Student becomes first York St John University Fellow to attend prestigious Venice Biennale festival

York St John University master’s in Fine Art (MFA) student Lily Horton has been chosen as a Venice Biennale Fellow. 

Lily is the first York St John student to receive this honour, part of a new partnership between the University and the British Council. 

The Venice Biennale is one of the oldest and most prestigious cultural festivals in the world and the British Council has commissioned the British Pavilion exhibition since 1937.

The Fellowships Programme is a key part of the British Council’s presence in Venice, supporting the exhibition programme as well as being a platform for the development of new creative careers and future leaders. The Fellowship offers a unique opportunity for emerging creatives to represent the UK on an international level while broadening their perspective, making connections and developing their creative practice. 

In October, Lily, who also completed their BA in Fine Art at York St John, will spend a month at the Biennale, developing a personal creative project and engaging audiences as an ambassador at the British Pavilion. 

Lily’s creative art project will focus on the concepts of immateriality and event theory – the existence of something beyond things, and how events could exist immaterially.

“Stemming from my art practice, I’ve developed a fascination with seemingly mundane things: cracks in paving stones, telephone wires cutting through the sky, puddles of murky water,” said Lily.

“I would like to use my time in Venice collecting imagery of these things, capturing these events through photography and film, illuminating an existence of Venice through these muted, somewhat unnoticed events in a city formed of bridges, canals, and carless streets.

“Once returned to the UK, I would then like to use this collection of imagery to form a short film highlighting Venice from this perspective – from my perspective – not in magnificent views or grand monuments, rather in cracked bricks, creased fabrics, ominous clouds.”

Helen Turner, Associate Head of Fine Art at York St John University, commented:

“This partnership is important to York St John University because it links our students with the activities and networks of the British Council and the Venice Biennale.

“Offering the fellowship to our students meets and extends their aspirations. To be chosen by an external organisation of such stature, for the quality of their artistic practice and research, is an endorsement of their work and a definite confidence boost. 

“We are looking forward to seeing how this experience impacts Lily’s work, when they return from Venice to finish the second year of their MFA degree.”

Sophie Lucas, Venice Partnerships and Programme Manager with the British Council, said:  

“I am delighted to welcome York St John University as a new Partner and Lily Horton as the respective Fellow for the British Council’s 2024 Venice Fellowships Programme.

“The elements of the Fellowships Programme are designed to complement Lily’s MFA studies, and we are very much looking forward to seeing their final short film at the end of year.”

Find out more about the Venice Fellowships 2024.

Find out more about studying a master’s in Fine Art at York St John University.