RIYADH: The Saudi Ministry of Culture has announced the opening of electronic registration for a cultural ideas contest offering prizes of up to SR300,000 ($80,000). Participants are being asked to put forward proposals for creative and innovative activities at festivals and events being staged in the Kingdom. Cash awards will be made to entrants judged to have come up with the three best ideas and e-registration for the competition is open at https://engage.moc.gov.sa/ideathon. The country’s first Cultural Ideas Marathon is part of the Quality of Life Program that seeks to achieve the targets of the Vision 2030 reform plan and marks the launch of the activities of the ministry’s Cultural Ideas Center. The marathon, held in financial partnership with NCB, is aimed at developing advanced ideas and transforming them into distinctive cultural events and festivals, while providing support and training to participants with the design thinking method so as to come up with creative and sophisticated ideas. A five-day screening process will begin on Jan. 11, with the results of the participating teams being announced on Jan. 16. The following day the team formation phase will start based on the results of the screening. The marathon will start on Jan. 18 and its activities will last for five days, interspersed by workshops, talks, and guidance sessions so as to help teams prepare their ideas for presentation before judges. Final results and selection of the three winning teams will take place on Jan. 26. Organizers have split the contest into 11 cultural categories of museums, films, heritage, fashion, libraries, literature and publishing, culinary arts, visual arts, architecture and design, theatre and performing arts, and music. The Ministry of Culture hopes the marathon will provide the opportunity for creative individuals, entrepreneurs, and companies specializing in cultural events and festivals to share, support, and develop their ideas, as well as create a vital space for generating creative ideas under the umbrella of the Cultural Ideas Center.