Canon partners with UN for 5ᵗʰ SDG Global Festival of Action

London, UK, 15ᵗʰ March 2021 – Canon EMEA, the world’s leading imaging company, will be taking part in the 5ᵗʰ SDG Global Festival of Action between 25ᵗʰ – 26ᵗʰh March to inspire and educate people on the of power visual storytelling in addressing the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).

Striving to inspire action, connect people and develop solutions to #Turn it Around, the festival will focus on the four key themes of climate action, poverty and inequality, gender equality, and inclusive systems and sustainable finance.


Canon will be supporting the event through a number of sessions inspired by the activities of both participants from its Young People Programme and Canon Ambassadors. The sessions aim to explore the power of visual storytelling and how it can be used to drive action on the SDGs.


All of Canon’s sessions are free to attend and can be accessed by registering for the Festival here.


Canon sessions:


  • Big Picture Plenary: the time is now, 25th March 13:15 –14:00 CET

Canon Ambassador Tasneem Alsultan will be joining journalist and former UN official Cristina Gallach and civic entrepreneur Ilona Szabó De Carvalho to take stock of where we are right now and discuss what changes are needed now to ensure a sustainable future.


  • Canon Young People Programme creative storytelling workshop: how to tell compelling visual stories speakers, 26th March 17.00 – 18.00 CET

Adam Pensotti, Head of the Canon Young People Programme, and Canon Ambassador Laura El-Tantawy will be running a workshop aimed at educating and inspiring people to use visual storytelling as a tool to express their views on how we can create a better and more sustainable future. Attendance at the workshop will require registration for the session.


  • In conversation: the value of creative education and empowering the next generation speakers, 26th March 18:15 – 18:30 CET

Adam, Laura and Tasneem will also come together for a panel session to discuss the power of visual storytelling, covering both their own work and how it can be used to support the development of young people across the world.


  • Visual storytelling exhibitions

Online exhibitions will be displayed throughout the virtual festival, featuring the work of Laura El-Tantawy, Tasneem Alsultan and participants of the Canon Young People Programme.


This marks the third year that Canon has supported the SDG Global Festival of Action through its Young People Programme, an initiative which inspires, educates and empowers young people to use visual storytelling to share their own views on how to fulfil the SDGs.


A wide variety of sessions will take place across five different stages in a dynamic virtual space, offering attendees the view and interact with plenary sessions, speeches, workshops and performances. The SDG Global Festival of Action is free to attend and all sessions will be available on-demand after the event. For more details please visit the event’s website.