01. The brief is open.
02. The festival is open to academic, commercial, and self-initiated projects.
We encourage the submission of posters that made it into the real world, works that were put to work and consequently seen.
03. The posters will be judged based on:
a. Concept
b. Type usage
c. Chromatic
d. Composition
e. Attention to details
f. Originality
04. Important!
To enter the competition, you must meet at least two of the following three criteria:
a. Your poster is designed for an event or campaign in one of the eligible countries: Albania, Armenia, Belarus, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Bulgaria, Croatia, Cyprus, Czech Republic, Estonia, Georgia, Greece, Hungary, Kosovo, Latvia, Lithuania, Moldova, Montenegro, North Macedonia, Poland, Romania, Serbia, Slovakia, Slovenia, Turkey, Ukraine.
b. You were born in one of the eligible countries.
c. You currently live in one of the eligible countries.
Why so strict? We believe that these criteria will help us in our search for the Eastern visual ethos. Please be kind to us and understand our mission.
We allow one exception to 4.a.: self-initiated projects that express personal statements or tackle global issues or universal concepts. Not sure if your work fits here? Drop us a line at hello@localdesigncircle.com.
05. The selection will be made based on the digital entry.
06. Each designer may submit an unlimited number of posters.
08. We accept only static posters at the moment.
09. Posters encouraging hate speech, racism, xenophobia, discrimination or violence are not eligible. We, the organisers, value human rights. And animal rights, of course.
10. Posters infringing on the intellectual property rights of others are not eligible. Plagiarism is theft.
11. Information provided in the entry form must be accurate. English is mandatory. Please double-check before pressing Submit. We may not be able to correct errors.
Digital Entry
Posters submitted must have been created between 2023—April 2026.
Dimensions: original size (70×100 cm preferred) or smaller. Please make sure the details are visible by zooming in.
File types: .jpg (RGB, maximum/100 quality), .png (PNG-24)
File size: under 10 MB
Naming: name_surname_project_title.jpg/png. If the poster is part of a series add number counting: name_surname_project_title_01.jpg/png
The only way to enter the competition is by completing the form on the submit page.
Any other means of sending us projects will not be taken into consideration.
Albania, Armenia, Belarus, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Bulgaria, Croatia, Cyprus, Czech Republic, Estonia, Georgia, Greece, Hungary, Kosovo, Latvia, Lithuania, Moldova, Montenegro, North Macedonia, Poland, Romania, Serbia, Slovakia, Slovenia, Turkey, Ukraine.
Academic projects can be submitted free of charge.
For self-initiated projects, a fee of €4 applies.
For professional submissions, the fee is €9.
This small fee is collected as a donation to the Local Design Circle Association, the organiser of the &NowEast Poster Festival. Your contribution helps support the day-to-day organisation of the competition and the ongoing work of the &NowEast Poster Festival, ensuring we can continue to showcase and promote the selected posters in various exhibitions around the world.
28.02.2026
Competition opens. Free entry.
01.03.2026
Competition open. Fees will apply.
30.04.2026
Competition closes.
04.05.2026
Deadline Extension.
11—24.05.2026
Jury view and select posters.
25.05.2026 (Estimated date, may change)
The participants with posters selected for the exhibition will be contacted, and the list will be published on the &NowEast homepage.
11.06.2026
All selected posters will be showcased at the inaugural exhibition (more information TBA).
All submitted posters must be original works. Local Design Circle is in line with the principles governing intellectual property rights. Plagiarism is frowned upon, regardless of its form.
All matters concerning the copyright of the entry are the sole responsibility of the entrant. The organiser will not be held liable for any breach of proprietary rights.
All selected posters will become part of the Local Design Circle archive. Organisers have the right to exhibit and publish the works, with no time limit.
The organisers reserve the right to produce and sell an exhibition catalogue that includes the selected posters and related content, now or in the future. This does not affect the entrant’s ownership of their work, and full credit will be given to the creator in the catalogue.
The entrants retain full ownership of their entry and are guaranteed the right to be credited every time their work is published or exhibited.
The protection of your personal data is important to us. By submitting your work through the form, you agree to your personal information being stored and used by Local Design Circle. No third-parties, we promise.
These Terms & Conditions shall be governed by and construed in accordance with the laws of Romania. Any disputes arising out of or in connection with these Terms & Conditions or the submitted works shall be subject to the exclusive jurisdiction of the competent courts of Romania.
Why is there an entry fee?
A modest entry fee is required to help us continue offering this competition platform. Your contribution supports the day-to-day organisation of the competition and the production of the exhibitions that follow.
Can a series of posters be submitted via a single form?
Yes, but the whole series will be judged as one entry. A series can have 2, 3, or 4 posters.
What file type should my digital submission be?
.jpg (RGB, maximum/100 quality), .png (PNG-24)
What dimensions should my digital file be?
Any size is suitable at the selection stage, as long as we can see details clearly and it’s under 10MB.
Can I submit moving posters?
At the moment we accept only static posters.
What year should my posters have been designed?
Any time between 2023 and April 2026.
How can I send you the poster?
The only way to enter posters in the competition is by filling in our form. If you want to send us a physical sample, please contact us.
I am Polish, living in Oslo, and I designed a poster for the Centre Pompidou. Is my work eligible?
Unfortunately not. The Pompidou Centre is located in the 4th arrondissement of Paris, not in a district of any city from the 18 countries listed.
I am Czech, living in Sri Lanka, and I designed a poster for a coffee shop in my home town of Brno. Is my work eligible?
Yes, you may live in Paradise, but your roots and collaborators are in Eastern Europe.
I am Swiss, living in Lausanne, and I designed a poster for the National Theatre in Bucharest. Is my work eligible?
Unfortunately not. Although the client is Romanian, you are not Eastern by birth or by GPS positioning. Sorry!
I am Dutch, living in Belgrade, and I designed a poster for the National Theatre in Pristina. Is my work eligible?
Yes, living in Belgrade and working for an entity based in Kosovo’s capital means that you are really immersed in our part of Earth’s atmosphere.