Sky Arts takes a trip across the UK with eighth series of Landscape Artist of the Year
Sky Arts takes a trip across the UK with eighth series of Landscape Artist of the Year
The new series will air on Sky Arts, Freeview and NOW on 11th January 2023 December 2022
Sky Arts embarks on a search across Britain and Ireland for a new star of landscape painting with a brand-new series of Landscape Artist of the Year, airing on Sky Arts, Freeview and NOW on 11th January 2023.Popular presenting duo Joan Bakewell and Stephen Mangan are back as hosts following a successful run of Portrait Artist of the Year. The eight episode series consists of five heats, a semi-final, a final and a prize commission.
As always, this series spans the width and breadth of the country and will challenge the artists with some of the most breath-taking and complex views: from the gothic grounds of Castle Ward in Northern Ireland, the iconic filming location for Winterfell in Sky Atlantic’s hit series Game of Thrones to the busy and colourful Blackpool Pleasure Beach.
The series also films at Royal Ascot for the very first time, which is possibly one of the most difficult locations the artists have ever had to paint.
The semi-finalists had the unique challenge of capturing the engineering marvel that is the Thames Barrier, with the three finalists battling it out at the picturesque and whimsical Italianate village of Portmeirion in Wales.
In each heat, eight artists will choose their preferred medium to create a plein air painting in just four hours in a bid to be crowned Landscape Artist of the Year.
Throughout the day the judges, award winning portrait artist Tai Shan Schierenberg, curator Kathleen Soriano and art historian Kate Bryan, will assess their progress and will choose who will advance to the semi-final.
Alongside the artists competing in the heats are 50 wildcard entrants - keen professional and amateur artists who have not made the official contestant list. The judges will assess their work nominating one best wild-card artist each week, one of whom will go through to the semi-final.
The six heat winners and the best wild-card artist compete in the semi-final. From these, three are chosen to compete in the final.
This season’s Landscape Artist of the Year winner will receive a £10,000 commission from Royal Museums Greenwich to create an artwork inspired by the Dutch fathers of seascape painting, The Van de Veldes. The work will be exhibited in the Queen’s House, Royal Museums Greenwich alongside an exhibition celebrating the Dutch painters in March 2023.
Philip Edgar-Jones, Director of Sky Arts, Sky, said: “Landscape Artist of the year never fails to uncover incredible artistic talent, showcasing a glorious range of interpretations of the British landscape. Watching the work come together is always a joy - it turns out watching paint dry is pretty exciting.”
Joan Bakewell said: “It’s always a delight hosting Landscape Artist of the Year. I’m constantly fascinated by how our gifted artists are able to interpret the beauty of such a variety of landscapes in just four hours! I look forward to showcasing the outstanding talent this series has to offer.”
Stephen Mangan said: “I can’t wait for audiences to see the brilliantly talented artists we have this series. The magic of seeing these artists turn a blank canvas into a work of art is a marvel to witness. It’s why I keep coming back!”
Landscape Artist of the Year was commissioned by Phil Edgar-Jones, Director of Sky Arts and Entertainment for Zai Bennett, Managing Director of Content for Sky UK and Ireland. The Commissioning Editor for Sky is Benedetta Pinelli. The series is produced by Storyvault Films; Executive Producers are Danielle Graham, Samantha Richards and Stuart Prebble. Portrait Artist of the Year is currently airing on Sky Arts, with a Christmas Special confirmed for 21st December.
Landscape Artist of the Year will air on Sky Arts, Freeview Channel 11, and streaming service NOW from Wednesday 11th January.
For more information please contact:
Kwabena.Agyare@premiercomms.com / Emma.Hall@premiercomms.com
About Sky Arts
Sky Arts exists to bring more art to more people across the UK. In 2020, with the creative industries under serious threat, we threw open our doors to make the channel free for everyone to watch. We’ve redoubled our mission to increase access to the arts and we’re committed to getting everyone involved as the industry moves from strength to strength. The fact is, we need the arts like never before, and Sky Arts brings them straight to your living room.
We have something for everyone, championing creative talent by showcasing the best in music, theatre, dance, literature, opera and visual art. From Glyndebourne to Grime and Nina Simone to Noel Gallagher, we’ve got your passions covered. Millions of viewers tune in to hit returning series such as Portrait Artist of the Year and British cultural institution The South Bank Show, but our acclaimed new programmes might take you anywhere from Wordsworth’s favourite landscapes to headbanging at Download Festival.
Collaboration is at the heart of what we do. Sky Arts is the headline sponsor of National Theatre Live in the UK and we work with cultural partners across the country including the English National Opera, Bristol Old Vic, Tate, Creative UK and the Crafts Council to name but a few.
You can watch Sky Arts for free on Freeview channel 11 and Freesat channel 147. If you’ve got Sky or a Now TV entertainment pass, you can also watch over 2,000 hours of shows exclusively on demand.
About NOW
NOW is the home of brilliant entertainment. We’re one of the UK’s leading streaming platforms with critically acclaimed shows, new and exclusive movies, unmissable sport and epic kids TV – all with no contract. Join in with an Entertainment, Cinema, Sports, Kids or hayu Membership to stream instantly across TV, mobile, desktop and over 60 other devices. Watch on the go and even offline with our app by downloading shows and movies.
Entertainment Members can enjoy critically acclaimed dramas, documentaries and comedies, Emmy award-winning shows, the best of HBO and exclusive Sky Originals. Cinema Members can discover over 1000 brilliant movies, from the latest blockbusters and classic favourites and a new premiere every day. Sports Members cheer on unmissable Premier League, international cricket, F1, golf and more – all live, across 11 Sky Sports channels.
Plus, members can enhance their experience with NOW Boost – that’s full 1080p HD, Dolby Digital 5.1 Surround Sound and streaming on up to 3 devices at once, for an extra £3 a month.
For super-fast broadband, members can enjoy a contract-free connection with a NOW Brilliant Broadband, Fab Fibre or Super Fibre Membership.
Storyvault Films
Storyvault Films is an independent TV production company making a wide range of high-quality factual and factual-entertainment programmes for all the major TV channels in the UK and for international distribution. Formed in 2009, the company brings together a group of award-winning producers and directors, alongside highly experienced production management and expertise in casting and live and pre-recorded programming.
Current and recent credits include “Landscape Artist of the Year” and “Gary Numan: Resurrection” for Sky Arts, and ”Write Around the World, with Richard E Grant” for the BBC. Most of our productions are available for international distribution.
