New Generation Arts Festival 2008: the definitive platform for the Digital Generation

Already renowned as the vanguard of creative content, the New Generation Arts Festival (NGA) notoriously champions the independent cause of showcasing the brightest emerging graduate talent in the arts world today. Previously supported by a host of celebrities including model Erin O’Connor, social commentator Germaine Greer, comedian Frank Skinner, artist Anthony Gormley and author Philip Pullman, this year the New Generation Arts Festival, organised by Birmingham City University and supported by Arts Council England, celebrates youth, diversity and the rise of digital culture.

The topic of this year’s festival is Digital Utopia, where the exploration of the digital theme takes centre stage through a dynamic blend of celebrated talent and hotly tipped emerging artists on the verge of international success. Pushing the boundaries of innovation, 2008 will feature over 35 massive performances, exhibitions and special features including exhilarating collaborations with musician Julian Lloyd Webber, acclaimed digital artist Jane Prophet, applauded curator Mona Casey, and the extravagant up and coming VJ/DJ club collective Project X Presents. The eminent Big Debate, with a panel of renowned guests, chaired by the BBC’s technology correspondent Rory Cellan-Jones, will explore whether the digital revolution equals More Power or More Powerless?

A centre piece of the festival is the Mobile Phone Portraiture which seeks to engage the local Birmingham community by inviting them to submit mobile phone pictures of “Life in Birmingham”. The photo gallery will be exhibited on the BBC Big Screens across the city alongside ‘Billboard Narratives’ supported by the Betty Trask winning novelist Nicola Monaghan. By posting storylines on billboards located around the city commuters will be encouraged to contribute their ideas and responses via text message which will be developed by a network of writers, allowing members of the public to fashion their own unique story board.

One of Europe’s largest showcases for graduate talent, the New Generation Arts Festival 2008, organised by Birmingham City University, kicks off on the 5th June and is jam packed with over 16 days of digital art based euphoria. The festival aims to be the ultimate platform for showcasing new graduate talent alongside established names within the framework of the modern digital era – once again reinforcing Birmingham’s status as a centre of culture, creativity and digital innovation.

For further information, visit www.newgenerationarts.co.uk