The North East Emerging Artist Award

Visitors discover New Borders by Chantal Herbert & Dami Fawehinmi, winners of the NE Emerging Artist Award I Seaton Delaval Hall I Northumberland | © Bec Hughes, House of Hues

The North East Emerging Artist Award 2024 exhibition has now closed. Read on to meet the three winning artists whose work will be exhibited in 2025. The exhibition will run from Wednesday 14 May - Sunday 22 June 2025.

About the North East Emerging Artist Award

The North East Emerging Artist Award was established in 2021 and developed by independent curator, Matthew Jarratt and Seaton Delaval Hall’s General Manager, Emma Thomas. It is open to artists from all artforms including music, sound, theatre, film, fashion, literature and design as well as fine art and is for artists in or from the North East who are in the final year of their undergraduate degree, studying for a masters’ degree, who have graduated in the last three years or equivalent. The award’s aim is to showcase site-specific contemporary art in a historic context and to encourage emerging artists to develop proposals at the hall.

A history of artistic patronage

Throughout its history Seaton Delaval Hall and its inhabitants have been synonymous with artistic support, from commissioning painter Arthur Pond to produce views of the Hall, the backing of erotic novelist, John Clelland, and the patronage of William Bell who produced family portraits and tutored Rhoda Delaval through to the 21^st Lord Hastings’ support of The Royal Ballet. The North East Emerging Artist Award continues this rich tradition.

Meet the winners: Shortlisted 2024, winners' exhibition 2025

Meet this year's winners, whose work will be exhibited in summer 2025

A curved metal sculpture sits on a white plinth — Jordan Edge's winning proposal 'The Lyre of Elysium' | © Bec Hughes, House of Hues

Jordan Edge (Kiik Amor): The Lyre of Elysium

Non-binary/trans artist Jordan works in the field of experimental design and sonic arts and will present their work The Lyre of Elysium in 2025. They manipulate metals, latex, and silicone to create sculptures and sound installations that function as abstract forms of communication.

A close up of a non-binary individual wearing a black baseball cap, choker and black string vest. They are wearing turquoise contact lenses with red pupils — Jordan Edge (Kiik Amor) winner of the North East Emerging Artist Award at Seaton Delaval Hall Northumberland | © Jordan Edge

Jordan Edge (Kiik Amor): winner 2025

"It's a great opportunity for me to work on home ground. I'm proud to be from Newcastle and incredibly happy to get this amazing opportunity to work with the National Trust and Seaton Delaval Hall on this project. The history of Seaton Delaval Hall has provided a doorway into exploring my own interpretations of the fantasy, music and lore that has been left behind with the Delavals, informing my public sound sculpture, 'The Lyre Of Elysium'. I'm excited to enchant the grounds of Seaton Delaval and provide new speculation on the existing history and fantasy of the Delavals with my Aeolian Harp and musical composition.”

A colourful, flamboyant miniature wig sits on a plinth with a plain white background — Phoebe Scott's winning proposal for the North East Emerging Artist Award at Seaton Delaval Hall, Northumberland | © Bec Hughes, House of Hues

Phoebe Scott, Glamour of the Big Wigs

Phoebe is an interdisciplinary artist with a background in dance and set design. Her work focuses on theatrical femininity, by crafting narratives that blend magical and scientific methodologies to explore desire within our technologically evolving world. She works primarily in sculpture using stained glass and found objects. Phoebe will collect nettles at the hall to create her interactive work.

A close up of blue and white creamic dinner ware including a cup, plate and bowl — Lucy Waters' proposal, Delaval Ware, winner of the NE Emerging Artist Award | © Bec Hughes, House of Hues

Lucy Waters: Delaval Ware

Lucy Waters graduated from Newcastle University in 2023 with a distinction in her masters of fine art. Since then she has exhibited at the Bridge Gallery at Tynemouth metro station and had three works feature in the Baltic Open Submissions 2024. Lucy imagines herself to have been commissioned by Rhoda Delaval, an accomplished artist, and eldest daughter of the ‘Gay Delavals’, to create an ever-growing dining ware set.

A female with long brown hair wearing a black coat and grey waistcoat sits behind their artwork proposal, a blue and white dinner ware set — Artist Lucy Waters, winner of the NE Emerging Artist Award at Seaton Delaval Hall | © Bec Hughes, House of Hues

Lucy Waters: winner 2025

“The project for me is such a unique opportunity for broadening my horizons as an artist. In both how I approach and consider the making of my work but also getting the chance to delve so thoroughly into the history of Seaton Delaval Hall and to be able to respond to the site in this way is something that I am really looking forward to."

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Meet the winners: Shortlisted 2023, winners' exhibition 2024

Find out more about year two's winners and discover more about their works which were exhibited in the summer of 2024.

Tiny pewter bats suspended from the ceiling in Seaton Delaval Hall's Entrance Hall set against the backdrop of the black and white checked floor — Flight of the Pipistrelles by Rachel Blackwell for the NE Emerging Artist Award Seaton Delaval Hall Northumberland | © Bec Hughes, House of Hues

Rachel Blackwell: Flight of the Pipistrelles

Sculptor Rachel’s work featured cast pewter bats suspended by a steel rig, representing the bats that have made the hall their home since the fire of 1822. You can see Rachel's work in the Entrance Hall.

Artist Rachel Blackwell stands beneath her winning artwork, Flight of the Pipistrelles, tiny pewter bats suspended from the ceiling in Seaton Delaval Hall's Entrance Hall — Artist Rachel Blackwell, winner of the NE Emerging Artist Award at Seaton Delaval Hall Northumberland | © Bec Hughes, House of Hues

Rachel Blackwell, winner

"It’s been absolutely fascinating learning about the history of Seaton Delaval Hall. It is a unique opportunity to be able to respond to such a historic site and I’m so grateful to receive the funding and support to realise a project of this scale in such an amazing location."

A visitor holding up her mobile phone to take a photo of Many Hands, a triptych of handmade quilts in Seaton Delaval Hall's Kitchen Passage — Many Hands, winning artwork by Jacob Goff for the NE Emerging Artist Award at Seaton Delaval Hall Northumberland | © Bec Hughes, House of Hues

Jacob Goff: Many Hands

Jacob’s work explored the contributions made by many people to keep the hall running. Using his preferred medium of upcycled materials from various sources including the hall’s lost property box, Jacob created a series of hanging textile quilts, each highlighting an area of work. Jacob's work was in the Kitchen Passage between the Entrance Hall and the West Wing.

Artist Jacob Goff stands in front of his winning piece, Many Hands, a triptych of hand made quilts, in Seaton Delaval Hall's Kitchen Passage — Artist Jacob Goff, winner of the NE Emerging Artist Award at Seaton Delaval Hall Northumberland | © Bec Hughes, House of Hues

Jacob Goff, winner

"I feel very lucky to be able to engage with Seaton Delaval Hall and its inner workings to expand on my work. I aim to celebrate the team of volunteers who work at the hall as an essential part of its operations using materials that have been left and found on site, ultimately demonstrating that the space is shaped, moulded and ushered into the future by the people who contribute their time and effort."

Wambui Hardcastle: Time Flies in the Blink of an Eye

Wambui’s immersive audio journey encouraged us to imagine the future of Seaton Delaval Hall, with an invitation to the audience to share their hopes for each other and the hall, connecting strangers now and ones to come. Wambui's work was heard in the Gilt Parlour, off the Entrance Hall.

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Meet the winners: Shortlisted 2022, winners' exhibition 2023

Meet the inaugural winners of the North East Emerging Artist Award and find out about their winning pieces.

Dami Fawehinmi and Chantal Herbert NE Emerging Artist Award winners 2023 Seaton Delaval Hall Northumberland — Dami Fawehinmi and Chantal Herbert NE Emerging Artist Award winners 2023 | © Bec Hughes, House of Hues

Chantal Herbert and Dami Fawehinmi: New Borders

Newcastle-based audio producer Chantal and photographer Dami's work New Borders amplified the voices of the Global Majority living in the North East. The project was a direct response to the 1770 painting 'John Delaval (1756-1775) as a Boy and an Unidentified Attendant'. The painting depicts a young John Delaval with an unknown Black page boy on display in the West Wing. There is no evidence of the background or history of this page, and New Borders reimagined the artwork with a contemporary context by giving the usually unheard voice an identity using photography and audio in an exhibition in the Stables.

Edmond Salter, 2023 winner of the NE Emerging Artist Award — Edmond Salter, winner of the NE Emerging Artist Award 2023 | © (C) Colin Davison Photography

Edmond Salter: Vanbrugh Croquet

South-Tyneside based designer-maker and architect Edmond Salter’s Vanbrugh Croquet is an interactive outdoor game which involves hitting wooden balls with a mallet through a series of architectural ‘hoops’ inspired by Sir John Vanbrugh’s Seaton Delaval Hall and architectural models. Visitors were able to play Vanbrugh Croquet on the Lost Wing Lawn next to the Central Hall. Vanbrugh Croquet was a big hit with visitors and remained at the hall for the summer holidays in 2023.