4 NEW SENSATIONS

After the huge success of the inaugural 4 New Sensations prize in 2007, Channel 4 and The Saatchi Gallery are delighted to announce this year’s 4 New Sensations competition for all UK art students graduating from BA and MA courses at UK colleges and universities in 2008. These students will be invited to enter the competition with work from their 2008 degree shows via Saatchi Online. The deadline for entries will be Friday 27 June at 6pm.

4 New Sensations was launched in 2007 by Channel 4 and The Saatchi Gallery to find the most imaginative and talented artists graduating in the UK and to support students leaving art college.

Last year 12 of the 20 shortlisted students were either invited to exhibit their work in galleries or sold work as a result of being selected by the prestigious panel of judges for the competition – the judges last year were artist Antony Gormley, Tim Marlow, the broadcaster and Director of Exhibitions at White Cube gallery, Anita Zabludowicz, co-founder of the Zabludowicz Collection, Sadie Coles, founder of the London gallery Sadie Coles HQ, and Kevin Lygo, Channel 4’s Director of Television and Content. This year’s panel of judges will include the critic and broadcaster Matthew Collings and the gallerist Maureen Paley.

An exhibition of 20 shortlisted artists chosen by the judges will take place at The Truman Brewery, Brick Lane in London during Frieze Week in October. The four finalists of the competition will be given a £1000 bursary to make a new work to present at the exhibition, and each of these ‘New Sensations’ will have a 3 Minute Wonder Channel 4 film made about them which will also be aired in October. The ultimate winner of the competition will be awarded prize money of £3000 to support their future artistic endeavours.

Notes:

· Graduates entering the competition will submit images from their degree shows and a brief pitch for a new work they would like to make if chosen as one of the four finalists. The competition is open to all disciplines. Students must be graduating from a BA or MA course in 2008 and not yet be represented by a gallery.
· The ‘call-to-arms’ will be promoted on Channel 4, Channel4.com, on Saatchi Online and via the UK’s art schools.
· The shortlist of 20 graduates will be chosen by a selection panel from The Saatchi Gallery and Channel 4 and profiled in more detail on the website.
· The 4 New Sensations exhibition will be at The Old Truman Brewery in Brick Lane and will run to coincide with Frieze art fair in October.