News and Features

At UKNA, we are committed to creating pathways for everyone to engage with the contemporary art world, fostering a vibrant and diverse creative economy in the UK. Our mission is to build a brighter future for emerging artists, regardless of their background or education. Our latest publication, Sharing Our Value, explores the impact we’ve had since our inception, showcasing how we nurture creativity, foster collaboration, and empower new artists.

In June 2024, FABRIC and UK New Artists came together to collaborate on ‘You Are Welcome’, a project that formed part of ‘Transform, a City Takeover’, led by New Art Exchange. FABRIC and UK New Artists, both champions of underrepresented talent, partnered for the 'You are Welcome' project to explore how small, everyday gestures can contribute to building a more inclusive environment.

For the first time in Nottingham, UK New Artists together with Parham Ghalamdar will be hosting a ‘Divine Dining’ event in the heart of the city. As part of ‘Transform, a City Takeover’ this one-of-a-kind event offers a series of courses inspired by Iranian culture, presented on handmade ceramics. This three-course menu with wine has been developed and designed in collaboration with Nottingham-born chef Matthew Scott, currently the Chef Patron of ‘PAPI’ located in London's East End and is offered at a modest price of £25.00 per person. Booking is essential as places are limited. 

UK New Artists and 4C Group are delighted to announce that the third recipient of the bursary is Jamaican poet based in Bucks, Courtney Conrad.

UKNA and global company 4C Group launched this new, exciting partnership in 2022, creating valuable opportunities for UKNA Alumni artists over the next three years. UKNA and 4C Group recognise the difficulties faced by those who would struggle to further their creative career without support, and a key component of the partnership is a significant investment with an annual 4C Group bursary. The bursary, managed by UKNA for twelve months, offers a £10,000 investment to support the artist's professional practice and creative development.

The New Artists Collective #2 is a cross-disciplinary group of 12 artists, who will be working collaboratively for six months as part of UKNA’s second iteration of ‘Taking Place’ (People, Place and Practice), embarking on an exciting journey in Derby; sharing their work, undertaking residencies and collective activities.

On Thursday 10th November Sofia Laskari was crowned as the winner of 2023 Robert Walters UK New Artist of the Year Award in a VIP awards evening held at the Saatchi Gallery, London.

Sofia Laskari was the recipient of the £10,000 cash prize – out of a possible 1,600 entries - presented by global recruitment consultancy Robert Walters, after being selected ahead of the other nine shortlisted artists for work submitted within the brief of ‘The Journey of Self-Actualization: Exploring the Illusion of Greener Grass and the Pursuit of the Dream’.

UK New Artists and The MashUP are excited to collaborate and spotlight the thriving visual arts community in Lincoln and Lincolnshire. We've selected a group of artists through an open call to be part of the 'Artists in the Now' exhibition, taking place in Lincoln as part of UKNA’s ‘Weekend Celebration of Creativity’. This exhibition features 10 new and emerging visual artists from the region, highlighting the diversity of artistic voices in Lincoln and Lincolnshire.

Now in its fourth year, this event highlights the work of ten exceptional artists who will have been selected for the Robert Walters UK New Artist of the Year Award taking place at the prestigious Saatchi Gallery in London on Thursday 9 November 2023. During the VIP awards evening, the overall winner of the £10,000 cash prize will be announced.

With a passion for supporting talent, Garth Gratrix has been key in shaping the Robert Walters Group UK New Artist of the Year Award since its inaugural edition in 2019. They have brought invaluable insights and expertise to the award, provided significant support to emerging artists and created a wonderful platform for their work over the last five years. As well as the Robert Walters Group UK New Artist of the Year Award, Gratrix has curated numerous large-scale group exhibitions with UKNA including The Beginning, Seoul, South Korea.

The Call for Entries for the highly anticipated Robert Walters Group UK New Artist of the Year Award 2023, in collaboration with Saatchi Gallery, are now open. Get ready to meet our panel of judges! We are delighted to have such a stellar judging panel for this year’s award.

Our judging panel will assess entries according to the criteria outlined in the artist's brief. They will be searching for artists who demonstrate significant potential, a unique artistic voice, and exceptional talent.

UKNA and global company 4C Group launched this new, exciting partnership in 2022, creating valuable opportunities for UKNA Alumni artists over the next three years.  UKNA and 4C Group recognise the difficulties faced by those who would struggle to further their creative career without support, and a key component of the partnership is a significant investment with an annual 4C Group bursary. The bursary, managed by UKNA for twelve months, offers a £10,000 investment to support artist's professional practice and creative development.

Artist Rodrigues Goncalves has won the People’s Choice Award for his ‘Briton’ series in 2022 Robert Walters Group UK New Artist of the Year Award, in collaboration with Saatchi Gallery.

UKNA’s 6th Weekender residency is organised in partnership with 4C Group and Canopy by Hilton London City Hotel. The Weekenders are micro-residencies: an opportunity to take some time, meet other artists, collaborate, and replenish thinking and possible directions for practice.

Habib Hajallie, was named as the winner of the Robert Walters Group UK New Artist of the Year Award, at an awards ceremony held at the prestigious Saatchi Gallery on Thursday 10th November for his work titled “Questions of our Day.”

Tyreis Holder was recipient of the £5,000 runner-up prize for her work titled ‘Dun Dunnah’.

After a record breaking 1,300+ entries, the shortlist has been announced for this year’s Robert Walters Group UK New Artist of the Year Award 2022.

Now in its third year, the awards will see 10 shortlisted artists have the honour of exhibiting their work at the prestigious Saatchi Gallery in London on Thursday 10 November 2022, where the overall winner of the £10,000 cash prize will be announced at a VIP awards evening.

We’re over half way through the Call for Entries for the Robert Walters Group UK New Artist of the Year Award 2022, in collaboration with Saatchi Gallery, and it’s time to meet the judges! We are delighted to have such a stellar judging panel for the Robert Walters Group UK New Artist of the Year Award 2022.

UK New Artists (UKNA) is delighted to launch an exciting new partnership with global company 4C Hotel Group, which will create valuable opportunities for new artists in the UK over the next three years. The partnership will include the annual 4C Hotel Group Bursary managed by UKNA - a twelve month programme of support and significant investment, for one new artist each year, over three years.

Between 25-27th February 2022, UK New Artists took over the city of Leicester with exhibitions, performances, talks and residencies from 70 of the UK’s most exciting new artists. Come along with us as we reminisce on a fantastic weekend of art and culture!

Meet the artists selected for UKNA’s 5th Weekender residency, organised in partnership between Centre for Contemporary Art and UK New Artists. The Weekenders are micro-residencies: an opportunity to take some time, meet other artists, collaborate and replenish thinking and possible directions for practice.

Following a nationwide call out, UKNA is delighted to announce the first members of its new ‘Creative ThinkTank’.

The Creative ThinkThank is a new advisory panel whose members represent a diverse range of practices and perspectives from across the UK . The panel will contribute to the development of the organisation and its programming, to ensure that we are best meeting the needs of new artists and that the voice of artists is at the heart of what we do.

Reet Good is an electric, dynamic and trail blazing event of Live Performance Art that seeks to break down barriers, challenge preconceptions and boldly centre and illuminate the work of Deaf, Disabled and Nuerodivergent Artists.

The event, which will take place in various spaces at QUAD on the evening of 18 February, is the culmination of a four day co-creation and collective sharing of artistic practice between six Deaf, Disabled and Nuerodivergent artists who have been provided much needed space to share, create and reimagine work within the context of the Derby City Landscape.

A Little Bit of Rebellion is a Good Thing is a digital installation created by UK New Artists in collaboration with five Nottingham-based artists for Nottingham City Council’s Light Night 2022. Together we will share stories of everyday rebellion with the people of Nottingham. UKNA have collected short stories of everyday rebellion from five artists - Aja Ireland, Benjamin Rostance, Ryan Boultbee, Sara Mahmood and Wingshan Smith.

Artist Jarvis Brookfield from Leicester has won the People’s Choice Award for his paintings in this year’s Robert Walters Group UK New Artist of the Year Award, in collaboration with Saatchi Gallery.

UKNA is excited to HYPE UP margomool’s new EP, misconceptions, which takes you on a soul-jazz-prog rock journey through a five-track EP and three visual projects. Self-produced by margomool, utilising live recording and electronic production, margomool has worked with an eclectic range of musicians residing in South East London to shape the EP.

Anne von Freyburg, was named as the winner of the Robert Walters Group UK New Artist of the Year Award, at an awards ceremony held at the prestigious Saatchi Gallery on Thursday 4th November.

Anne was recipient to the £10,000 cash prize presented by global recruitment consultancy Robert Walters Group, after being selected ahead of the other nine shortlisted artists.

As the 2021 Robert Walters Group UK New Artist Award approaches, UKNA catches up with 2019 shortlisted artist Linnet Panashe Rubaya, and chats to collectors Al-Karim Makhani, Vice-President at TransPerfect Legal Solutions, and restaurateur, Edin Gondzic, about the works they bought from the 2019 exhibition.

From a record breaking 963 submissions, the top 10 entries have been shortlisted for the second edition of the Robert Walters UK New Artist of the Year Award 2021.

UK New Artists is delighted to announce the three selected projects for Future Producers, kindly funded by Arts Council England through National Lottery Project Grants.

Future Producers is a new and exciting programme to support artists and creatives across the UK and invest in the next generation of creativity. This summer, UKNA ran a ‘call for ideas’; seeking three projects, led by artists.

Amelia Seren Roberts was the winner of the Surface Gallery X UK New Artists Prize in 2019, which resulted in her solo exhibition, Cauldron Born: How Long I Have Thirsted to be a God Among Men (26th June - 10th July 2021 at Surface Gallery Nottingham).

UK New Artists visited the exhibition and caught up with Amelia; discussing the show, her work and influences, and what advice she has for new artists.

It is 13:30 in Oslo. I am sitting by my kitchen table in my one-room apartment and from a tiny window on my computer screen. A woman is reading a poem from her house in the UK. Several people have tuned in through their webcams, listening to her while she reads. The experience feels intimate and personal because although the performer is far away from my physical location, her art is located in my home.

Writer, Katja Fjeld reflects on her experience of the No Jobs in the Arts Fringe Festival.

“The whole festival felt collaborative, it wasn’t simply a case of showcasing early-career creatives in the East Midlands but rather a chance for those delivering workshops to trial ideas, and those attending the talks and workshops to gain confidence, skills and the ability to network. It was, indeed, a risk free way to gain experience in the arts.”

Writer, Kellymarie Palfrey reflects on their experience of the No Jobs in the Arts Fringe Festival.

Header image: Donna Briscoe-Greene by Joe Westley

2020 has certainly been a year to remember. A challenging time for people all over the world, and particularly for the creative industries and we do not underestimate the terrible toll it has taken on lives and livelihoods across the UK. However, from closures and cancellations, new ideas and formats emerged. We have seen the most incredible adaptability and versatility across the creative sector. Artists and cultural communities have rallied together and made some amazing things happen, from online festivals and exhibitions, to campaigns like #artistsupportpledge and #portraitsfornhsheroes, the resilience has been amazing. So as we approach the end of this unforgettable year, we thought we’d share a round up of our 2020 projects and news.

We are pleased to share the third film in this series commissioned in partnership with Eurodesk UK as part of Eurodesk’s Time to Move 2020 campaign. Ryan Boultbee was one of the artists that UKNA took to Shanghai for Artshake 2019 with Yiyuan Tang Museum and Seojung Art Centre, Seoul - what an adventure that was! Hear more about Ryan's search for hidden treasures in the sprawling abandoned factory site in China, as well as Ryan's creative process and practice.

UKNA is delighted to share the second in a trio of short films commissioned in partnership with Eurodesk UK, as part of Eurodesk’s Time to Move 2020 campaign.

Here, we meet Producer and Curator Saziso Phiri. Saziso is the Curator for UKNA City Takeover: Leicester 2021; founder of The Anti Gallery; founding member of SHEAfriq Collective; part of the organising team for Nuart Festival, Norway; and has recently been announced as Curator in Residence at City Arts Nottingham.

UKNA catches up with spoken word poet and YouTube creator, ClickForTaz, who has been the subject of a recent YouTube 'Spotlight' documentary. In the documentary, Taz reflects on her difficult school years. She returns to her high school 10 years on, to inspire the students in year 7 with a spoken word performance, meeting key inspirations along the way, including Casey Neistat and poet Suli Breaks.

Here, UKNA and Taz discuss the catharsis of writing poetry; the impact of creativity on mental health; and Taz's inspirational message to young people.

UKNA is delighted to share the first in a trio of short films commissioned in partnership with Eurodesk UK, as part of Eurodesk’s Time to Move 2020 campaign.

The Art of Working (Internationally) is a series of short documentary films featuring interviews and work from three UK artists. The interviews focus on the influence and impact of having international experiences either through festivals, exhibitions, performances or residencies.

The first film features AJA, who discusses her practice, collaborations, and reflects on her experiences of performing at CTM Festival at Berghain and working with Sounds Queer in Vienna.

To celebrate Leicester Art Week and the launch of The Viewing Room, Michelle Bowen, Director of UKNA is ‘in conversation’ with Curator Garth Gratrix, and Leicester-based artist Jarvis Brookfield.

Garth and Jarvis discuss their work and delve into their first experience of curating and exhibiting in a virtual exhibition. A great opportunity to gain an insight into this new world of virtual exhibitions, and to think about what the future holds for this way of working.

The eclectic neo-folk act Asthmatic Harp announces the new single Limbo on 29th July 2020. The song is a quirky-catchy indie folk song based on a poem by Manchester-based queer writer and performer Roma Havers.

This is without doubt a difficult time for artists and the creative industries, with many of the ‘normal’ channels, opportunities and work put on hold. To help guide you through we have compiled a list of resources and signposts for artists, covering financial support; health and wellbeing; a selection of online exhibitions, shows and festivals to keep you inspired; some creative and educational resources; and a selection of commissions/residencies that offer a fee to artists.

UKYA is delighted to announce a new arts partnership South Korea with Seojung Art Centre and Superior Gallery, Seoul and Chung Ang University. Selected through a national open call, 10 of the best young artists in the UK will travel to Seoul in October 2017 to present their work alongside 9 young Korean artists. Read on to find out more about who the talented artists from Korea are that will be taking part in the exhibition!

UKYA is delighted to announce a new arts partnership South Korea with Seojung Art Centre and Superior Gallery, Seoul and Chung Ang University. Selected through a national open call, 13 of the best young artists in the UK will travel to Seoul in October 2017 to present their work alongside 10 young Korean artists. Read on to find out more about the artists.

Following a successful first year of festivals, with high quality performances and ideas from the artists & young people involved, UKYA ran the Year 2 open call for artists to lead the project. We highlight the selected artists and find out more about their Emerge projects.

We are delighted to welcome Colette Griffin, Jasleen Kaur, Krysia Kordecki and Toby Campion as our new Artist Ambassadors for 2017/18. This year's Ambassadors have been selected because we felt that they were all quality making artists who are daring, ambitious, independent, creative, collaborative and internationally-focused; values and ambitions close to the UKYA heart.

On Tuesday 27th June, hurrstory was made at Backlit Gallery for The Laganja Estranja  Showcase Event. 14 talented artists from around the UK and Europe came together to explore what it means to express gender in our society.

UKYA is delighted to announce Lena Peters as the winner of the UK Young Artists Associate Prize at New Designers 2017. Lena will travel with us to South Korea this year to exhibit her work alongside 10 UK and 10 Korean artists. Read more about Lena and her work here.

As part of our ongoing creative development platforms, we invited UKYA alumni and ambassadors Matthew John Atkinson and Colette Griffin to discuss their creative journeys and career paths following graduation in a public talk at Loughborough University.

UK Young Artists is delighted to announce that we have been successful in our application to become a National Portfolio Organisation for Arts Council England. This investment means that our work can continue to develop and our ambitions continue to grow; supporting more artists, connecting with more cultural organisations, and enabling artist mobility across the world. 

At UKYA we won't tell you who to vote for in the upcoming general election, but we want to help you to be informed on the offers from the political parties. So we have read through the manifestos and tried to extract any information relating to culture, the arts and education - issues that are very close to our hearts and hopefully, yours too!

From 24-26 February, UKYA and Abingdon Studios Blackpool are taking 12 artists from across the country to Blackpool for a weekend of creative exploration. Catch up with the goings-on of the Weekender here.

The countdown begins for Blackpool Weekender! This weekend we are working together with Abingdon Studios and Leftcoast to offer 12 young artists the opportunity to connect, collaborate and create during this exciting residency

UK Young Artists is delighted to announce the artists selected to represent the UK at the Biennale of Young Artists of Europe and the Mediterranean (BJCEM). This year's international multidisciplinary event takes place in Tirana and Durrës, Albania from 4-9 May.

UK Young Artists was invited to attend the finals of UniSlam, 31 Jan at Curve Leicester, in which Manchester, Goldsmiths, Birmingham and Exeter Universities were competing for the crown. Here we reflect on the experience and highlight some of the excellent work.

UKYA and Abingdon Studios Blackpool are taking 12 artists to Blackpool for a weekend of creative exploration. This mini residency offers a period of flux and change to artists with little expectation beyond being curious and having time to think and to learn and share with others. Meet the artists here.

UK Young Artists is delighted to announce Sam Baker as the winner of the Mark Devereux Prize 2016. As the recipient of the award, Sam will receive mentoring from Mark Devereux to support the development of his practice. 

UK Young Artists is working with The Mighty Creatives and Arts Connect, with investment from Spirit of 2012, to deliver a series of arts festivals inspired by the work of William Shakespeare. The project spans three years, with a different cohort of artists leading each year in regional settings in the areas of Corby, Horncastle, Tamworth and Wolverhampton. 

UK Young Artists is delighted to announce Jamal Sterrett as the recipient of our first ever Ambassador's Prize.

UKYA Staff and Ambassadors are on a two-week research trip in South Korea. Follow the team's updates as they discover arts and culture in the region.

"It has been liberating to meet so many artists, performers, poets and curators this past weekend. I am genuinely excited about what the future might bring and for me, this weekend feels like a turning point professionally."

UK Young Artists invited East Midlands Culture Blogger Emma-Hope to attend our National Festival in Derby in November and to blog about her experience. Read about the work she saw here.

UK Young Artists is delighted to announce that we were successful in our application to the Arts Council England Artist International Development Fund. Led by our Director, Michelle Bowen, UKYA will be travelling to South Korea to open up new dialogues and explore potential projects and collaborations. 

UK Young Artists is delighted to welcome Joe Rowley to our team as a young Curator. This new year-long post will see Joe work on some really exciting projects, including the curation of our National Festival in Derby this year.

At UK Young Artists, we're proud to say that we've worked with some truly fantastic artists over the years, and it's incredible to see some of our rising stars reaching great successes, both in the UK and all over the world. This week, the spotlight is on Liz West, one of UKYA's Ambassadors.

In light of the UK's decision to leave the EU and after what has been an eventful, shocking and sad few days for our country, UK Young Artists is looking to the future with hope and optimism.

Atkinson is a painter whose work has an unsettling power allied to a restless use of painterly skill. In this film, Matthew talks to UK Young Artists about his work, the importance of creative development opportunities, and his role as an Ambassador for UKYA.

Rosalind Davis is an artist-curator and a graduate of The Royal College of Art (2005) and Chelsea College of Art (2003).

UKYA’s IN CONVERSATION series will feature interviews with artists and creative professionals.