I have always sent the odd application here and there as I figure you've got to be in it to win it. Usually, I would get a polite decline so I make it a general rule to not have high hopes. Lo' and behold, I received an email saying that I had been selected for the UK Young Artists National Festival: Derby 2016.
Exciting times!
Founded in 2008, their key achievements over the past 5 years show an admirable contribution to the arts and culture in the East Midlands as well as supporting young artists to develop professionally. This will be a fantastic opportunity to network for future collaboration, especially as they welcome a range of creatives from writers and musicians to visual and applied artists.
As part of their National Festival, there will also be a chance to deliver workshops and talks during the weekend and 20 of the exhibiting artists will be selected for the International Biennale of Young Artists of Europe and the Mediterranean (BJCEM) held in Albania, 2017.
The last festival was held in Leicester 2014. You can see what's involved in the videos below:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pZlUx9DEHCg
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=c7Ut_zZ0Iug