eight cuts prize

each year, eight cuts gallery will make two awards

christopher al-aswad prize for outstanding contribution

SEE THE 2010 LONGLIST HERE! AND CHECK OUT ALL THE AMAZING LINKS

SEE THE 2011 SHORTLIST HERE! AND CHECK OUT ALL THE AMAZING LINKS

for the person, organisation, website, community, whatever that has done most to promote brilliance, diversity, and the breaking down of barriers in literature over the preceding twelve months. it is a genuine honour to be able to award this prize in the name of christopher al-aswad, one of the most brilliant, farsighted, innovative, generous, and supportive people in the arts. christopher, the genius behind escape into life, one of the most wonderful places in cyberspace, died in july 2010 at the age of just 31. his contribution and spirit will be sorely missed, and are irreplaceable. it is a privilege to be able to do something that will in some way perpetuate his name and his values.

the award is intended to recognise outstanding people striving to break down barriers, and to provide practical assistance to its recipients in furthering their work. to that end, it will not be awarded by demonstrable quantitative achievements, or to a job fully done.

For full details of what will constitute the award, see here.

outstanding work

SEE THE 2010 SHORTLIST HERE

for the very best literary thing to appear in any format and any genre, medium, anything else, for the first time, any time during the preceding 12 months

the purpose of the eight cuts gallery prizes is simple and twofold:

  • recognition – for brilliance, innovation, generosity, commitment, and challenging stereotype
  • coverage – to create sufficient hoopla about brilliant things not for them to be brought out of the margins, but for the public’s gaze to be refocused on the “margins”

the winners will get some kind of appropriate handmade prize, will get access to the time and promotional efforts of eight cuts gallery staff for the following 12 months, and should we ever make money, a good slice of that.

it is very much hoped that partners in the arts will come forward to offer, if not financial support to the recipients of the award then, practical support, be it gallery space, mentoring, critiquing, offering blog or magazine words, or a slot on a festival programme. as partners come forward with pledges of such assistance, they will be added, along with their offer, to the prize’s homepage.

eight cuts gallery will undertake the following:

  • exhibition space in perpetuity (provided thematic appropriateness)
  • link from our homepage in perpetuity
  • a link from all articles about the prize in the 12 months following the award
  • a full page in all physical brochures produced in the 12 months following the award
  • 24 hours of intensive mentoring by e-mail including reading, curating, editing, marketing and creative advice
  • space in the eight cuts gallery online store in perpetuity
  • a dedicated page in the eight cuts gallery chris al-aswad prize previous winners section
  • to attempt to broker media coverage for the recipient
  • to include the recipient in all electronic mailings
  • to introduce the recipient to all our contacts in the arts

eight cuts gallery staff will trawl relentlessly thorughout the year, but anyone may bring anything to our attention at any time – just e-mail eightcutsgallery@googlemail.com