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Open Calls · United Kingdom

Open Calls for Artists in the United Kingdom

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

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Closing this week1● URGENT

EXHExhibition

International·London, UK, United Kingdom·Free entry

SET Film Festival

Screening at a curated international film festival; free submission.

The SET Film Festival in London is now accepting submissions for its 2026 edition. The festival focuses on experimental and artist-made short films, inviting creators from around the world to apply. Submissions are free of charge and must be under 30 minutes in length. All eligible films must have been completed after January 1, 2023. Selected works will be screened at one of SET’s prominent cultural spaces in London during the festival week. The program aims to provide a platform for innovative moving image work that challenges traditional narrative structures. Applicants are required to provide a secure viewing link and production details. This is an accessible opportunity for emerging filmmakers to showcase their work to a diverse London audience. Each artist is limited to one submission.

Closing this month2

International·Bristol, UK, United Kingdom·Free entry

Royal West of England Academy 173 Annual Open Exhibition

Over £10,000 in cash prizes; major sales opportunities; exposure in a historic gallery.

The Royal West of England Academy (RWA) invites submissions for its 173rd Annual Open Exhibition, the largest open show in the South West. More than £10,000 in cash prizes is awarded to exhibiting artists, including a first prize of £600 and a second prize of £300. The exhibition showcases over 500 contemporary works and is a major event for the commercial sale of original art. Selection is highly competitive and overseen by a panel of RWA Academicians and invited guest judges. The call is open to both British and international practitioners working across all visual disciplines. Last year, the exhibition generated over £150,000 in sales, providing significant financial returns for participants. There is an entry fee for each work submitted to cover selection and administration costs. This is a primary venue for artists seeking to place their work in a major UK public collection.

Royal West of England Academy 173 Annual Open Exhibition

International·London, United Kingdom·Entry fee $10

Alpine Fellowship Theatre Prize 2026 – International Playwriting Competition

First Place: GBP 3,000; Second Place: GBP 1,000; Third Place: GBP 1,000. Symposium invitation with all expenses covered (food, accommodation, travel).

The Alpine Fellowship Theatre Prize 2026 invites playwrights of all nationalities worldwide to submit original scripts exploring the theme 'Joy.' Scripts must exceed 30 minutes and be in English. Previously professionally produced works are not eligible (rehearsed readings permitted). Applicants submit the script, a thematic statement, and a professional summary. Anonymous judging ensures fairness. Prize winners are invited to a fully-funded symposium, and the prize seeks work offering a profound, original, and innovative dramatic exploration of joy.

The Alpine Fellowship Foundation

Later this season8

International·London, United Kingdom·Entry fee $35

Imprint Art Fair 2026 – International Artist Open Call

Exhibition at RHS Lawrence Hall, Westminster, alongside galleries and publishers. The Director's Cut selection for exceptional work. Direct access to collectors and curators. Free UK regional drop-off transport network and dedicated framing service at reduced cost.

Imprint Art Fair 2026 invites UK and international artists at all career stages to apply for an exhibition at RHS Lawrence Hall in Westminster, London, organised by the team behind Woolwich Contemporary Print Fair. Up to six works per artist may be submitted. The Director's Cut highlights exceptional submissions. A UK-wide drop-off transport network makes shipping easy for UK-based artists. Entry fee is GBP 35 for the first work and GBP 5 per additional work, with annual memberships available at GBP 50 providing free entry. Limited hardship waivers are available.

Imprint (Woolwich Contemporary Print Fair team)

International·London, United Kingdom·Entry fee $0

Call for Writing: Speaking Through the Void

£400 commission fee, publication on Autograph website, performance invitation, social media promotion

Autograph, a London-based photography organization, invites unagented and emerging writers to submit creative work responding to artist Nhu Xuan Hua's exhibition exploring themes of memory, language, and migration. Writers may submit remembrance pieces, poetry, or short fiction of 300-1000 words addressing how stories are communicated—or withheld—across generations. Selected writers receive a £400 commission, editorial support, publication on Autograph's website, an invitation to perform at the "Memory and The Musicality of Language" event, and promotion via newsletter and social media. All submissions must be new, unpublished work.

International·London, United Kingdom·Entry fee $0

Burlington Contemporary Art Writing Prize

1,000 GBP and magazine publication

The Burlington Contemporary Art Writing Prize seeks unpublished reviews of contemporary art exhibitions from emerging writers. The award recognizes critical writing that illuminates contemporary artistic practice. Judged by artist Amy Sillman and art historian Richard Shiff, the winner's review will be published on Burlington Contemporary and has opportunities for future publication in The Burlington Magazine. This prize is dedicated to nurturing new voices in contemporary art criticism and supporting emerging writers in the field.

Burlington Contemporary

International·Hull, United Kingdom·Entry fee $20

RP Drawing Prize: Revealing the Human 2026

Grand Prize: GBP 5,000 cash. Up to 120 works selected for exhibition at University of Hull Art Gallery (September 18 – October 18, 2026), with sales opportunity via dedicated online catalogue.

The Royal Society of Portrait Painters (RP) Drawing Prize 2026 invites UK and international artists of all ages and skill levels to submit drawings on the theme 'Revealing the Human.' Up to 120 works will be selected for a group exhibition at the University of Hull Art Gallery, running September 18 to October 18, 2026. Works may be sold through a dedicated online catalogue with a 30% + VAT commission. Young artists aged 35 and under benefit from a reduced entry fee of GBP 12 per work.

Royal Society of Portrait Painters (RP)

International·Cambridge, United Kingdom·Free entry

Knowledge in a Fractured World – CRASSH 25th Anniversary Exhibition

Zero-commission sales (artists keep 100% of proceeds), inclusion in anniversary catalog, and exhibition at University of Cambridge campus (October 5 – December 11, 2026).

CRASSH at the University of Cambridge invites contemporary visual artists, filmmakers, sound designers, and creative thinkers worldwide to submit work for its 25th Anniversary Exhibition. The exhibition, titled 'Knowledge in a Fractured World', will be held at the Alison Richard Building on the University of Cambridge campus from October 5 to December 11, 2026. Artists at any career stage are welcome. Selected works will be featured in the anniversary catalog, and all sales are commission-free. Artists cover their own shipping, insurance, and travel costs. A maximum of two artworks per artist may be submitted.

Centre for Research in the Arts, Social Sciences and Humanities (CRASSH), University of Cambridge

International·London, United Kingdom·Entry fee $24

The British Art Prize 2026 – International Open Call for Artists and Illustrators

Total prize fund over GBP 10,000. First Prize: GBP 2,000 cash + solo exhibition + art materials + six-page magazine feature. Second Prize: GBP 500 cash + GBP 750 voucher. Third Prize: GBP 750 voucher. Portraiture Prize: GBP 750 cash. People's Choice Award: GBP 1,000.

The British Art Prize 2026, presented by Artists and Illustrators magazine, is an international competition open to amateur, emerging, and professional artists of all ages. Works will be exhibited at OXO Gallery and Panter and Hall's Cecil Court Gallery in London. Original works in all media are accepted; AI-generated work is excluded. The first prize winner receives GBP 2,000 cash, a solo exhibition, art materials, and a six-page feature in the magazine. Up to 20 submissions per artist are allowed.

Artists and Illustrators magazine

International·Wells, Somerset, United Kingdom·Entry fee $20

Wells Art Contemporary (WAC) 2026 – International Open Call

Howden Art Award: GBP 2,000; Simon Gillespie Studio Painting Prize: GBP 2,000; People's Choice Prize: GBP 500; NG Art Creative Residency: 3-week placement in Provence, France.

Wells Art Contemporary (WAC) 2026 invites UK and international artists aged 18 and over to submit work in any fine art medium for its annual exhibition at Wells Cathedral, one of the UK's most prestigious contemporary art venues. Up to four works per artist may be submitted. The exhibition offers prizes including the GBP 2,000 Howden Art Award and a three-week creative residency in Provence, France. Fine art students under 26 benefit from reduced entry fees.

Wells Art Contemporary

International·London, United Kingdom·Entry fee $20

Zari Art Prize 2026

£5,000 total prize pool: £1,500 Best in Show, £1,000 Painting, £1,000 Sculpture, £1,000 Photography, £500 People's Choice

Zari Art Prize invites artists worldwide to submit up to 10 works in painting, sculpture, and/or photography. The competition offers £5,000 in total prizes across five categories: Best in Show (£1,500), Painting (£1,000), Sculpture (£1,000), Photography (£1,000), and People's Choice (£500). Submissions are accepted as JPEG files at 300 dpi and minimum 1600 pixels width. All submitted works must be available for sale, with pricing including Zari Gallery's 25% commission. Entry fees start at £20 for a single work up to £87.50 for 10 works.

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