The International Young Visual Arts Entrepreneur (IYVAE) Award is the fourth in this year’s series of the British Council competitions for young creative entrepreneurs. It is designed to champion and celebrate the importance of creative entrepreneurs working in the field of visual arts.

In 2008, competitors from the following 10 emerging economies will participate in the IYVAE: Colombia, India, Lebanon, Poland, Russia, Saudi Arabia, Syria, Tanzania, UAE and Venezuela. Finalists for the Award will visit the UK in October to undertake a common programme where they will take part in valuable networking both with key UK visual arts sector partners and amongst their IYVAE peers.

The IYVAE competition consists of two stages: the selection process in Poland and the world finals in the UK. In the Polish stage of the selection process a professional jury will select the best young entrepreneur / manager in the Polish visual arts industry who will then compete for the title of International Young Visual Arts Entrepreneur of the Year 2008 in the world’s finals in the UK.

The IYCE awards are unique in rewarding entrepreneurial ability. We recognise that a finalist may be active as a visual artist, however his/her work as an artist should be secondary to their focus as an entrepreneur in the promotion of the visual arts industry in their country. Artistic talent will not be factored into the judging procedure – finalists will be judged solely on the merit of their entrepreneurial abilities in the industry.

You will find the details of the judging process in the rules of the competition.

The winner of the world finals will win the title of International Young Visual Arts Entrepreneur of the Year 2008, as well as a financial award (value approx. Ł7,500) which will be used for a professional project whose nature will be agreed with the local British Council office. The aim of the Competition is to build relations between the winning country and the UK.

The financial prize is not the only benefit. There will be a 12 day tour of the UK national visual arts sector, comprising visits, meetings, seminars and events. The finalists will visit London, Newcastle/Gateshead and Liverpool to meet leaders of the visual arts sector and participate in UK industry event.

Candidates must:

• be aged between 25 and 35

• be a Polish citizen; proof of citizenship must be presented upon the Organiser’s request

• already work in the visual arts sector (as defined below)

• be entrepreneurial and have shown their ability in the promotion of visual arts in their country, particularly in a commercial context

• through their character, drive and abilities, demonstrate their potential to be a future leader of the sector in their country

• be fluent in English

• be able to travel to the UK in October 2008 (if they win the Polish stage of the Competition).

IYVAE candidates must already be active professionally in the local visual arts sector, i.e.:

• Curators, directors and other professionals working in public galleries and the wider public sector supporting the development of the visual arts

• Owners, directors, managers, marketing and other professionals working in commercial galleries presenting visual arts work

• Auction houses and other forms of distribution or agency within the visual arts sector

• Developers of visual arts publishing (magazines, books etc.), communications or websites

• Consultants providing specialist services in any of the areas outlined