Deadline for submission: January 5, 2026
Competition categories Eligibility Prizes Submission Requirements Timeline
2025 has been designated by the United Nations as the International Year of Quantum Science and Technology (IYQ 2025)—a global celebration of the discoveries, technologies, and ideas emerging from quantum physics. Throughout the year, the Canadian Association of Physicists (CAP), together with task force partners across Canada, has been coordinating activities to showcase the impact of quantum science on research, innovation, and society.
As part of these celebrations, we invite you to participate in the CAP–IYQ 2025 “Quantum Arts” Competition, a Canada-wide showcase of creativity inspired by quantum themes. Artwork can be literal or abstract; scientific, humorous, or poetic. The goal is simply to explore how quantum ideas spark imagination.
Competition Categories
Participants may submit work in one of three categories:
1. Visual Arts
Examples: drawings, paintings, digital art, photography, sculpture, mixed media, cartoons.
2. Performing Arts
Examples: short films or videos, animation, dance, music, spoken word, performance recordings.
3. Literature
Examples: poetry, short stories, prose, microfiction.
(These are only examples — any format reasonably fitting the category is welcome.)
Eligibility
The competition is open to everyone in Canada.
To help the jury contextualize submissions, participants will be asked to indicate their status:
- High school student
- Undergraduate student
- Graduate student
- Postdoctoral / faculty / researcher
- General public / non-student
Student status does not affect eligibility or prize amounts.
Prizes
Each category will award:
- Prizes: up to $500
- Honourable Mentions: non-monetary recognition on CAP platforms
The jury may adjust awards based on the quality and number of submissions.
Submission Requirements
All submissions must be uploaded through the online web form. Participants will provide:
- Their artwork in an appropriate digital format
- A short description of the piece (max. 150 words)
- A disclosure of any AI tools used in the creation
- Name and participant status
All entries must be original work*.
*All “Quantum Arts” contest entries must be the participants’ original work. Use of AI must be identified. Each participant shall retain ownership of the copyright associated with the entries submitted. By submitting an entry, each participant grants the CAP a non-exclusive perpetual licence to use, reproduce, publish, modify, incorporate into other work, distribute and promote, in whole or in part, the materials submitted by the participant for any non-commercial or commercial purpose, in any format whatsoever, including print, digital publication and all other media, in any form, and with attribution where feasible.
Timeline
- Call opens: today
- Submission deadline: January 5, 2026
- Winners announced: following jury review
Help us wrap up IYQ 2025 with a bang
by showcasing the artistic side of Canada’s quantum community.
We can’t wait to see your creativity!