UKYA01

UKYA01 is the first national UK Young Artists event. Launched in Derby on Thursday 21 October 2010, UKYA01 also marked the 100th Inspire Mark project taking place in the East Midlands region.

Following an open call for submissions from artists aged between 18 and 30, 48 artists and art collectives (totalling at over 75 individuals) were selected from over 400 applications. Although all have been based in the United Kingdom for at least one year, they came from twelve different countries as well as from all across the UK – from Inverness to Penzance, County Down to East Lothian and Derby itself. The artists are all cross-art form, including: choreographers, ceramicists, dancers, musicians, video artists, installation artists, painters, performance artists, photographers, sculptors, storytellers, writers and poets.

Over the course of the event, exhibitions and performances took place in venues across Derby including: the Ark Shop, Bubbles Laundrette, Derby LIVE Assembly Rooms (Darwin Suite), Déda, Derby Theatre Studio, Pickford’s House, QUAD, The Silk Mill, the University of Derby, Cathedral Green and Market Square.

From the 48 artists and art collectives represented, 13 were chosen to represent the UK at the 2011 International Biennale of Young Artists of Europe and the Mediterranean. The selection panel was led by the internationally renowned performance artist Akram Khan who was also joined by international artist Mariele Neudecker.

I was so impressed by the young talent that is residing in England. What is most promising is that there is a new kind of collective and yet individual voice that is emerging through the young artists of today. I was extremely glad to be part of selecting the young artists that we have chosen to go forward. By being part of this programme I feel we were all learning from each other, and about each other's craft. I cannot reiterate enough the great importance to continue and embrace art in this way.

Akram Khan

I am very pleased to be involved in such an exciting and ambitious project. What a good idea to encourage such a broad spectrum of art forms to be hosted in such a compact situation. With a very strong group of projects in this first event, UKYA has great potential for the future. The sense of the participating artists being inspired and stimulated was tangible and overwhelming.

Mariele Neudecker

The positive impact on the artists both during and following the event has been remarkable and many have gone on to collaborate with artists that they met during UKYA01.

UKYA01 has been one of the most exciting experience of my whole artistic career. I could almost touch the intensity of the four days spent with all the artists, my same generation but from so diverse background and countries. The inspiring environment made easy connections among us, now so ready for interdisciplinary collaborations that definitely came out for me.

Anna Buonomo (Bricolage Dance Movement)

UKYA would like to thank the venues for all their support, our principal funders – Arts Council England, Igniting Ambition, De Montfort University, Loughborough University, Nottingham Trent University and the University of Derby. We are grateful to our many project supports and would like to thank Déda, Derby City Council, Derby LIVE, Derby Museums, QUAD, Art in the City and the proprietors of Bubbles Launderette.