NOTTINGHAM CHARITY UK YOUNG ARTISTS TEAMS UP WITH GLOBAL RECRUITMENT FIRM ROBERT WALTERS GROUP AND THE SAATCHI GALLERY TO SEARCH FOR THE UK YOUNG ARTIST OF THE YEAR

 

Nottingham based charity UK Young Artists (UKYA), the organisation behind this year’s successful UKYA City Takeover: Nottingham 19, has partnered with Robert Walters Group and the Saatchi Gallery to help a new generation of UK young artists to launch their careers.

 

Launching today, 15 July, the inaugural Robert Walters Group UK Young Artist of the Year Award in partnership with Saatchi Gallery and UK Young Artists, will discover and champion exceptional artists who are representative of contemporary Britain. The winner will receive a cash prize of £10,000 and the artist’s work will be displayed at the Robert Walters Group head office in Covent Garden for 12 months. The runner-up will receive £5,000 to help fund their future artistic career.  The prize awarded will be one of the largest on offer to young artists in the UK.

 

The brief to artists is ‘Diversity’. The prize judges are looking for visual artists, aged between 18 and 30 years, who represent the UK’s richly diverse population, embody the experiences of their community and who represent unique viewpoints and experiences. Judges include Robert Walters, art collector and CEO of Robert Walters Group; Gavin Turk, artist; Philippa Adams, Senior Director of Saatchi Gallery; Michael Forbes, artist,  and Rosalind Davis, artist, writer and UKYA Alumni.

 

Deadline for entries is 1 September 2019. The ten shortlisted artists will have their work exhibited at the Saatchi Gallery at an awards ceremony on 7 October 2019.

 

UKYA, which has been based in Nottingham since the charity was founded ten years ago, has had an incredible 12 months, bringing 250 artists to the city for the UKYA City Takeover, a week-long festival celebrating the talent of young artists, musicians, dancers and performers.  Over 32,000 visitors engaged with the City Takeover through exhibitions, performances, events and workshops making this UKYA’s most ambitious and successful event to date.

 

Michelle Bowen, Director, UKYA said:

“For the last decade UKYA has championed and supported young artists from all backgrounds. We are delighted this new partnership with Robert Walters Group and Saatchi Gallery will uncover new talent across the UK and we encourage young creatives based in Nottingham and surrounding areas to apply and shine a light on the diverse wealth of talent in the region.”

Robert Walters, CEO, Robert Walters Group comments:

“We are delighted to be partnering with UK Young Artists (UKYA) and the Saatchi Gallery on this new Award which provides a platform for the next generation of artistic talent in the UK. Our purpose as a business is to help people fulfil their unique potential so UKYA was a natural partner given the role they play in championing both creativity and emerging artists throughout the UK.”

 

Philippa Adams, Director, Saatchi Gallery remarks:

“As Saatchi Gallery continues to strive to provide an innovative forum, I am excited to announce a new partnership with Robert Walters and UKYA to provide a platform dedicated to developing the careers of UK’s diverse young talent. This Award will showcase the creative potential of young artists and foster discussions surrounding their relationship to their community.”

 

Peter Knott, Area Director at Arts Council England, said:

“We are proud to support UKYA as they embark on this exciting new partnership with the Robert Walters Group and the Saatchi Gallery. Investing in young people is a key part of what the Arts Council does to nurture the next generation of creative talent, and this is a fantastic opportunity which could have the power to change lives and launch successful careers in the arts.”

 

 

To be eligible for entry artists must be aged 18–30 years and be allowed to work or study in the UK at the time of making the submission. Artists should be working in the following fields – fine arts, applied arts and digital arts and moving image.  Deadline for entries is 1 September 2019.

 

For more information about the Robert Walters Group UK Young Artist of the Year Award and how to apply:

http://www.ukyoungartists.co.uk/robert-walters-group-uk-young-artist-of-the-year-award