CityLife

Ground-breaking Monkey proves award winner

PRAISED: Monkey - Journey To The West

THE Manchester International Festival’s Monkey – Journey To The West and Manchester-based artist Naomi Kashiwagi were among the five finalists at last night’s art08 awards, sponsored by the Arts Council England “in recognition and celebration of arts in the region”.

Monkey, currently wowing them at the 02 in London after premiering at last year’s MIF, won in the “Putting the north west on the map” category.

“Although this was an amazingly strong category,” observed one judge, “Monkey and the Manchester International Festival were heard about and praised all over the world, making it an inevitable category winner.”

Naomi had most impressed the panel of expert judges in the “Individual artist” category, which also featured Oldham-born Rachel Goodyear on the shortlist.

“Naomi,” they said, “embodied what the award was about. She’s an emerging young artist with outstanding work across disciplines and inspirational.”

£10,000

But the overall winner, collecting a £10,000 art08 award for Outstanding Achievement in the Arts in the north west was Burnley-based Youth Arts worker Paul Hartley, the winner in the “Unsung heroes” category for his, in the words of one panel member, “very moving and personal dedication to youth arts in an often-overlooked part of the region.”

The awards, hosted by Bolton comedian Dave Spikey and featuring entertainment from the Sense of Sound Choir and Manchester DJ Dave Haslam, took place in Liverpool’s Novas Contemporary Urban Centre.

Secretary of State for Culture Media and Sport, Andy Burnham, acknowledged the way artists from the north west are leading the way in contemporary arts, observing that: “The north west has a strong creative culture, as recognised by these events.

Reputation

“For the last five years, art08 events have built up a reputation of being at the forefront of nurturing creative talent, propelling the regional arts scene onto the national agenda and shining the spotlight on the north west as a hub of creativity.”

In the running for the Creative Sparks category had been the partnership between the Royal Exchange and Bruntwood.

It was pointed out how innovative it was for “a property developer to show genuine interest in the arts”.

Although the achievement of David Slack in helping to establish the 24:7 Theatre Festival didn’t have any appropriate category in which to be nominated, he was singled out for praise as one of those who were “the life-blood of the region, without whom innovation wouldn’t have happened”.

Last year’s winner of art07’s £10,000 award was Manchester’s Jon Winstanley, artist and founder of Sketch City which gives a platform for artists.

He was unable to attend the Liverpool ceremony as he was busy providing the soundtrack for the Royal Exchange’s current production of the classic north west drama A Taste of Honey, starring Sally Lindsay.