The deadline for UK-based artists to take part in the first World Event Young Artists (WEYA) has been extended. Artists of all disciplines aged 18-30 now have until 31 October to apply for a chance to represent the UK in the ten-day cultural festival, joining others from countries ranging from Italy, Kenya and Mexico to Canada, India and China.
The first event of its kind, WEYA will bring together 1,000 young artists from 120 nations to Nottingham from 7-16 September 2012. The festival programme will take place across the world class arts venues and alternative spaces, bringing the city to life with creative activity. This unprecedented showcase of creative talent from across the globe will be a finale to the 2012 Cultural Olympiad in the East Midlands.
Applications are sought from artists who have exciting new work to share and who are open to the possibilities of intercultural dialogue that the festival will afford. They are invited across all art forms - from music, dance, theatre and spoken word to film, visual art and fashion.
As well as giving artists a high-profile international platform to show their work, WEYA will provide them with opportunities to see work from all over the world, collaborate with other like-minded individuals, network and take part in talks and debates.
Successful artists will be chosen by an expert selection panel comprising curators, practitioners and programmers from a range of UK arts venues.
Choreographer, director, dancer and WEYA Champion, Akram Khan comments: ‘Bringing together these art forms from so many countries is exciting and will inspire some extraordinary creative collaborations. 'True collaboration' can only happen between different people, it cannot happen from identical twins. WEYA is a fantastic opportunity for young artists from all over the UK to showcase their work on an international platform – and to show the world just how much new creative talent there is in the UK.’
World Event Young Artists is hosted by UK Young Artists and builds on the success of the Biennale of Young Artists from Europe and the Mediterranean (BJCEM), celebrating the creativity of young artists.
The new closing date for entries is 31October 2011, with selected artists informed of their success in February 2012. Calls for entries in other countries are taking place in waves throughout 2011.
For more information visit www.worldeventyoungartists.com.
