Kimatica has been announced as the winner of this year’s Winter Pride Overall Performance Art award, sponsored by Smirnoff. SIMULACRUM “A contemporary Ritual” is a mesmerising dance and site mapping performance which was presented to a packed audience of VIP celebrities and international artists, including sculptor Frances Segelman, Queen of Harps Catrin Finch, Made in Chelsea star Ollie Locke, Lucian Freud’s muse and model Sue Tilley, Olympian Goldie Sayers, and X Factor’s Lucy Spraggan. The Smirnoff Winter Pride Art Awards were launched at a dazzling awards ceremony at Tobacco Dock in East London on Saturday 15 November 2014 where the winners were announced. Other Alternative Art Award Winners include Winner Overall Visual Art Award Emma Elliott ‘L’Origine du Monde, ‘Babylon Plants & Floral Circus “I believe in Angels” wings, Performance Art Award Winner ‘Where the Heart is’ Hattie Lauren Grover and Fashion & Make-up Award Winner Seventa Image.
A spectacular display of artwork has also been showcased at this year’s Winter Pride. A bronze figurative nude by Frances Segelman, pop art sculptures by Finn Stone, glass art by Iluá Hauck da Silva celebrity photographs by Barry Lategan, kinetic light sculpture by Paul Friedlander, floral couture pieces by Cyrill Tronchet, wearable art by Laura Iosifescu, drawings by Eleanor Pearce and Jane Moore, a mouth-watering Tree of Unity cake byThe Cake Enigma, body-painted models by Seventa Image and screen print tablecloths by the art and design students at Middlesex University. Visual and performance artist XXXora presented The Binary heard featuring one black sheep and one white sheep from Sheer Sheep, each having their wool cut into a box by Europe’s leading creative groomer Su Eld Weaver.
Irish broadcasting personality Brendan Courtney hosted the awards ceremony with introductory speeches by Winter Pride founder Rebecca Paisis and BBC Art Correspondent Brenda Emmanus who talked about diversity and equality in the arts. As part of the Awards Winter Pride presented a Humanitarian Award to drag queen and gay activist Panti. Winter Pride was moved and inspired by Panti’s ‘Noble Call’ at the Abbey Theatre in Dublin, believing that emotive speeches of this kind help to make a positive change in attitudes towards the LGBT community.
The Winter Pride Art Awards Ceremony included a spell-bounding and haunting performance by Nevedya with her new song Miosis, a rousing tribal dance by Haus of Sequana, a moving short film by Hattie Lauren Grover and Danny-Joe Harrison, erotic poetry for vegans and vegetarians by Julie Mullen and East End’s infamous club performers Sink the Pink.
Stephen Fry, winner of the inaugural Smirnoff Winter Pride Luminary of the Year said, “Winter Pride is a unique opportunity for up-and-coming artists and performers to showcase their creativity at a key LGBT artistic and cultural event – creative ventures of this kind are all-important for both the arts and LGBT communities.”
Winter Pride is a celebration of LGBT arts and culture with performances and an Awards Ceremony. Winter Pride’s focus is embracing equality, diversity, inclusivity and the fostering of mutual respect between all demographic groups, irrespective of background, race, religion, gender and, of course, sexuality. In celebrating the cultural diversity of the LGBT community, the Art Awards, sponsored by Smirnoff, give emerging artists and performers the opportunity to win £2,000 prize money and participate in a nationally publicised arts event.
An exhibition of the Winners, Finalists and Runners-up of the Winter Pride Art Awards will take place at new British art gallery Lacey Contemporary from 18-29 November 2014.