Artist Opportunities

We are seeking proposals for an artist commission and participation project exploring themes of wellbeing for young people, to take place between January and October 2025 in Brighton & Hove. The artwork and showcase of other outcomes from the project will be toured nationally between October 2025 and June 2026.

Eligibility: Proposals from artists in any artform but who have demonstrable experience in working in a participatory setting and/or with harder-to-reach audiences.

What you get: The fee is £3,750. A separate budget of £850 is available for materials and expenses for the project, and a further £300 for training/support which will be budgeted with the artist during the planning stage.

Deadline 03 January 2025

A free course inviting young creatives to explore digital fashion design, offering hands-on experience and professional insights at the V&A.

Eligibility: Young people aged 18-26

What you get: 3D digital clothing design instruction, branding and portfolio guidance, mentoring

Deadline 05 January 2025

Are you an unagented or emerging writer looking to publish new work? Autograph is inviting pitches for texts that critically engage with the ways in which the photography studio can serve as a liberatory space to explore expression and identity. This call is part of our new exhibitions featuring Rotimi Fani-Kayode and Abi Morocco Photos.

Eligibility: Open to unagented or emerging writers.

What you get: A £312 fee for producing the full text, editorial support from Autograph, and publication on our website.

Deadline 06 January 2025

We are looking for an emerging creative to produce an in-person event at Autograph’s gallery in Hackney, London. The event will explore themes of community, celebration, and cultural preservation related to our current exhibition, Abi Morocco Photos: Spirit of Lagos.

Eligibility: Emerging cultural producers with less than three years experience in the arts.

What you get: A £400 programming fee, a £600 budget for the event, and support from Autograph's Events and Marketing Teams.

Deadline 06 January 2025

We are offering free studios to emerging makers under 30 for a period of 12 months in a peaceful, rural artist community.

Eligibility: Applicants under 30 years old with three years of post-study practice or equivalent experience, from all mediums.

What you get: Free studio space for twelve months, a grant of up to £1,000 for tools and materials, and mentoring from our Creative Director Dr. James Fox.

Deadline 06 January 2025

Residencies in tiny, recycled spaces across Europe, encouraging sustainable travel and providing opportunities to connect with the art community.

Eligibility: Artists living in the EU/Ukraine

What you get: €4000, travel, accommodation, mentoring, studio space, exhibition opportunities

Deadline 07 January 2025

Goethe-Institut invites artists to envision futures tackling sustainable urban mobility challenges, creating impactful interventions in four European cities.

Eligibility: Independent, open-minded, collaborative, good communicator, innovative, committed to diversity and inclusion; must be a legal resident in one of the 40 Creative Europe countries and apply for the residency in a different country than where they are currently or permanently based.

What you get: Accommodation, travel costs (up to 400 EUR for a round trip), financial contribution of 1500 EUR/30 days or 2250 EUR/45 days, studio space, materials, community engagement and sustainability support

Deadline 07 January 2025

Artists are invited to submit work for exhibition alongside members of the Royal Society of British Artists at the RBA Annual Exhibition 2025. Submissions are online only and open until Wednesday, 8 January 2025, at 12 noon.

Eligibility:

• Any artist aged 18 or over may enter, from anywhere in the world.
• Artists may submit up to six works, from which a maximum of four works per artist may be selected.
• Work must not have been exhibited previously in London.
• Works should not exceed 2.4m along the longest dimension.
• All works must be original creations by the artist.
• Acceptable media include painting, sculpture, drawing, and original prints.

What you get: Successful applicants can expect:

• Their work included in the exhibition at Mall Galleries and online.
• Eligibility to win prizes and awards totalling almost £20,000.
• An invitation to the Private View.
• The opportunity to sell work to new collectors.
• The possibility of being elected to membership.

Deadline 08 January 2025

A contest inspired by the exhibit "The Subversive Eye," inviting submissions that capture the surprisingly surreal in everyday life.

Eligibility: 18 and up

What you get: Networking, marketing, representation, exhibition opportunities, publication opportunities

Deadline 13 January 2025

The Herbert Smith Freehills Portrait Award returns to the National Portrait Gallery for 2025. Entries are now open for the Herbert Smith Freehills Portrait Award 2025. The prestigious painting competition celebrates the very best in contemporary portraiture and is open to all artists from around the world. Enter now for the chance to have your work on display in the National Portrait Gallery and win the top prize of £35,000. Supported by Herbert Smith Freehills.

Eligibility: The competition is open to all artists from around the world. Artists must be aged 18 years or over as of 1 January 2024.

What you get: Shortlisted works will form part of the Herbert Smith Freehills Portrait Award 2025 exhibition and will be displayed at the National Portrait Gallery from 10 July to 12 October 2025.

The opportunity to be considered for one of the Awards, including the first prize of £35,000.

All artists chosen to exhibit in 2025’s Portrait Award exhibition will be considered for the inaugural Herbert Smith Freehills Artist Commission, which has a value of £14,000.

Deadline 14 January 2025

After its successful debut, FluxusMuseum Prize for Experimental Video is now in its second year. Over the duration of this year’s prize, €45,000 will be given to participants, with a portion used to support the development of their projects initially and the remainder awarded as prizes at the exhibition’s end.

Eligibility: No requirements, open call available to artists of all disiplines and at all stages of their career.

What you get: Commission fee of €600. Exhibition will run in gallery space from June-September 2025. Online promotion. Prize winners will be allocated remaining prize money.

Deadline 15 January 2025

Artists are invited to explore themes of indulgence, transformation, and cultural significance of Carnival from various cultural perspectives.

Eligibility: Over 18, anywhere in the world

What you get: Artistic fee provided

Deadline 15 January 2025

State of Fashion is looking for curators with visionary ideas about the challenges the world faces, particularly in fashion's role in social and cultural transformation.

Eligibility: Visionary thinkers and makers
What you get: €30,000 - €40,000

Deadline 19 January 2025

The Don Bachardy Fellowship offers one international postgraduate level artist a funded three months in London at the Royal Drawing School.

Eligibility: International postgraduate level artists

What you get: 10 weeks of courses, tutoring, and a $5,000 stipend

Deadline 20 January 2025

"Back to Basics" thematic residency program for artists, writers, designers, and creative minds. Duration: 1 month (29 days per period). Dates: July/August/September 2025. Location: Arteles Creative Center, Hämeenkyrö, Finland. Application deadline: 23rd January 2025. "Back to Basics" is a multidisciplinary residency program that enables creative individuals to clear their minds, refocus, and (re)discover the essence of their being. Disconnect from your phone, reconnect with your creativity, immerse yourself in nature, and learn to stay present.

Eligibility: Minimum age is 23 (in 2025). A university degree (minimum BA) is required; however, exceptions may be made for individuals with relevant experience.

What you get: Residency program.

Fee: €1,950

Deadline 23 January 2025

Artists are invited to submit work for exhibition alongside members of the Royal Institute of Painters in Water Colours at the RI Annual Exhibition 2025. Submissions are online only and open until Tuesday 28 January 2025 at 12 noon.

Eligibility: Artists aged 18+ worldwide can submit up to six original works, with four selected. Eligible pieces must not have been exhibited in London and can include watercolour, acrylic, ink, or gouache on various supports.

What you get: The show, in spring 2024, offers the opportunity to sell your work, win prizes & awards worth over £5,000 and have your art seen by thousands of visitors to Mall Galleries. The exhibition is the largest of its kind in the world, featuring over 400 of the finest contemporary water-based media paintings from around the globe. Since its founding in 1831, the RI has become universally recognised as one of the leading art institutes.

Deadline 28 January 2025

Artists from all countries are welcome to submit their works for consideration. You are welcome to submit works in any medium. (painting, photography, printmaking, installation, sculpting, mixed media, poems, illustration, etc). The theme of the exhibition is OPEN.

Eligibility: Any artist from any background can submit any of their work. There is no charge to submit your application, please feel free to share your work with us.

What you get: Exhibition opportunity in Japan. You should expect an open bar (wine) & professional photography & videography.

Fee: The participation fee is £450 incl. VAT for 1 artwork (any size will be considered)

Deadline 30 January 2025

The Homiens Art Prize is an international, non-acquisitive art prize that is valued at $24,000 annually and is open to all artists.

Eligibility: The Homiens Art Prize is open to all artists. All art forms, mediums, and completion dates are eligible. We're excited to welcome artworks of all dimensions, on any theme.

What you get: 6 Winning artists are exhibited by Homiens, receive an unrestricted cash award of $500, participate in an optional interview, and may request a letter of recommendation from our Jurors. 12 additional Finalists per round also exhibit with Homiens. Up to 200 artists are Highly Commended and celebrated across our media. All entrants are considered for exhibition and may apply to participate in our Meet the Artists initiative, or to become a Homiens Featured Artist.

Fee: $20 for 1-3 artworks

Deadline 31 January 2025

Essex Cultural Diversity Project seeks an artist to explore and articulate the transformations in Diss, celebrating community, diversity, and identity through creative projects.

Eligibility: Open to all creative practitioners working in any discipline

What you get: Commission budget of £10,000

Deadline 31 January 2025

Artists from around the world are invited to participate in the Art on Loop Digital Show in Seoul. This open-themed exhibition invites submissions in any medium such as painting, photography, printmaking, video art, installation, film, sculpting, mixed media, poems, illustration, and more. Be part of an exciting immersive art experience by showcasing your art digitally on our special projectors.

Eligibility: This call is open to artists from any background.

What you get: Selected artists will have their work displayed digitally on special projectors during the exhibition. The event will take place at 38 Sowol-ro 44-gil, Yongsan District, Seoul, South Korea, starting with the Opening Night on February 22, 2025, followed by a Public Exhibition from February 23 to 24, 2025.

Fee: The participation fee is £100 incl. VAT for one artwork, £120 incl. VAT for two artworks, and £180 incl. VAT for three artworks.

Deadline 01 February 2025

Two fully funded six-month residencies for London-based art and photography teachers to develop new work while engaging with teaching.

Eligibility: London-based secondary school art and photography teachers from global majority backgrounds

What you get: £20,000 value, public presentation opportunities

Deadline 03 February 2025

Sitar Arts Center announces the 15th Annual Patricia Sitar Juried Exhibition. This year’s theme, "Reflections," invites artists to explore perception and introspection through art that mirrors reality or imagination.

Eligibility: Local, national, and international artists aged 16 and up. Artists must be at least 16 by the date of submission.

What you get: Young Adult (Ages 16-21) — 1st Place: $250, 2nd Place: $150; Adult (Ages 22 & up) — 1st Place: $450 + Solo Exhibition, 2nd Place: $250; People’s Choice Award: $100

Deadline 03 February 2025

The Royal Society of Portrait Painters (RP) invites artists worldwide, aged 18 and over, to submit artwork for the RP Annual Exhibition 2025 at Mall Galleries. Selected artists will have their work exhibited at Mall Galleries, London, with potential for sales and commissions.

Eligibility: Artists may enter a maximum of four works each, from which up to three works per artist may be selected. Works should not be larger than 2.4m along the longest dimension. Works must have been completed in the last three years and not have been exhibited in London previously.

Acceptable media include paintings, drawings, and original prints—including digital/iPad prints. Sculpture and photography are not admissible. Works should be based on a sitting or study of the human figure from life. We understand that artists may use photographs for assistance, but the primary source should be from life.

What you get: The total prize fund is £30,000, including The William Lock Portrait Prize of £20,000.

Deadline 04 February 2025

The TARTGET PRIZE is an international painting competition celebrating its inaugural edition, offering over $55,000 in prizes. It is sponsored by some of the world’s leading fine arts brands and features a distinguished jury comprised of prominent international painters, gallery owners, and collectors. This represents a fantastic opportunity for painters who wish to win substantial cash prizes, advance their careers, or simply open doors to new opportunities. The registration deadline is 15 February, but if you register before 30 September in our PRE-DEADLINE, you will enjoy additional benefits.

Eligibility: The competition is open to painters worldwide across all techniques and styles within the various categories. Tartget will award prizes in 10 categories, ranging from figurative art to abstract and conceptual art. Works from hyperrealism to impressionism, surrealism, and abstraction are accepted. You can submit as many works as you wish and in as many categories as you prefer. The theme is open. Artists can participate and win in one or multiple categories. There is no limit to the number of artworks you can submit. The same artwork can be entered in several categories. The works do not need to be for sale or available for the live exhibition to compete and win, except for the main acquisition prizes.

Prizes: Over $43,000 in cash prizes and another 50 prizes in painting materials, training, and promotion in galleries and specialised media.

After selecting the 200 finalists, the organisation, along with an additional panel of jurors, will determine which works will be included in the grand physical exhibition to be held in Madrid from 5 to 12 June at the historic Ateneo de Madrid, steps from the Prado Museum and the Thyssen Museum, where most of the winners will be announced.

Fee: The entry fee for the contest is €50 for the first artwork and €30 for each subsequent artwork or different category. For participants under 25 years old, the registration fee for the first artwork is €35 and €15 for each subsequent artwork.

Deadline 15 February 2025

The Puchi Award is open to the most unique book proposals in the fields of comics and illustrated books, as well as hybrid projects. The Puchi Award has launched its next call for applications with a renewed focus on graphic content and a biennial schedule. The financial prize has also been increased to €10,000. The award seeks audacious projects with a distinct personality and clear artistic interest, where images play a central role—never merely an accessory or complement—in the narrative or exhibition development of the work.

Eligibility: Any natural person of legal age, of any nationality, with an original and unpublished work, may participate.

What you get: The winner will receive a prize of €10,000 (VAT and other taxes included, as an advance payment for the publishing rights of the work), along with the publication of the work, which will be distributed by Fulgencio Pimentel.

Deadline 27 February 2025

Fortuna Major Press invites emerging and established poets to submit creative nonfiction poetry for its annual anthology, Vulpecula Poetica. This edition's theme focuses on memory, inviting works that speak into silence and the echoes of the past.

Eligibility: Open internationally to emerging and established poets.

What you get: A complimentary digital copy of the publication and access to Fortuna Major Press's marketing and industry network.

Deadline 28 February 2025

The London Art Biennale is an internationally renowned, fully curated exhibition celebrating contemporary art from around the world. Hosted at the historic Chelsea Old Town Hall, the Biennale offers artists a unique opportunity to exhibit in a museum-quality setting, alongside an exclusive selection of outstanding talent. Every submission is carefully reviewed, with artists chosen solely on the quality and originality of their work, ensuring a truly world-class showcase. With no geographical or thematic restrictions, the Biennale welcomes entries from artists at any stage of their careers. Whether you specialise in painting, sculpture, or digital art, this is a rare opportunity to present your work in the heart of London’s art scene. Selected participants will also benefit from complimentary canvas stretching services, allowing artworks to be shipped in a tube and reducing transportation costs.

Eligibility: Open to all artistic disciplines, including painting, sculpture, digital art, and installations. Submissions are judged purely on the merit of the artwork, with no consideration of career history. Artists who did not exhibit at the 2023 Biennale are eligible to apply. Works submitted may have been previously exhibited or published.

What you get: You'll have the opportunity to exhibit your work at the prestigious London Art Biennale from 16–20 July 2025. To reduce shipping costs, we offer complimentary canvas stretching for artworks up to 150x150cm. Your work will also be featured in a curated hardback catalogue. Additionally, you can compete for a share of £13,000 in prizes and gain valuable networking opportunities with industry professionals, among other benefits.

Deadline 28 February 2025

The New English Art Club (NEAC) invites artists worldwide, aged 18 and over, to submit artwork for the NEAC Annual Exhibition 2025 at Mall Galleries. Selected artists will have their work exhibited in a prestigious showcase at Mall Galleries, London, with potential for sales and commissions.

Eligibility: Artists may enter a maximum of six works each, from which up to three works per artist may be selected. Works should not be larger than 2.4m along the longest dimension. Work must have been completed in the last two years and must not have been exhibited in London previously.

Acceptable media include paintings, drawings, and original framed prints (excluding photography). Note that sculpture is not admissible.

What you get: Win over £10,000 in prizes, including the NEAC Climate Emergency Prize of £2,000, new for this year. If you would like your work considered for this particular prize, please write "Climate Emergency Prize" in the artwork description field when you submit.

Deadline 14 March 2025

Magmart | video under volcano is an international videoart festival, which over the years has seen the participation of more than 1400 artists from +80 different countries, with thousand submitted videos.

The Festival is open to all international videoartists. Participation is free. Between all submitted video, will be done a final selection based on vote of a Jury composed by experts. The 30 selected artworks will become part of CAM Museum permanent collection. All sended materials don't will be return, and will be stored in the Festival's archive like documentation.

Eligibility: Everyone

What you get: Exhibition opportunity

Deadline 31 March 2025

The Usher Gallery Trust is hosting their second Open exhibition in Summer 2025 ‘Art of the Now’ and invites submissions from all Lincolnshire artists.

Eligibility: Open to all Lincolnshire Artists.

What you get: Five prizes, with selected submissions featured in an exhibition.

Deadline 07 April 2025

We are thrilled to announce the launch of The Doorkeeper, a new art zine dedicated to exploring the intersection of art, philosophy, and poetry. We are currently accepting submissions from artists, writers, philosophers, and poets for our upcoming issues, and we invite you to be a part of this exciting journey.

We welcome submissions creatively exploring these themes through visual art, essays, and poetry. Whether you are an emerging artist or an established creative, we are interested in your unique perspective.

Eligibility: Open to all

What you get: We do not charge any fees for submissions or publication. All submissions will be reviewed by our jury, which includes professionals from the art and literary world. Artists whose work resonates with us may be invited for an interview, allowing you to share more about your creative process and ideas.

Deadline 31 May 2025

Explore the intersection of solitude and artistic expression at the Loneliness and Poetics exhibition, showcasing works from talented artists around the world. This international competition invites submissions across various media, offering a unique platform for creative voices to share their perspectives on this poignant theme.

Eligibility: The competition is open to artists aged 18 and above from around the world. Submissions must align with the competition theme and meet the media requirements. Accepted media includes original, high-quality art in forms such as oil painting, acrylic painting, watercolour and gouache, ink, mixed media, printmaking, photography, video, sculpture, installation, ceramics, fibre art, collage, digital art, land art, and more. All works must be entirely original, with no replicas or plagiarism.

What you get: The online exhibition will run 10 November through 10 December 2024 The jury will select winners of various awards for this international art competition within 8 working days after the final registration deadline. Award certificates will be issued, and winners will be featured in mainstream and art media across the UK, the US, Europe, and beyond, showcasing their achievements and artworks. The recipient of the Best Exhibition Award will have the opportunity to be represented by Gallery NAT, host a solo exhibition, and join the academic committee. If any awarded works are collected by galleries, collectors, or similar entities during the competition and exhibition period, the artist will receive the entire commission for the work.

Fee: £30

Deadline 05 November 2025

The Homiens Art Prize is an international, non-acquisitive art prize open to all artists and art forms. The Prize is free to enter. We celebrate our chosen artists across our media, exhibiting their art online where it is viewed by artists and collectors in the United States and throughout the world. Homiens sponsors a platform for artists to network and collaborate, reach a global audience of buyers and collectors, gain institutional validation, and locate international professional opportunities.

Eligibility: The Homiens Art Prize is an international, non-acquisitive art prize that is free to enter, and open to all artists. All art forms, mediums, dimensions, themes, and completion dates are eligible.

What you get: Six winning artists will be invited to exhibit with Homiens, receive an unrestricted cash award of $500, be published in our exhibition catalog, and more. Twelve additional finalists per round will get to exhibit with Homiens and be published in our exhibition catalog. Visit the open call link for more information.

Deadline 07 July 2026