This week I was absolutely thrilled to hear that I’ve been long listed for the Ivan Juritz prize. If you haven’t heard about this amazing opportunity it celebrates the modernist ethos of making new in three categories – text, visual arts and sound recordings. Pushing boundaries and taking poetry in new directions has been the fuel in my poetic tank since I started writing so I’m beyond delighted for this to have been recognised in this way. Excitingly, this year the Ivan Juritz Prize organisers have announced they are collaborating with Mahler and LeWitt studios in Spoleto, Italy to offer a two weeks retreat for winners. This sounds like an amazing opportunity for generating creative, collaborative projects. On a personal note, I was all ears when I heard about this dimension to the prize. It sounds like the perfect creative environment for an installation I have on the back burner that blends Romani text and symbols with digital art elements. I’m crossing my fingers!
If you are thinking of entering this fantastic competition next year it is open to PhD students world wide whose work pushes boundaries and promotes the modernist mantra of ‘make it new’. Visit the site.
Karen Downs-Barton 