The Northern Art Prize is delighted to announce a new media partnership with Sky Arts, the UK’s only television channels dedicated to arts and culture. The channel has been given exclusive access to behind-the-scene preparations for the fourth annual Northern Art Prize at its home in Leeds. The resulting ten minute documentary will receive its premiere on Sky Arts 2 HD and Sky Arts 2 on Wednesday 1st December, 7.50pm.
This year Sky Arts will support 18 arts organisations across the UK and Ireland through the ‘Sky Arts At…’ documentary series. These insightful programmes give viewers across the UK a look at what goes on out of sight of the public eye so they can explore, in this instance, the pressures and challenges facing curators and the artistic processes involved in putting together an exhibition of contemporary art for audiences unable to get to the Northern Art Prize exhibition at Leeds Art Gallery. The film also offers an introduction to the four shortlisted artists: Alec Finlay, Lubaina Himid, David Jacques and Haroon Mirza.
“The artists nominated for The Northern Art Prize have produced some of the most exciting and thought-provoking contemporary art in the North of England, comments John Cassy, Channel Director of Sky Arts. “The new partnership enables Sky Arts viewers to get closer to the artists and their works and extend the reputation of the fantastic creative work that is being created in this part of the country.”
The Northern Art Prize has become an important annual event for visual artists practicing in the North of England and it is testament to the quality of artists involved and the prestige of the exhibition that the Prize has grown significantly in just four years. Initially set up by Director Pippa Hale with support and funding from Logistik, Arup and Leeds City Council, the Prize also has attracted Leeds Metropolitan University, City Inn and Welcome to Yorkshire as sponsors.
Director of the Northern Art Prize Pippa Hale commented: “We are hugely grateful to all our sponsors, old and new, for the support they show the Northern Art Prize. To have Sky Arts on board as media partner will introduce the Prize and exhibition to a far greater audience who will have the chance to witness for themselves the fantastic selection of artists we have currently working in the North.”
‘Sky Arts At the Northern Art Prize’ will be shown on Sky Arts 2 HD and online at sky.com/arts. The Northern Art Prize exhibition of work from the four shortlisted artists opens at Leeds Art Gallery on 26 November 2010 with the winner announced at Leeds Art Gallery on 20 January 2011. The shortlist was chosen from a long list of 22 artists working across the North of England by a panel of esteemed judges: Collector Richard Greer; Artist Susan Hiller; Journalist, Broadcaster and Author Mark Lawson and Director of Visual Arts for the British Council, Andrea Rose.
