YOUNG ARTISTS TO TRANSFORM NOTTINGHAM IN THE FIRST UKYA CITY TAKEOVER
A MAJOR BIENNIAL OF CONTEMPORARY ART AND PERFORMANCE

UKYA CITY TAKEOVER: NOTTINGHAM 19

250 ARTISTS. 25 COUNTRIES. 100 EVENTS. 7 DAYS

7–13 FEBRUARY 2019

Pictures by Fabrice Gagos

UKYA City Takeover: Nottingham 19 will bring together over 250 national and international artists from 25 countries. Organised by national charity UK Young Artists (UKYA) – who champion the next generation of creativity by supporting and developing the careers of artists aged 18-30 – the first UKYA City Takeover will immerse visitors in an array of extraordinary, innovative and contemporary work. Visual arts, theatre, live art, music and spoken word will animate cultural spaces and unusual places across Nottingham.

UKYA City Takeover: Nottingham 2019 will be one of the largest biennial events to be held in the UK with over 100 free performances, exhibitions and participatory events, plus five new public engagement commissions.  Highlights include unique performances and interventions on public transport, performances within Nottingham’s famous underground caves and churches, and a nonstop 12-hour event.

On the eve of the UK leaving the European Union UKYA City Takeover: Nottingham 19 will present a provocative and exciting survey show of international contemporary art, performance and music.  UK Young Artists is working with BJCEM-Biennal of Young Artists from Europe and the Mediterranean; Seojung Arts Centre (Seoul) and Yiyuan Tang (Shanghai) to bring 100 international artists to the UK. Artists featured include visual artists Bernhard Buff and Nika Kupyrova (Austria), Iolanda Di Bonaventura (Italy) and Thodoris Trampas (Greece); musicians Camille Christel (UK) and TrueMendous (UK); live performances by Red Pig Flower (South Korea), theMiddletonCorpus (UK) and Yu-Hsien Wu (Taiwan).

UK Young Artists has for the last 10 years championed young artists and performers through festivals, events, talks and workshops both in the UK and internationally. The charity encourages artistic development with a focus on cross art form practice. Alumni who have benefited from the support of UKYA include Rachel Maclean who represented Scotland at the 2017 Venice Biennale; Hetain Patel whose acclaimed work mixes visual art, dance and performance; and award-winning poet and playwright Toby Campion.

Nottingham has a rich cultural heritage and a tradition of artist led projects including the influential Midland Group (1943 to 1987), which was committed to  the presentation of ‘progressive and experimental visual arts in Nottingham’. The opening of Dance4, an international centre for dance development, and two public galleries, Nottingham Contemporary and New Art Exchange, has helped cement Nottingham as a centre for the arts.  More recently The New Midland Group, comprised of three independent artist studios, Backlit, One Thoresby Street and Primary, have built on the legacy of the Midland Group, seeking to further develop the promotion of visual arts and artists. UKYA City Takeover: Nottingham 2019 will continue this tradition of bringing international artists to Nottingham and draw focus to the dynamic arts scene in the city.

Michelle Bowen, Director, UK Young Artists

“For the last decade UKYA has sought to discover and develop new talent, celebrating the best young creatives here in the UK and internationally.  UKYA City Takeover: Nottingham 19, our most ambitious project to date, takes place on the eve of the UK leaving the European Union. It presents a powerful survey show by a generation of politically and socially engaged artists, from all nationalities, seeking in uncertain times to respond to and also reimagine the future.”

Peter Knott, Area Director for Arts Council England

“It’s really exciting to hear that UKYA’s City Takeover: Nottingham 2019 is going to showcase an extraordinary array of contemporary work from more than 250 artists from 25 countries, right here in Nottingham. Investing in opportunities for young people to see, participate and enjoy contemporary work from their peers nationally and internationally is a key part of what the Arts Council does to nurture the next generation of creative talent, and I can’t wait to see the whole city – from theatres and galleries, to shops, businesses and cafes – really come alive with music, performance, digital arts, literature and more next February.”

Barbara Matthews, Pro Vice Chancellor and Head of College of Art and Design, Nottingham Trent University

As a founding partner and the current host of UK Young Artists, we’re thrilled that Nottingham is to experience this celebration of exceptional artistic talent. NTU is passionate about widening access to cultural education and we know that this event will inspire young people across the city and beyond.

UKYA’s Instagram is highlighting an artist from the City Takeover everyday until the opening in February @ukyoungartists

Full programme of events available at www.ukyoungartists.co.uk

For further press information please contact Sarah Ragsdale, PR Consultant for Redbrick Communications

sarahr@redbrickcommunications.com 07817 194 750

www.ukyoungartists.co.uk

Twitter: @ukyoungartists

facebook.com/ukyoungartists

Instagram: @uk.youngartists

#UKYATakeover

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