Kickin’ It Festival 2026: K–12 Student Artist Call

Hosted by Arts Foundation Federal Way

To celebrate the 2026 FIFA World Cup, The Federal Way Kickin’ It Festival is inviting K–12 students to participate in a creative flag art contest. Students will select a World Cup–participating country, submit an original artistic interpretation of that country’s flag as a digital design, and indicate their country choice. Selected students will bring their designs to life on a large 3 ft x 5 ft canvas flag, which will be publicly displayed at the Performing Arts and Event Center.

Students are selected based on creativity, originality, and how well the design can be translated onto canvas.

Notes:

• Students will indicate the country they plan to represent.
• This step helps organizers see which countries may need more artists.
• An additional call for artists may be issued if some countries lack representation.
• Two students will be selected for each country.
• Designs are reviewed in two rounds by a panel of judges.
• Students are selected based on creativity, originality, and how well the design can be painted on canvas.

 

Important Dates:

• March 27: Applications due
• April 2: First round of judging completed
• April 9: Final round of judging completed
• April 10: Students notified if selected
• April 15: (Required) First workshop & canvas flag pickup at PAEC
• April 15 - May 15: Optional weekly workshops (advance sign-up required)
• May 15: Completed flags due
• Memorial Day – Labor Day: Flags displayed in the PAEC lobby

 

What to Expect After Selection:

• Students will Receive:
  • One 3 ft x 5 ft canvas flag (provided)
  • Access to free weekly workshop space at the PAEC
  • Guidance and support during workshop sessions
  • Students bring their own art supplies (paint, brushes, markers, etc.)
• Students will attend a required first workshop on April 15 to receive their canvas and review expectations
• Weekly workshops after April 15 are optional, but students must sign up in advance
• Students may work on their flag at home or during workshops
• Finished flags will be hung from the PAEC lobby ceiling and displayed publicly
  • Event depending. Time may vary.

Call for Youth Artists Application

Students are selected based on creativity, originality, and how well the design can be translated onto canvas.

Current Qualified Teams (1/23/2026): Algeria, Argentina, Australia, Austria, Belgium, Brazil, Canada, Cape Verde, Colombia, Croatia, Curaçao, Ecuador, Egypt, England, France, Germany, Ghana, Haiti, IR Iran, Ivory Coast, Japan, Jordan, Korea Republic, Mexico, Morocco, Netherlands, New Zealand, Norway, Panama, Paraguay, /Portugal, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Scotland, Senegal, South Africa, Spain, Switzerland, Tunisia, Uruguay, USA, Uzbekistan.

Only nations that have booked their place at the FIFA World Cup 2026™ are shown - as the tournament line-up is confirmed through the FIFA Play-Off Tournament and the European Play-Off, the qualified teams will appear here.

Click here to view the list.

We’ll do our best to match students with their first-choice country, but final assignments depend on overall participation and availability.