YOUTH ARTS EXHIBITION 2021:
BRIGHT LIGHTS
Arts Centre Washington’s annual exhibition for young artists,
Bright Lights 2021, is open but this year with a difference!
The centre’s regular Youth Arts Exhibition is supported by
Sunderland Culture and is a platform for young people aged 11 -
19 from across Wearside to show their exciting talent.
This year, due to the pandemic, the young people’s artworks
are displayed online in a virtual recreation of the centre’s art
gallery as well as in the Galleries Shopping Centre, Washington.
This exhibition has been curated by a team of young people
from the Celebrate Different collective.
The Celebrate Different Collective is a group of young people
aged 13-25 from across Sunderland who, with support from
Sunderland Culture, co-produce and run their own cultural
events, work with artists and learn new practical skills.
The multi art-form exhibition is now in its 26th successful year.
The arts centre received over 70 entries, spanning textile art,
mixed media sculpture, digital photography, painting and
video, from schools, youth groups and individuals from all over
the city.
This year’s exhibition themes were chosen by the Celebrate
Different collective, and inspired by Sunderland Museum and
Winter Garden’s online exhibition, Paint the Town in Sound.
The themes are:
• Expression and Identity;
• The Modern World;
• The Lockdown;
• Locality and Heritage;
• Freedom and Social Change.
See some of the works in person at our public displays at
The Galleries, Washington and outside of Arts Centre
Washington.
‘It's been great to see that art and exhibitions are
not solely limited by a gallery space; we can display
art in many other creative ways. Doing an exhibition
online has given us the freedom to be more creative
with the look and feel of a space. It has provided a
fun way to be creative with other young people
with similar interests.’
Emily, Celebrate Different Collective
See some of the works in person at our public displays at
The Galleries, Washington and outside of Arts Centre
Washington.
We are always on the lookout for more young people to join
Celebrate Different Collective. For more information or to
get in touch visit [this page]
This project is supported using public funding by the National
Lottery through Arts Council England.
Paint the Town in Sound is the second in Sunderland Culture’s
series of Arts Council Collection National Partners Programme
exhibitions
Virtual tour created by Art Matters Now