ICM-UNESCO - Call for Photo Contributions: World Martial Arts

2026-04-20

What We're Looking For

Photographs depicting training, demonstrations, competitions, rituals, and cultural practices of martial arts from any region worldwide.

  • No restrictions on region or discipline — all continents and martial art types welcome
  • Includes traditional martial arts, modern martial arts, and martial arts-related cultural practices
  • Multiple photos per discipline are welcome

Who Can Contribute

Martial arts practitioners, researchers, photographers, martial arts organizations, or anyone with relevant materials

Recognition for Donors

  • This is an uncompensated photo donation program.

For accepted contributions, donors will receive the following official recognition:

–  Certificate of Donation: an official document confirming the donation

–  Letter of Appreciation: a formal letter of thanks issued by ICM

–  Photographer (donor) credit displayed in the Martial Arts Database

  • Donors will be notified of acceptance decisions separately.

Photo Specifications

File format: JPEG, PNG, TIFF

Minimum resolution: 2,000px on the longest side

Maximum file size: 20MB per photo

File naming: DisciplineName_Country_PhotographerName (e.g., Capoeira_Brazil_Silva.jpg)

Required Information per Submission

  • Donor name and contact details (email)
  • Name of the martial art (local name or English name) + Origin of the Region
  • Country where the photo was taken
  • Year of photography
  • Brief description of the photo (context, scene, etc.)

Copyright and Usage Terms

  • Donors must be the copyright holder or hold legitimate usage rights for the submitted photos.

By submitting, you agree to the following:

–  The photo may be used for non-commercial purposes in ICM's martial arts database, website, publications, and promotional materials.

–  Donor (photographer) credit will be displayed.

–  Original copyright remains with the donor.

  • For photos featuring identifiable individuals, consent from the photographed person(s) must be secured prior to submission.
  • The donor bears responsibility in case of any copyright disputes.

Browse the Full List of Martial Arts

The complete list of 300 martial arts covered by this call can be viewed at the link below. You can filter and search by region, country, and technique type.

How to Submit

  • Method: Submit your photo(s) along with the required information through the submission form below.
  • Deadline: Open call — no deadline (rolling submissions)

Submission Link: https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSf7ITSrkksg8xrgX2rx5vxmSGRtBIpwA2XMS2sqmz6JKSGq-w/viewform

For more information contact ICM programme specialist Kim DongChan (dc.kim@unescoicm.org)