"Rural Revolt: Art-Activism for Non-Urban Voices" is the National Winner of This Year's European Charlemagne Youth Prize
This collaborative iniatitive between The Starving Artist and the European Youth Card Association (EYCA), illuminates the experiences and diverse creative voices of rural youth with the curation of a virtual reality exhibition featuring more than 20 young artists from around the world.
The winner of the 2024 European Charlemagne Youth Prize from Malta is the project entitled "Rural Revolt: Art-Activism for Non-Urban Voices". This project, a collaboration between The Starving Artist and the European Youth Card Association (EYCA), resulted in an immersive exhibition explores personal and cultural narratives, addressing issues related to non-urban identity, belonging, and the unique needs of rural communities. The national jury, consisting of Maltese MEPs and a representative from a youth organisation, earmarked this initiative for the prize.
The project is a platform for emerging rural creative voices, providing a space for these young artists to share their work and challenge preconceived notions. The exhibition was made possible through the unwavering support of project partners EYCA and Young Scot. Their belief in the mission played a pivotal role in facilitating the exhibition and its publication, empowering the voices of rural youth.
Curators and co-creators Ally Zlatar and Hailey Ciantar are dedicated rural youth activists, and as prominent members and advocates for EYCA's Youth Panel and the EU Climate Pact, they wanted to stimulate better representation, engagement and environmental connections for youth situated in rural locations around Europe. They both tirelessly champion the intrinsic value of natural environments.
The virtual reality exhibition featuring a diverse group of more than 20 young artists from across the globe, including Scotland, the Netherlands, Malta, and many others. Each artist brings a unique perspective to the project, contributing to the overall narrative. By challenging stereotypes and fostering understanding, "Rural Revolt" contributes to a more inclusive dialogue surrounding rural communities. The team also created a publication available in a sustainably sourced print form as well as online, on platforms such as Amazon and Blurb. These distribution channels make it accessible and maintain the legacy of the project beyond the exhibition, expanding its reach to a wider audience.
The project ultimately had a great impact, with over 5,000 viewers and more than 200 publication users. The project utilises art as a powerful agent for personal and societal transformation, fostering empathy, understanding and positive change within rural communities. Looking ahead, the work will persist in EYCA's Rural Youth Camp in 2024, where workshops on art activism will empower rural youth to employ the creative arts as a tool for systemic reform, furthering the project's influence on a broader scale.
The national project winners will be invited to attend the final European Charlemagne Youth Prize award ceremony in Aachen on Tuesday 7 May, where they'll be competing against the winning projects from all other 26 EU member states for the top three spots, which come with a monetary prize.
Discover what the European Charlemagne Youth Prize is about
