Yorkshire Sculpture International

Yorkshire Sculpture International – a free, 100-day festival taking place across Yorkshire from 22 June until 29 September 2019 – will feature new public commissions in Leeds and Wakefield and a programme of events and exhibitions across the four world-renowned galleries that form Yorkshire Sculpture Triangle – Henry Moore Institute, Leeds Art Gallery, The Hepworth Wakefield and Yorkshire Sculpture Park. The inaugural edition will be the UK’s largest dedicated sculpture festival and builds on Yorkshire’s rich history as the birthplace of pioneering sculptors, including Barbara Hepworth and Henry Moore, and as the home of this unique consortium of galleries and celebrated sculpture collections.

Reflecting a provocation by British artist Phyllida Barlow that ‘sculpture is the most anthropological of the artforms’ the festival will respond to the idea that there is a basic human impulse to make and connect with objects. The programme will explore what it means to create sculpture today, around the globe, and in Yorkshire. Showcasing the breadth and diversity of contemporary sculpture practice, the artists participating in YSI challenge what we understand as sculpture, making sense of the world and its political, environmental and social dimensions. The partner programme will feature 16 artists from 12 different countries.

Yorkshire Sculpture International 2019 is curated by Andrew Bonacina (Chief Curator, The Hepworth Wakefield), Sarah Brown (Principal Keeper, Leeds Art Gallery), Clare Lilley (Director of Programme, Yorkshire Sculpture Park) and Laurence Sillars (Head of Programmes, Henry Moore Institute), Jane Bhoyroo (Producer, Yorkshire Sculpture International) and Meghan Goodeve (Engagement Curator, Yorkshire Sculpture International).

Yorkshire Sculpture International has raised more than £1.4 million, including a National Lottery funded Ambition for Excellence grant from Arts Council England and regional investment from Leeds 2023, Wakefield Council, Leeds Beckett University and the University of Leeds.

www.yorkshire-sculpture.org

The Arts Council Collection is the national loan collection of modern and contemporary British art. Founded in 1946 with the aim of promoting and encouraging the appreciation of contemporary art, the Collection is home to over 8,000 works by more than 2,000 of the UK’s most prominent artists. You can see these works in touring exhibitions and through loans to galleries and museums throughout the country and abroad. Unique among national collections, the Arts Council Collection also lends to public buildings across the UK, including schools, hospitals and universities.

www.artscouncilcollection.org.uk

The University of Leeds’ Art and Design Saturday Club forms part of the outreach and Widening Participation programme delivered by the Educational Engagement team, which works across the UK with schools and colleges to raise awareness of, and aspirations towards, higher education.

The University of Leeds is a key partner of Yorkshire Sculpture International 2019, where they are working together on a varied programme including work placements for students and In the Round, a series of public talks this summer.

https://www.leeds.ac.uk/

Across the UK, the National Saturday Club gives 13–16 year olds the opportunity to study subjects they love at their local university, college or cultural institution, for free. Offering dynamic creative learning programmes in four subject areas – Art&Design, Science&Engineering, Fashion&Business and Writing&Talking – the model works to develop young people’s skills, nurture their talents and encourage their creativity.

There are currently 80 Saturday Clubs and 1,600 Club members in 61 locations across the UK – a network made possible by the energy and commitment of the National’s Saturday Club’s partner institutions, educators and industry professionals. Providing over 100 hours of specialist education for up to 30 during the academic year, National Saturday Club programmes introduce Club members to a wide variety of creative disciplines in their chosen subject. Young people also take part in Masterclasses with leading industry practitioners and national events that bring all Club members together.

Founded by John and Frances Sorrell in 2009, the National Saturday Club is driven by the ambition that every young person in the country should have access to this exciting and transformative learning opportunity. As a powerful, countrywide network of shared knowledge and best practice, the model represents an exceptional opportunity to build young people’s creative skills and embolden them to become the next generation of innovators and imaginative thinkers. It also serves to connect educators and industry professionals so young people are better informed about the choices that exist for further education and rewarding careers.

www.saturday-club.org

For more information: hello@saturday-club.org