Taking place in some of the most prominent exhibition spaces in the region, SYNAPSE Festival 2010 is a celebration of the talent and vibrancy of the visual arts across the East Midlands.

Just as a synapse acts as an interface between a nerve and a cell to create activity, SYNAPSE Festival is stimulating new, distinctive cultural activity across Derby, Nottingham and Leicester, bringing together around twenty of the three cities’ most exciting artists.

Demonstrating the social diversity within the East Midlands and the richness of its artistic scene, SYNAPSE Festival is a cross-cultural event, with regionally-based young artists from Japan, Canada, Cyprus and Italy exhibiting alongside those originating from the British Isles.

With a vast array of work, ranging from painting, photography and print, to video and sculptural pieces, SYNAPSE Festival is an exploration of the many approaches artists have in producing their work, and an endorsement for the exchange of ideas. As well as many traditionally presented exhibitions, there will be one-off projects and special collaborations.

Funded by Arts Council England, this residency project is part of a wider Derby City Council scheme aimed at regenerating urban areas that have suffered during the recession, promoting reinvestment.

As well as exhibiting in many established venues such as the University of Derby, Déda (the only dedicated dance house in the East Midlands) and the New Art Exchange (an international centre for the contemporary visual arts and crafts in Nottingham with a focus on African, African Caribbean and south-Asian artists- the only of it’s kind in England outside of London), SYNAPSE Festival events will also inhabit unusual, unfamiliar spaces during the course of the three months. From unused shop spaces and cafes, to Derby’s BBC Big Screen and the Royal Derby Hospital, over April, May and June, the East Midlands will play host to all manner of exhibitions, performances, screenings, talks, tours and workshops, including a Post Graduate Symposium, designed to motivate the region’s young artists to make ambitious leaps forward in their own careers.

SYNAPSE Festival is proud to be receiving the support of the region’s academic institutions: the University of Derby, De Montfort University Leicester, Nottingham Trent University, the University of Nottingham during the festival, the Royal Derby Hospital -perhaps one of the last places to expect to see an exhibition of contemporary art- will play host to several wall-based works, working in collaboration with SYNAPSE Festival as part of their ‘air: arts to aid wellbeing’ project: an ongoing Derby Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust initiative which aims to support the healing process with high quality art which helps create a place in which patients, visitors and staff can engage positively with their environment.