Mediterranean Fragments: A Call for Creative Contributions on Marine Litter and Climate Action

The Mediterranean Sea, cradle of cultures, histories, and biodiversity, is also one of the most polluted seas in the world. Every year, tons of plastic and waste are dumped into its waters, transforming its depths into silent archives of our collective neglect.

But marine litter is not only an ecological crisis. It is a cultural, emotional, and political one. It shapes our landscapes, affects our wellbeing, and invites us to reimagine our relationship with the planet.

We invite students across the EUniWell Alliance (Universities of Florence, Nantes, Cologne, Birmingham, Konstanz, Inalco, Linnaeus, Murcia, Santiago de Compostela, Semmelweis) to submit creative projects that explore the issue of marine litter in the Mediterranean using at least one of the following expressive approaches:

• Poetry and improvised performance: Original poems, original short stories, projects of improvised poetry (including free style rap) to be performed on site, inspired by the sea, pollution, or resilience in the Mediterranean;
• Visual Art: Photographs, short video-projects that reflect the visual impact of marine litter in the Mediterranean Sea;
• Data storytelling: Visualizations, infographics, or creative narratives (short videos) based on scientific data (e.g., types of waste, sources, quantities, etc.).

Selected contributions will be showcased in a collective exhibition during the final event and workshop in Florence on 25 September 2025, as part of the Florence Bright Night. The exhibition will feature students' creative works alongside interactive talks and dialogues with experts on Mediterranean marine litter, Environmental Humanities, and Ecology. Together, they will explore themes of youth engagement and the vital role of the arts, performance and humanities in driving environmental awareness and action. The event is also supported by the EUniWell Research Initiative 2024-2027 “Crisis and Conviviality in the Mediterranean”, coordinated by the University of Cologne.

In addition, selected students will be invited to take part in a poetry slam on climate change on the evening of 24 September, offering a unique opportunity to share their voices and creativity in a dynamic and participatory format.

Travel and accommodation costs for the selected students across the EUniWell Alliance will be covered through dedicated EUniWell funding from their home universities. However, availability and criteria vary between institutions. We therefore recommend contacting your local EUniWell representative for further information (local EUniWell Offices, list here). Students selected but not able to participate in person will have a slot to present their work online during the workshop.

For further information please contact Sara Ronco.

Submission Guidelines

Send your contribution via email to sara.ronco[at]unifi.it and/or mariagrazia.portera[at]unifi.it

Deadline: 25 August 2025 23:59 (CET). Submissions received after the deadline will not be considered. The selected students will receive the confirmation by 1 September.

The subject line of the email must be: “MARINE LITTER FLORENCE”. Submissions with a different subject line can not be considered.

In the body of the email, please include the following information:

• Type, Title,and Short Description of your contribution
• Full name (first and last name)
• Degree program and year of study
• University of enrolment

Accepted Formats

• Images: .jpg or .png
• Videos:  .mp4 (Maximum duration 2 minutes, submissions longer than this will not be accepted)
• Short texts: .pdf or .doc (Poems should not exceed 40 lines or 1 A4 page in length, submissions longer than this will not be accepted)
• Infographics: .pdf
• Improvised Performances (Impro Poetry, Free Style): a short description of your performance concept is required (.pdf or .doc)

Language

English is preferred, but contributions in other languages are welcome if accompanied by an English translation.

Selection

The most innovative contributions will be selected based on the level of innovation, originality, capacity to communicate with efficacy and pertinence with the object of the event.

Consent for Reproduction and Communication of Contributions

By submitting their work, participants grant the organizers the right to reproduce and share the submitted materials (including photographs, videos, and other visual or written contributions) on the EUniWell website and other official University of Florence websites, as well as on EUniWell and  University of Florence social media channels, printed or digital publications, and exhibition materials. EUniWell and University of Florence may use the contributions for non-commercial outreach and educational purposes, always crediting the author.

Data Protection

In accordance with EU Regulation 679/2016 (GDPR) and Italian Legislative Decree 101/2018, the personal data collected for the purposes of this call will be used solely for activities directly related to it. Data will be processed, with or without the aid of electronic tools, in full compliance with the applicable regulations and with confidentiality obligations binding on public institutions. All data will be handled securely and confidentially, with technical and administrative safeguards in place to minimize the risk of data loss, misuse, unauthorized access, disclosure, or alteration. By participating in this call, applicants authorize the processing of their personal data as described above. The Data Controller is the University of Florence, located at Piazza San Marco 4, 50121 Florence, Italy. Phone: +39 055 27571, Email: urp[at]unifi.it, Certified email (PEC): ateneo@pec.unifi.it