British Council launches a search for the UAE's top visual arts talent

The British Council has launched its first International Young Visual Arts Entrepreneur (IYVAE) Award in the UAE, which aims to champion and celebrate the importance of creative entrepreneurs.

The IYVAE Award will identify a UAE National or resident who is working in the visual arts sector and who is able to demonstrate business success with a social or not‑for‑profit enterprise in this sector.

International recognition and an arts tour of the UK awaits the winner.

According to the British Council, a creative entrepreneur is a risk taker with a passion for the creative sector (but not necessarily an artist/creative talent) with original ideas, leadership style and the international outlook and ability to influence and change the sector.

Entries will be judged by a panel of experts from the Abu Dhabi Authority for Culture & Heritage, the British Council and a local arts organisation, on the basis of their personal leadership in the visual arts industry in the UAE, and who hasve also developed initiatives (such as exhibitions, trade fairs, festivals) that have contributed to the development and growth of the market for this sector in the UAE.

The competition is run in two stages; the first competition in August 2008 will select one local winner from the UAE, who will then go to the UK for a 12-day Visual Arts tour in mid October 2008, joining other visual arts entrepreneurs from all over the world, meeting leaders and innovators in British Visual Arts.

The international competition to find the Young Visual Arts Entrepreneur of the year will see all the regional winners interviewed in the UK by a panel of visual arts experts, in which they will make presentations about their work as visual arts entrepreneurs.

The international winner will receive an award of £7,500 (approx Dhs55,000) to be spent on a project in collaboration with the British Council on promoting links in visual arts between the UAE and the UK.

Candidates should be aged between 25 and 35 and already working in the Visual Arts sector, as an entrepreneur with a track record in the UAE.

All entrants must be UAE nationals or residents with three years' experience in the visual arts sector and have English language skills to IELTS 6 - competent user or above.

Paul Sellers, Director UAE of the British Council, commented:

"The UAE has a wealth of creative entrepreneurial national talent and the IYVAE competition is a great opportunity to step up to the international stage with this award, which recognises those creative individuals and entrepreneurs who have made a strong impact on the business of the visual arts in the UAE. The competition seeks out talented and successful entrepreneurs who have the drive, vision and ability to be future leaders in their field."

Candidates could be working as curators, directors and other professionals working in public galleries and the wider public sector supporting the development of the visual arts; or Owners, directors, managers, marketing and other professionals working in commercial galleries presenting visual arts work; Auction houses and other forms of distribution or agency within the visual arts sector; Developers of visual arts publishing (magazines, books etc.), communications or websites; Consultants providing specialist services in this area.


IYVAE Award UAE judging panel member, Isadora Papadrakakis, Arts Advisor at the Abu Dhabi Authority for Culture and Heritage, added: "All too often the term '"Successful Business Entrepreneur"' is applied to older, respected members of the Establishment. Yet, the essence of entrepreneurialism for me is adventure, creativity, innovation, optimism, a certain fearlessness, some craziness and a lot of stamina: virtues much more apt for the young. The British Council IYVAE initiative celebrates this fact and recognises the enormous potential of the Visual Arts in transforming social and economic dynamics.

"The UAE hosts one of the world's fastest growing art markets, but is also a melting pot of cultures- a place where people come with big ideas and find opportunities to realise them," she continued.

"Within such a creative entrepreneurial environment par excellence, it won't be hard to identify those who thrive in the Visual Art sector. What will be much harder to come by is a demonstration of more than just business acumen and success, namely true leadership and inspiration: the rare ability to be an agent of change for society through the Arts."

Fellow judging panel member, Mr Abdul-Raheem Sharif, Founder & CEO of the Flying House, commented: "The IYVAE Award for the UAE is an exciting new initiative by the British Council to help find, recognise and nurture (deleted 'national') UAE talent in the visual arts field. As the arts continue to emerge along with the rapid development of the UAE in many areas, we are seeing local talent emerge strongly and stamp its authority on the cultural landscape of the country; we are very excited at the prospect of what the IYVAE Award will find in the UAE."