Bari 2008

In May 2008, a pilot project was launched in partnership between Arts Council England and four universities from the East Midlands (De Montfort, Derby, Loughborough and Nottingham Trent) to send recent graduates to take part in the 13th Biennale of Young Artists from Europe and the Mediterranean.

This project marked the first time that the UK have taken part in the Biennale, which is considered to be one of the most important Mediterranean events for youth creativity. Eighteen graduates from the four universities attended the Biennale in Bari, Puglia, Southern Italy. During the 10-day festival around 1,000 artists, aged between 18 and 30, from 48 countries, exhibited their work. It was the first time that other 18 countries from the European Union participated along with the 27 countries of last Biennale held in Naples on September 2005.

Before, during and after the Biennial, various workshops were organized in order to give to the artists the opportunity to cooperate through art and to operate in a multicultural contest.

Hetain Patel, one of the participating artists, comments on his experience in Bari:

I find the most exciting aspect of being an artist is the creative process - the challenge, the freedom, the playing, and if you're lucky a piece of work that you can't wait to share with an audience.    

Being given the opportunity to take such a work out to Bari, Puglia to present it in an international context was a privilege. Not only did I receive lots of great feedback and exposure but also got to experience a wide range of work from other young artists living in Europe and the Mediterranean.

I got to know many of the other British artists for the first time at the biennale and made some great friends while I was there. Engaging with the arts and artists internationally opens your eyes to the possibilities of cultural exchange.

It reaffirms your faith in art and what it can do beyond the gratification of the artist. I had an unforgettable time in Bari and I'm already jealous of the group that gets to be involved in the next biennale!

For more information about the 13th Edition of the Biennale of Young Artists from Europe and the Mediterranean, visit the BJCEM website.