Call for Proposals: Buddy Bear goes Christmas (Namibia)

The Buddy Bear is a sculpture in form of a bear whose open arms symbolise a spirit of friendship and optimism. The Buddy Bear is a project that has its roots in Berlin and aims to promote tolerance and understanding between people, cultures and religions. The bear in general is a symbol for Germany’s capital Berlin, which is twinning partner of the City of Windhoek since 2000. The Namibian Buddy Bear embodies the solidarity between Germany and Namibia.

The Namibia Buddy Bear Project is carried out by the German Embassy in Windhoek, which will also provide the 22cm tall Buddy Bear.

Project Description

The Embassy is looking for a Namibian artist who shall create the artistic design and the colouring of the Namibian Buddy Bear with a Christmas-related theme. Furthermore, they will provide the white bear sculpture as well as the working materials. The artist has the freedom of the artistic design of the bear as long as it is Christmas-themed.

Funding Information

• A commission of 5.000 NAD will be paid.

Technical Data

• The Buddy Bears are handmade out of glass-fibre reinforced plastic
• Height 22 cm
• The use of acrylic paint is strongly recommended
• The Buddy Bear sculptures are already primed and sanded. Before being painted the sculpture needs to be washed with water to remove any dust, grease or sand
• The completed bear will be varnished.

Evaluation Criteria

• The Embassy will announce the winning artist by 01 November 2023. The artist and the organizers will subsequently sign a project agreement. The Buddy Bear Project needs to be completed by 07 November 2023. The Embassy aims to use a photo of the completed Buddy Bear for their 2023 Christmas cards, the winning artist will be credited on the card.
• Please note that employees of the German Embassy are prohibited from taking part in the competition. Any recourse to courts of law is excluded.

For more information, visit German Embassy in Windhoek.