MADE IT 2024 at SEESAW

MADE IT is back for its 2024 edition at SEESAW, continuing the mission of showcasing up and coming talent and celebrating some of the best graduate artists from across the region. The independent art prize provides a platform for young creatives to present their work in a professional setting and, perhaps most importantly, offers a range of awards that have the potential to boost future artistic careers.

Organised by the artist duo Short Supply, the award is now in its sixth year. The idea for it stemmed from the frustration with a lack of opportunities for new graduates in the North West. Turning irritation into action, Short Supply took matters into their own hands MADE IT was born.

In the last five years, MADE IT provided a stage for hundreds of emerging artists, in various venues in the region, like Rogue Artists’ Studios, HOME, The Royal Standard and Paradise Works. The key component to making the initiative work is collaboration. National and local partners help out with the actual awards – Cass Art, Buildhollywood, Future Everything Fred Aldous amongst others have all provided residencies, bursaries and s and mentorship to support the emerging artists. Each year, Short Supply enlist an emerging artist collective too, to help produce the show (this year it’s DMZ).

This year’s award highlight include a residency in Convention House, Leeds, an international residency with arts organisation PROFORMA and a solo show at Cass Art Manchester. For audiences, MADE IT 2024 is the ultimate list of ‘ones to watch’, and a fantastic chance to see what young artists are interested in.

Highlights from the show include Olivia Hawkswell’s painting of goats inspired by Leonardo da Vinci’s The Last Supper as well as Emma Illingworth, whose immersive film at the Manchester School of Art 2024 degree show entitled The My Way Killings delved into an unexplained spike in fatalities related to singing ‘My Way’ by Frank Sinatra in karaoke bars in the Philippines between 2002 and 2012.

This year, the featured artist are: Abbie Townend, Abi Black, Alexander Gee, Amy Li, Caitlin Kelly, Eddie Allport, Ela Skorska, Ellie Blundell, Emma Illingworth, Grace Mason Holmes, Grecia Balassone, Hazel Stileman, Jessie Farnsworth, Levi Felix Holton, Liz Llewelyn, Lottie Wyatt, Lucy Turner, Lula Baimbridge, Macy Biss, Martha Barr, Moni Parkin, Olivia Hawkswell, Sofia Geraci, Susan Kellaway, Vivian Gilder and Yasaman Mollasalehi.