Create to Compass 2026, the creative work competition, is an annual chance like no other from Compass College for talented Year 9 and Year 10 pupils to win a 100% grant across five departments for all three years of study:
- Interior Design;
- Fashion Design;
- Visual Media: Filmmaking and Animation;
- Graphic Design;
- Product Design and Information Technology.
Competition stages
- Stage 1. Entries open — 20 October to 20 November 2025;
- Stage 2. Finalists’ shortlist announced — 25 November 2025;
- Stage 3. Competition final — 1–3 December 2025;
- Stage 4. Awards ceremony — 5 December 2025.
Theme
The competition theme is chosen each year in response to global trends, the needs of the creative industries and the wider international agenda. The theme for 2026 is “Cultural Code: sustainable development and conscious consumption”.
There are no geographical limits on taking part — you can enter from anywhere in the world. The competition is open only to pupils in Year 9 and Year 10. Entries are accepted until 23:59 (GMT+6) on 20.11.2025.
Entering the creative competition
1. Personal statement
On the themes “Why do I want to study at Compass College?” and “Which of my strengths and qualities make me a deserving contender for the creative competition?”. Total length — 2,000 characters.
2. Creative work
On the theme “Cultural Code: sustainable development and conscious consumption”. Requirements for the creative work by department:
Interior Design department
Round I (Part A). Your own research.
- Carry out your own research into the cultural code of Central Asia: culture, traditions, decorative and applied arts, graphics, traditional architecture and space.
- Present your material as a digital presentation in PDF format (5 slides).
- Note: the research should help you move beyond a formulaic reading of traditional symbolism. The flag of the Kyrgyz Republic, the tunduk symbol and traditional Kyrgyz ornament may not be used in their unaltered form. Your own improvisation is welcome.
Round I (Part B).
- A mood board for the design of an open penthouse terrace in a neo-ethnic style (1 sheet, A3 format): mood palette, objects and furniture, textile design, lighting, landscaping (ornamental plants), interior and exterior details and accessories.
- Suggestions: look through the trends from the Maison & Objet fair (September 2025, Paris) and present your own sketched improvisation on them in a neo-ethnic style.
- A terrace plan (1 sheet, A3 format): propose a layout for furniture, lighting and plants in keeping with your own cultural code concept. Add perspective view sketches.
Fashion Design department
- Carry out research into the cultural heritage of Kyrgyzstan.
- Identify what you consider to be Kyrgyzstan’s central cultural code — ornament, an epic or legend, nature, art and so on — and develop a mood board.
- Design a costume based on your chosen cultural code using upcycling.
- Stage a photoshoot with the costume, working out the concept, the location and the overall look (make-up, hair, accessories).
- Submit 5 photographs from the shoot and the mood board as a digital presentation in PDF format.
Visual Media: Filmmaking and Animation department
Format — a visual piece of the entrant’s choosing:
- a short film (up to 3 minutes);
- animation (up to 2 minutes);
- a graphic story or comic (up to 5 pages).
Presentation: work is submitted in digital form (video — a Vimeo/YouTube link or cloud storage; comic — a high-quality PDF). Portfolio (PowerPoint presentation or PDF): drawings and photographs; graphics, character sketches, storyboards; personal projects made on your own or as part of a team; video/animation (as a link, with several short videos combined into one).
Graphic Design department
- Format — JPEG, PNG.
- Type of work: an illustration, comic or poster using typography (working with typefaces and text elements; typography may play a key accent role or a supporting one).
- Technique — digital (in graphics software) or traditional (paint, pencil on paper or canvas).
- Include a record of how the work was made to confirm its authorship (a screenshot, time-lapse or video).
Product Design and Information Technology department
Round I (Part A). Solving the queue problem. The situation: queues often build up in the canteen.
- Devise a system that keeps them to a minimum;
- describe the product and its key features;
- devise a mechanism for oversight and motivation;
- draw a diagram of how the system works;
- explain how the solution could be tested quickly.
Format: a PDF with text and images (queue diagram, task allocation diagram, icons).
Round I (Part B). Handling risk. You are working on a task as a team, but two members cannot agree on the approach and time is short.
- Describe how to reach a compromise quickly or reallocate the tasks;
- devise a strategy for finishing the work on time;
- explain how to keep the team calm and productive.
Compulsory element: an Instagram video (reels)
- A video presentation of how the work came together: show the process, what inspired you and how you arrived at the final result;
- convey the idea behind the project in a 30–60 second reel;
- language: Kyrgyz, Russian or English;
- tag the College account @compass.college;
- add the hashtag #CompassCollegeARTs2026 in the video description and tag two friends in the comments;
- the entrant’s account must be public.
3. Portfolio
You may also submit a portfolio unrelated to the creative competition: your own creative work — illustrations, sketches, technical drawings, paintings, graphic work, digital graphics, storytelling, writing, video and so on. Attach it as a single PDF file with your entry.
Entry by department
- Interior Design;
- Fashion Design;
- Visual Media: Filmmaking and Animation;
- Graphic Design;
- Product Design and Information Technology.
📩 If you have any questions, message us on WhatsApp at +996 556 866 860 or email admissions@compasscollege.art.