Can international artists apply to UK open calls?

Many UK exhibitions and prizes accept international entries, and several major open submission shows welcome work from anywhere. Arts Council England funding and some residencies require UK residency. Each Arthead listing states its verified eligibility.

Do UK open calls charge submission fees?

Some of the large open-submission exhibitions charge per-work entry fees, while artist-led spaces and publicly funded galleries frequently run free calls. The fee is shown on every Arthead listing, and free-to-enter calls can be filtered directly.

What UK funding is available for artists?

Beyond exhibition calls, the UK offers project grants, trust and foundation awards, and development bursaries. Eligibility usually requires being based in the UK, though some trusts fund international artists working with UK institutions. Arthead lists these under grants with eligibility marked.

Does exhibition history in the UK help with the Global Talent visa?

Yes. The UK Global Talent visa for arts and culture accepts exhibition records, awards, and press as evidence of exceptional talent or promise. Juried selections and prizes from recognized UK institutions are exactly the kind of documentation endorsing bodies look for.

Open Calls for Artists in the United Kingdom

Residencies, grants, exhibitions, and competitions across the UK. Curated and updated weekly.

Open now2421 added in 30 days3,100+ tracked since launch

✦ Editor’s picks

ARTHEAD hand-picked this week

Fellowship6days

Asymmetry Assistant Curator Fellowship

“A salary, not a stipend: two years on Nottingham Contemporary's curatorial team, for curators who identify with Chinese or Sinophone cultures.”

Nottingham Contemporary

Closing this week8● URGENT

Exhibition

Any nationalityLondon, United KingdomEntry fee £10

Hampstead Art Society Works on Paper Open Call

Group exhibition for one week at Regents Park Gallery in central London, 16 to 22 November. Works must be for sale and 40 percent commission is taken on sold works. The organizer publishes no prize for this edition.

Hampstead Art Society invites artists worldwide to submit works on paper for a curated winter group exhibition in central London. Any medium executed on paper is accepted, including pencil, graphite, watercolour, gouache, pastels, oils, acrylics, and etchings; photography and…

Hampstead Art Society

Limited by country or regionScotland, United KingdomEntry fee See official site

Visual Artist and Craft Maker Awards (VACMA) 2026/27

Fixed bursaries of £500 or £1,000; disabled applicants and those with caring responsibilities can also request Personal Access Costs

The Visual Artist and Craft Maker Awards (VACMA) are small grant schemes funded by Creative Scotland through the National Lottery and managed locally by local authorities and arts organisations across Scotland.

Creative Scotland with local authority and arts organisation partners

Any nationalityLondon, United KingdomFree entry

Wellcome Photography Prize 2027

£10,000 to the winner of each of three categories; 22 further entries get £1,000 each.

The Wellcome Photography Prize, run by Wellcome in London, United Kingdom, brings together photography and scientific imaging to show how health and science influence our lives, communities and futures.

United Kingdom onlyCambridge, England, United KingdomEntry fee See official site

De Reus Foundation Art Prize 2026

2026 prize amounts not published; in 2025, 1st and 2nd place won cash prizes. Winner announced 30 October.

The De Reus Foundation Art Prize is an annual competition for emerging artists currently residing in the United Kingdom. Open to artists aged 18 to 30, the prize focuses on 2D physical works including painting and drawing. Applicants may submit up to two original artworks.

Any nationalityUnited KingdomFree entry

Brooks International Fellowship Programme 2027 with Tate

Two 6-month fellowship positions at Tate Britain Curatorial Division (April 5 to September 17, 2027), with complementary activities at Delfina Foundation. Financial details available via application portal.

Delfina Foundation, in collaboration with Tate, invites applications for two six-month Brooks International Fellowship positions based at Tate Britain in 2027.

Any nationalityPadiham town centre, United KingdomEntry fee See official site

Padiham Gable Art Phase 2: Gable-End Artwork Commissions

Commission paid as a fixed lump-sum fee the artist proposes for each gable; the Council funds access equipment

Burnley Borough Council, with support from Mid Pennine Arts, wants to commission an artist or artists to design and install gable-end artworks on two buildings in Padiham town centre, building on two existing murals in the town.

Burnley Borough Council with Mid Pennine Arts

Any nationalityNottingham, United KingdomFree entry

Asymmetry Assistant Curator Fellowship

GBP 27,556 a year for two years, plus pension and National Insurance, annual leave, visa and legal fee assistance where required, and a travel and relocation allowance.

Asymmetry and Nottingham Contemporary have opened a global call for the inaugural Asymmetry Assistant Curator Fellowship, a two-year post beginning in April 2027 for an early-career curator who identifies, to any extent, with Chinese or Sinophone cultures or backgrounds.

Nottingham Contemporary

Any nationalityHackney Downs Studios, East London, United KingdomEntry fee £13

Self Portraits 2026

Winner: £500 cash, the photo book cover and an 'On The Radar' feature in ZERO.NINE MAGAZINE. 1st to 3rd: a ZERO.NINE feature. Finalists: exhibition at Matt Ford Studio, London. Semi-finalists: work in the photo book.

Self Portraits 2026 is an open call, exhibition and photo book run by photographer Matt Ford at his studio and gallery in Hackney Downs Studios, East London, United Kingdom.

Closing this month4

Limited by country or regionBritish Library, United KingdomEntry fee See official site

Chevening British Library Southeast Asian Fellowship 2027-28

Living expenses, return economy airfare, an allowance package for fellowship activities and up to £1,000 for approved project expenses

The Chevening British Library Southeast Asian Fellowship, co-funded by the British Library and the UK Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office, is a 12-month fellowship at the British Library from September 2027 to September 2028.

Chevening / British Library

Any nationalityGlasgow, United KingdomFree entry

Seasons 2027 International Photography Exhibition

Selected work is printed and shown in the gallery, in an online gallery and in the exhibition catalogue; a £50 participation fee applies if selected.

The Glasgow Gallery of Photography in Glasgow, United Kingdom, is running an exhibition called Seasons from 4 to 28 March 2027, looking for photography that highlights the distinct changes of the seasons and how they affect the environment around us.

The Glasgow Gallery of Photography

Brazil onlyLondon, United KingdomEntry fee See official site

Gasworks Residency for Artists Based in Brazil Who Have Previously Participated in the PIPA Prize 2027

Fully funded 11 weeks in London: studio, housing, return flights, visa costs, £175 weekly stipend, up to £800 materials

An eleven-week, fully funded residency at Gasworks in London, United Kingdom, from 7 April to 22 June 2027, for an artist based in Brazil who has previously participated in the PIPA Prize, supported by The PIPA Foundation.

Limited by country or regionStromness, Orkney, United KingdomEntry fee See official site

Annual Open Exhibition

Exhibition opportunity; artists may show and sell up to two original works at Pier Arts Centre during the annual show

The Pier Arts Centre Annual Open Exhibition is a juried show open to artists and makers residing in Orkney, Scotland. The 2026 edition runs from November 21 to December 24 at Victoria Street, Stromness. Artists may submit up to two original works intended for sale.

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UK open calls, answered.

The UK art world runs on open submissions: national prizes with long histories, artist-led spaces, public galleries, and residencies across England, Scotland, Wales, and Northern Ireland. Many of its flagship exhibitions select work through open calls each year.

This page tracks UK opportunities currently accepting applications, each checked by hand with deadline, fee, eligibility, and award shown, and linked directly to the organizer’s official page.

Can international artists apply to UK open calls?: Many UK exhibitions and prizes accept international entries, and several major open submission shows welcome work from anywhere. Arts Council England funding and some residencies require UK residency. Each Arthead listing states its verified eligibility.
Do UK open calls charge submission fees?: Some of the large open-submission exhibitions charge per-work entry fees, while artist-led spaces and publicly funded galleries frequently run free calls. The fee is shown on every Arthead listing, and free-to-enter calls can be filtered directly.
What UK funding is available for artists?: Beyond exhibition calls, the UK offers project grants, trust and foundation awards, and development bursaries. Eligibility usually requires being based in the UK, though some trusts fund international artists working with UK institutions. Arthead lists these under grants with eligibility marked.
Does exhibition history in the UK help with the Global Talent visa?: Yes. The UK Global Talent visa for arts and culture accepts exhibition records, awards, and press as evidence of exceptional talent or promise. Juried selections and prizes from recognized UK institutions are exactly the kind of documentation endorsing bodies look for.