Words from Sophie Percival: Winner of the jotta Award 2011 and Transition Gallery Award 2011

Sophie Percival, winner of both the jotta Award 2011 and Transition Gallery Award 2011 has kindly written a summary about her time since graduating in the summer of 2011 and the projects and exhibitions she has undertaken since winning the prizes.

Installation view of the Beverley Hills Mansions, CA (detail), 2011, 18 framed photographs, each 30x42cm. Photography Kent Wilson, Copyright Sophie Percival 2011. 

It is hard for me to imagine what I would be doing as an artist without the Chelsea Prizes because their influence has guided my movements so much over the last 6 months. 

By winning the Transition Prize I had something to directly focus on following graduation as I had my solo show scheduled there for mid-August. This meant I didn't have a slump after the degree show which I think can happen. The directors at Transition helped me curate the show and they were very kind and amazing to learn from. Along with the gallery space, they have 2 publications; Arty and Garageland. My Beverly Hills Mansions series was included in an article in Garageland which was exciting. It's interesting to see how other people reference your work and how it fits into their own trains of thought. Another great thing about Transition was how they dealt with the press for the show and publicised it properly. I had an hour long interview with the Los Angeles correspondent from The Independent which was pretty intense. 

After the Transition show, and as a result of my degree show, I was then invited to be part of a group show of ex students at Leeds College of Art and Design (where I had completed my foundation) at the beginning of September. That was great because we all had a chance to meet up and see how everyone's work had developed in 3 years from a cross section of different national courses. 

Beverley Hills Drive, CA (detail), 2011, 30x42cm. Photography Kent Wilson. Copyright, Sophie Percival 2011.

Winning the Jotta Prize has been really amazing. Initially I was meant to make an internet based piece to be showcased on the website during Frieze week in October. However I was stressing out that I wasn't going to have enough time to make something good and new, and they were so understanding and flexible. The curator that picked my work for the prize has mentored me and included me in all things to do with Jotta. The Beverly Hills Mansions series is set to be published in the coming issue of the Jotta Magazine. Because I wanted more time to develop my work I will now be launching the new web based work in March as part of the launch of their new website that focuses on selling editions of New Artists' works. They have also offered me the opportunity to create an edition of prints that will be sold online and from their project space at the Affordable Art Fair in London in March. The best thing about this is, is that it gives me time, a platform, and a deadline which I still need to make work and I think I always will.

Following March I have plans to curate a show in Swansea and am working on developing an online creative network for Oxfordshire. One of the most important things that I got from winning the prizes was the confidence to continue making work as I had been doing in 3rd year, and let my freak flag fly. But I think Chelsea try to teach you that all along anyway.

Visit http://www.sophiepercival.com/ to see more of Sophie's work. Keep an eye on http://www.jotta.com/jotta/ for Sophie's work in March. 

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/

Winners of the Chelsea Student Awards 2011

We are delighted to announce the following winners of The Chelsea Student Awards 2011

ACME STUDIO AWARD: Anna Moderato

JOTTA AWARD: Sophie Percival

TRANSITION GALLERY AWARD: Sophie Percival

OVAL HOUSE THEATRE AWARD: Tim Ridley

Congratulations to this year's winners and to all BA Fine Art graduates for a fantastic degree show.
The 2012 awards will be organized by Karina Pragnell Lopez, Hannah Clayden, Rebecca Kirkpatrick and Marleen Boschen. Updates and announcements to follow shortly.

JOTTA AWARD Shortlist

Thank you very much all who applied for the JOTTA Award this year. The applicants who were shortlisted are as follows:

Ben Vickers
Tim Ridley
Sophie Percival

Thanks and Good luck to all.

ACME Awards Shortlist

Thank you very much to all who applied for the ACME Award this year. The applications were very strong but as there were so many applications there has to be a shortlist. The applicants who were shortlisted are as follows:

Anna Moderato
Benji Jeffery
Jessica Fisher
Joseph Crowdy
Keira Green
Sophie Colley
Sophie Percival

Thanks and Good luck to all.

CHELSEA STUDENT AWARDS 2011: DETAILS AND APPLICATION PROCESS

This year we are delighted to announce the prizes for the Chelsea Student Awards 2011, provided by the following organisations.

- ACME Studios -

- Jotta -

- Transition Gallery -

- Oval House Theatre -

Unfortunately, The Chelsea Space Award is not taking place this year, due to funding issues. However, if you are interested in working at Chelsea Space, email Donald on d.s.smith@chelsea.arts.ac.uk

Below is a list of each award, its details, and how it can be applied for, along with deadlines for proposals and applications. Click each image for a full sized version.

If you have any questions please email chelseaprize@gmail.com (preferably sometime before the deadline).

PLEASE NOTE: You can apply for more than one award.

And you will need to be in London after graduation (October 2011 onwards) to claim the award if won.

Best of luck to everyone applying, and to all graduating students.
And many thanks to everyone who has made this possible, especially those providing each award. The Chelsea Student Awards would be non-existent without your generous support.