of the Imagination Art Competition” on envelope

 
 
History of Art and the Olympic Games
Originally, the Olympic Games were as much a matter of art as athleticism, with poets, musicians, painters and sculptors competing for medals alongside athletes.  Baron Pierre de Coubertin, the founder of the modern Olympic Movement, was keen to revive the link and in 1906 awarded gold, silver and bronze medals for five artistic competitions.  Because of the two world wars, these artistic contests were held only sporadically until 1949, when they were dropped altogether and replaced by Olympic cultural programs. 
 
Visa’s Olympic Games Sponsorship
Visa began its Olympic Games sponsorship in 1986 and since then has sponsored five Olympic Games (Seoul, Barcelona, Atlanta, Sydney, and Athens) and six Olympic Winter Games (Calgary, Albertville, Lillehammer, Nagano, Salt Lake City and Torino).  In Beijing, Visa continues its Olympic sponsorship role as a Worldwide TOP Partner (TOP – The Olympic Partner Program) and the exclusive card and the official payment system for the Beijing 2008 Olympic Games in Beijing, China. 
 
The Beijing 2008 Olympic Games will be held from 8 to 24 August 2008.  Up to 10,500 athletes from 204 nations and territories will compete in 302 events in 28 different disciplines.