An update on jotta Winners 2010 and 2011

jotta has been one of the fantastic prize providers to the Chelsea Student Awards since the awards began in 2010. Millie Ross, the editor of jotta, has given us a round-up of what both Francis Brady (jotta Award winner 2010) and Sophie Percival (jotta Award winner 2011) have been up to since winning the prize. 


Sophie Percival

Sophie Percival, Pools from the Plane, 2011

Sophie Percival, winner of the 2011 jotta Award, is currently producing moving image work for an online exhibition in the jotta online project space, this will launch in the beginning of 2012.

http://www.jotta.com/jotta/published/home/article/v2-contemporary-art/1618/chelsea-student-award-jotta-award-announced-sophie-percival

http://www.jotta.com/jotta/published/home/article/events-other/1698/transition-gallery-prize-sophie-percival

Since winning the award there have been many developments to the prize, and support from jotta, thus Sophie's work will also feature in the forthcoming debut jotta publication, launching in March. This will coincide with launch of the new jotta Editions Space, an online platform for the sale of emerging artist's work, of which Sophie's work will also be featured.


http://www.culturelabel.com/art/editions-space

To see more of Sophie's work, please go to her website at http://www.sophiepercival.com/

Francis Brady 

The winner of the 2010 jotta Award Francis Brady has continued to work with jotta, first as a curatorial intern and exhibitions assistant, and now as part of the online team, creating content around jotta exhibitions, events and projects.

Please click on the link below to see Francis Brady's commissioned piece, Xnoybis (2010) specifically created for jotta's online space. 

http://www.jotta.com/jotta/published/home/article/v2-exhibition-programme/1141/winner-of-jotta-award-2010-francis-brady-xnoybis

The following links are articles and an interview written by Francis Brady for jotta.  

http://www.jotta.com/jotta/published/home/article/v2-critical-dialogue/1702/interview-in-constellation-laure-prouvost-francesco-pedraglio-at-v22-london

http://www.jotta.com/jotta/published/home/article/v2-contemporary-art/1501/guest-curator-mathieu-copeland-david-roberts-art-foundation

http://www.jotta.com/jotta/published/home/article/v2-published/1635/the-royal-college-of-art-fine-art-degree-show-2011

To see more of Francis' work, please go to his website at http://pixelocracy.co.uk/index.html

Words from Tim Ridley: Winner of Ovalhouse Theatre Awards 2011

Tim Ridley, who was the Ovalhouse Theatre Award winner for 2011, has written a brilliant summary about his time at the Ovalhouse, his work, '007 V James Bond' and his plans for the future.

007 V John Ridley at the OvalHouse

‘007 v James Bond’ examines the confusion I encountered at the age of eight as to whether or not my father was a secret agent who led a glamorous ‘other’ life or just a another sales executive. He was based in a central London office with a pool of quite exotic company cars that emerged from an underground car park. We had just started to watch Bond films together and my father’s job involved a lot of flying between the UK, America and Europe, so he was often absent. I put two and two together and got eight.

In the usual way that children experience confusion the slight physical similarities between Sean Connery and my father only deepened the mystery. The difference at the centre of this new work is between the sedentary inertia of everyday office culture and the dynamic glamour of the imaginary Bond character.

The durational performance (about an hour for 5 nights), accompanied by a soundtrack of ambient office noise alternating with Bond theme tunes, comprised of myself dressed in a dinner jacket and bow tie, typing and then distributing in a surreptitious manner comedic ‘top secret’ notes to various parts of the cafe area. I used a hat which I threw onto a hatstand, cigarette case and 60s portable typewriter as props to further add to the spy/office atmosphere. Drawings showed some of the process involved and the planning of props and use of the space provided, I also made drawings as a start of the performance.

Michael Atavar, the Artist's Advisor at the Ovalhouse, told me that my work was well received by both theatre visitors and staff. He was especially pleased with the way the piece worked on many levels and used a variety of media, performance, audio, drawing and video. I think that since college I have felt more free to explore oppositions closer to my emotional self hence this work being concerned with my relationship with my father, and to be less oblique about my process. I had to be self sufficient and the Ovalhouse, whilst providing the venue and publicity, had no funding, so I had to source all the props myself, transport them and make the accompanying videos and audio work.

Please see video of the performance @

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ynro6jCJoFA

My next performance will involve running and art as oppositions, this idea will be explored through performance, drawing and video at various locations around London in 2012.

All the images are courtesy of Nick Joubinaux.

To see more of Tim's work please visit his website at http://www.timridley.co.uk/

To see more of Ovalhouse Theatre projects please visit http://www.ovalhouse.com/