University News Last updated 13 April 2010
Birmingham City University is showcasing the brightest emerging talent in the arts and design world today through this summer’s New Generation Arts (NGA) Festival, running from the 7th until the 26th June.
Now in its fifth year, the Festival shines a spotlight on creative practice in Birmingham, providing emerging artists, actors, designers, writers and musicians with a professional platform to showcase their work. Contributing institutions – all part of Birmingham City University – include Birmingham Institute of Art and Design (BIAD), Birmingham Conservatoire, Birmingham School of Acting, Birmingham School of Media and the National Academy of Writing course established within the School of English.
The content in this year’s NGA Festival highlights the University’s emphasis on developing highly creative graduates who are grounded in current industry practice, whether they are working in traditional art forms or utilising cutting edge digital platforms. From jewellery to fashion design, typography to acting, photography to music, the range of work illustrates the University’s commitment to creating a pool of graduates which can supply the creative industries now and in the future.
For the first time in its five-year history, the 2010 Festival will feature an NGA Schools Showcase. The culmination of a two-year mentoring project, NGA Schools will showcase the work of six local secondary schools on the theme of Youth, Identity and Culture. The Showcase will launch the Festival with a three-day exhibition in Birmingham Cathedral.
Also featuring in this year’s Festival are two talks drawn from BIAD’s ‘Aspects of Design’ series, which features prominent designers, professionals and industry leaders.
Speaking from two very different points of view, author and philosopher Satish Khumar will give a talk on the importance beauty and aesthetics, while Charles Morgan will speak about Morgan Motor Company’s road to success. Further events highlighting the next generation of talent include:
• Visual Arts: a series of free exhibitions covering fine art, graphic design, illustration, photography, multimedia and more
• Design: a series of free exhibitions covering fashion, jewellery and related practice, architecture, product design, interior design, textiles and more
• Acting: two fully-staged shows at The Old Rep Theatre – The Heiress and Vincent in Brixton
• Music: seven concerts ranging from a Mahler symphony in Town Hall to a Jazz Orchestra concert and individual recitals, including a collaborative new music project in the New Art Gallery, Walsall
• Writing: a showcase of new writing – from prose and poetry, to drama and screenwriting – including the launch of a new anthology of new work Featuring work by senior and final-year students at Birmingham City University, this year’s Festival is well positioned in a region ideally placed to celebrate youth, diversity and culture as a means of raising its profile during Birmingham’s bid to be the first UK City of Culture in 2013.
First-year Fine Art student Jonny Lear has this year been curating the work of senior students in the School of Art (part of BIAD). Looking forward to the Art and Design exhibitions in particular, he said: “I think the most interesting thing will be the diversity and range of work. In effect, it’s a mirror image of Birmingham - the diversity of culture within the city can be seen through the eyes of its young artists. People who don’t know much about the city will be given a visual aid to what Birmingham has to offer. I believe that Birmingham is growing in artistic talent, it provides a wide range of opportunities and the University has a track record of enabling unknown talents to move into bright careers. I’m proud to be part of it.”
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