2021 Award, eighth edition: DISABILITY AND TECHNOLOGICAL INNOVATION

Despite the difficulties created by COVID, the Prize continues with the eighth year whose theme is INTERNATIONAL DAY OF PERSONS WITH DISABILITIES. DISABILITIES AND TECHNOLOGICAL INNOVATION.

The situation created by COVID has highlighted the importance of using technology in communication as a way to overcome certain types of barriers, and in personal and collective well-being for easier inclusion.

The ease of technological communication adds to the great contribution that technology in various manifestations has given to the independent life of disabled people: for example, from aids for motor disabilities and incontinence, to pacemakers, hearing aids, microchips.

All of this has shown its limits, such as those related to remote contact, and those related to the technological division between those who are and are not able to use the technology itself.

For disabled people, the problem has arisen in this period in a particular way because if many of them have managed to break the isolation through technology, others have been excluded, both for reasons of technological knowledge/difficulty of access, and for economic reasons.

The requirement for an audio description of the work not exceeding two minutes, in Italian or English, remains this year.

The following institutions participated. Academy of Fine Arts of Bari, Milan, Venice, Urbino. University of Salerno. IULM Casamassima Bari. ISIA Rome-Pordenone, Specialization course Scuola del Libro Urbino. School of Art Glasgow. York St John University.

Two first prizes were awarded, two second prizes of 300 euros each. One for students from Italian institutions, one for students from British institutions. Two equal third place prizes were awarded, by the companies Amicucci and Maimeri for Italian students. Among the Italian Institutions, a second prize was awarded with equal merit, and a third prize for English Institutions. The first Mark Bailey prize for English participants consists of 500 euros or a week of hospitality with board and lodging at the halls of residence of the University of Urbino. For Italian participants, a first prize of 500 euros or a week of hospitality in York is offered. The winners of the first prize will receive a contribution towards the trip. The jury is composed as follows

Bruno Bartoccini, ANFFAS

Giulio Calegari, Artist and Palethnologist at the Natural History Museum of Milan

Griselda Goldsbrough, Arts Development Manager for the York Teaching Hospital NHS Foundation Trust

Mariella Roberti, educational psychologist in the Urbino local authority

Martin Worthington, lecturer University of Cambridge, UK, and member of the Worthington family.

Elena Di Giovanni, Associate Professor University of Macerata and ALI (Accessibility Languages ​​Inclusion) snc or

Francesca Raffi, Researcher University of Macerata and ALI (Accessibility Languages ​​Inclusion) snc

The prize giving ceremony took place on December 3, 2021, in the Conference Room of the Palazzo Ducale in Urbino, also online, managed and presented by Pierpaolo Ceccarini.

During the prize giving ceremony, there was an online connection with York St John University, co-presented by Charlotte Cullen.

All the works presented in digital format will remain in a room of the Galleria Nazionale delle Marche in Urbino.

Some of the works will be exhibited in Public Galleries at the York Explore Library and at York Hospital from December 3 to January 15, 2022.

The exhibition of all the competing works curated by Nunzia Invernizzi, Artistic Director of the Eleanor Worthington Prize Association- ODV and assisted by Pier Paolo Ceccarini of Terminus Digital Art, was set up from August 11 to 14, 2022 in the Sala del Maniscalco and at the Rampa di Francesco di Giorgio Martini in Urbino.

August 11 to 14, 2022 in the Sala del Maniscalco

The competing works were exhibited in Urbania, as part of the XIII Giornata del Contemporaneo, on November 12, 2022. The exhibition was curated by Nunzia Invernizzi Artistic Director of the Prize.

XIII Giornata del Contemporaneo, on November 12, 2022