Karya Raya Participation & Recognition Guidelines

Karya Raya is a safe, creative space where children are invited to imagine, write, draw, and share their stories to the world with confidence. We believe every child has a story. No matter what their stories are, we want to hear it! Every story deserves to be seen and respected.

At Karya Raya, all submitted works are exhibited. Awards and recognition is a bonus, not the purpose of participation.

Awards at Karya Raya celebrates various kinds of creativity. There is no ‘best’ work. Here’s what we value:

• Authenticity
• Creativity
• Originality
• Courage to explore and take risks
• Growth through process

Karya Raya is not a drawing competition, so polish and craft alone does not determine appreciation. Different creative processes are acknowledged fairly, so that every child, regardless of tools and format, can feel safe and motivated to create.

To keep Karya Raya a safe and meaningful space, we protect:

Karya Raya exists to nurture original creation and its process. The act of making something from your imagination is already an extraordinary achievement!

Karya Raya welcomes young creators within the following age groups:

Participants are placed in an age group based on their age at the time of the submission deadline. These group names reflect different stages of creative development from exploring ideas to building stories with greater structure and depth.

Collaboration between children is welcomed. For collaborative works, the age group will follow the oldest participant in the team. This ensures that each work is placed within a developmentally appropriate context during the review process.

Karya Raya is open to young creators who wish to write and publish their own books independently or in collaboration, within the guidelines outlined in this document.

Authentic children work is the heart of Karya Raya. Works in this track are:

• Written fully by the child
• Illustrated fully by the child
• Created manually, either traditionally or digitally

Digital drawing tools (such as ibisPaint, Procreate, drawing tablets, or similar software) are considered equivalent to traditional media, as long as the artwork is created directly by the child. Light editing support (such as spelling or minor guidance) is allowed. Works in this track may be considered for all main awards and recognitions.

Collaboration between children is welcomed.

• Small collaboration (up to 3 children) may be placed within the Core Track.
• Larger teams (more than 3 children) are recognized as Group Creations and may receive special collaboration appreciation.

For collaborative works, the age group follows the oldest participant.

Children may work with a professional illustrator or use licensed stock images as part of their book. In these cases:

• The story must remain fully written by the child.
• All collaborators or visual sources must be clearly credited.
• The child should maintain creative ownership of the concept and direction.

Recognition and awards in these cases focuses primarily on storytelling and the child’s authorship. Illustration-focused recognitions prioritize artwork created directly by children.

As creative tools evolve, some young creators explore AI as part of their process. Works that significantly use AI-generated writing or AI-generated illustrations must be declared during submission.

These works are placed within a separate AI-Assisted Track, where creative direction and thoughtful use of technology are recognized.

Basic tools such as spelling correction or light idea brainstorming do not automatically place a work in this track.

Participants are asked to declare their creative process during submission. Honest disclosure helps us place each work fairly within the appropriate recognition track. If necessary, Karya Raya as the organizer may reclassify a work to align with its creative process.

All submitted works that meet the participation guidelines will be exhibited. Karya Raya exists to celebrate and encourage the act of creation. Every child who submits a book becomes part of the exhibition. Recognition, such as awards, is an added appreciation (bonus) not the purpose of participation.

Awards at Karya Raya celebrates various kinds of creativity. There is no ‘best’ work. Here’s what we value:

• Authenticity
• Creativity
• Originality
• Courage to explore and take risks
• Growth through process

Karya Raya is not a drawing competition, so polish and craft alone does not determine appreciation. Different creative processes are acknowledged fairly, so that every child, regardless of tools and format, can feel safe and motivated to create.

To ensure fairness across different creative processes, works are considered within recognition tracks based on how they were created:

• Core Track (fully child-created)
• Group Creation Track (for larger collaborations)
• Professional Collaboration Track
• AI-Assisted Track

This structure helps us honor each process truthfully and consistently.

Works are reviewed by a panel of educators, artists, writers, and creative practitioners. Review decisions are made collectively and thoughtfully, guided by Karya Raya’s philosophy and values.

All review decisions are final.

Karya Raya welcomes a wide range of stories. Humorous, imaginative, adventurous, and even horror. However, to maintain a safe and respectful environment for all participants, submitted works should be age-appropriate and mindful of a diverse audience.

The following are not permitted:

• Hate speech or discriminatory content
• Explicit sexual content
• Graphic violence
• Content that promotes harm toward individuals or groups
• Stories that explore sensitive themes (such as death, fear, or personal challenges) are welcome, as long as they are handled in a thoughtful manner and in an age-appropriate way.

Karya Raya reserves the right to review and, if necessary, withhold exhibition of works that do not align with these guidelines.

Karya Raya is built on mutual respect among participants, families, educators, reviewers, and visitors.

We ask all members of the community to:

• Communicate respectfully
• Refrain from harassment or personal attacks
• Avoid public disputes directed at participants or reviewers

We celebrate creativity without comparison or hostility.

If necessary, Karya Raya may take appropriate action to protect the safety and integrity of the community.

All submitted works remain the intellectual property of the child creator(s). Karya Raya does not claim ownership of any story, illustration, or book submitted to the program. We believe that authorship belongs to the child.

By submitting a work, participants grant Karya Raya a non-exclusive right to:

• Exhibit the work (physically and/or digitally)
• Photograph or document the work for archival purposes
• Feature excerpts or images for promotional and educational purposes

This permission supports the visibility and celebration of young creators. Ownership remains with the child at all times.

If professional illustrators, stock images, or other external visual assets are used:

• Proper credit must be given
• Participants are responsible for ensuring that materials are licensed appropriately

Karya Raya does not assume responsibility for unlicensed third-party content submitted by participants.

Submitted works should represent the child’s original ideas and creative effort. Plagiarism or unauthorized reproduction of existing works is not permitted. If concerns arise, Karya Raya may review and reclassify or withdraw a work as appropriate.

To ensure fairness across different creative processes, works are placed into recognition tracks based on how they are created (e.g., fully child-created, collaborative, AI-assisted). Participants are asked to declare their creative process honestly during submission.

Honest disclosure allows us to review each work within the appropriate context.

If necessary, Karya Raya may reclassify a work to align with its declared or observed creative process.

All works are reviewed collectively by a panel of educators, artists, writers, and creative practitioners. Reviews are guided by Karya Raya’s core values:

• Authorship
• Creative ownership
• Age-appropriate originality
• Courage and experimentation

Our review process prioritizes deep and thoughtful consideration rather than comparison.

Recognition selections are made with care and collective discussion. All review decisions are final. Due to the volume of submissions, individual scoring details or written feedback may not always be provided.

Karya Raya maintains internal review guidelines to ensure consistency and integrity. We are committed to evolving thoughtfully as creative tools and practices change.