News: North East Emerging Artist Prize

Image by Colin Davison

If you are a budding artist looking for a break in what has been a tough time for the creative industry and would like your work displayed in a historic building (considered one of finest examples of baroque architecture in the country), then a new emerging artist prize, offering early career artists and creative practitioners in or from the North East, has just been announced. The North East Emerging Artist Prize is a collaboration between the National Trust at Seaton Delaval Hall and Curator, Matthew Jarratt and is open to artists in or from the North East who are in the final year of their undergraduate degree, studying for a masters’ degree or who have graduated in the last three years. It is open to all artforms, including music/sound, theatre, film, literature and design, as well as fine art.

Eight successful applicants will be supported in developing their proposals, which will be presented at Seaton Delaval Hall from May 2022, with two of the proposals to be realised and exhibited in the spring of 2023. A £300 bursary for each of the eight shortlisted artists will initially be provided, with a budget of £4,000 to each of the two selected artists to realise their ideas.

Seaton Delaval Hall’s General Manager Emma Thomas tells us more…
‘This is an opportunity for artists interested in producing site-specific work to develop their practise with support from the National Trust and Curator, Matthew Jarratt. There is tremendous scope for those shortlisted to develop their work at the Hall, particularly as we come towards the end of the National Lottery Heritage Fund-supported Curtain Rises project and more of its spaces are open to the public and its history made more visible through a re-presentation of the collection and creative interpretation.

The prize really builds on that rich historical tradition the Hall and its family have of supporting artists from a variety of disciplines, including painting, theatre and writing.  Seaton Delaval Hall became a place of drama, theatricality and extreme playfulness.  We want to continue to encourage that spirit and artistic expression in the region with the North East Emerging Artist Prize.  We’re also really looking forward to involving our visitors in the selection process of choosing the two artists whose work will be presented each year.’

Visitors will be able to view the eight shortlisted proposals on site at Seaton Delaval Hall and select their preferred choice, with votes supporting the decision made by the judging panel. 

Anyone interested can download the application form from the Seaton Delaval website. Applications close 10th December.