Zealous Blog
All of our news, insights and inspirations in one place.
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Zealous awarded a Top Performer in 2023
Software Review sites are a great way to make an informed decision of what tools you might want to consider for your project. Here’s how we did in 2023….
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Key sites to list your design awards on
Posting your design competition on a listing site might be a good way of sharing your contest to more people. We share our top directories to post your design competition on to get more entries.
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Unlocking your creativity with the author of “Everyone is Creative”
In this interview, Guy explores the true essence of creativity, challenging conventional notions and emphasizing its universal applicability. From tackling digital chaos to embracing discomfort for richer solutions, Guy’s insights guide you on a transformative journey to unleash your creativity…
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Ephemeral Artists You Should Know
Ephemeral art spans many mediums, but follows the same principles. It is work which only occurs once and often cannot be embodied in a single lasting object. These artists create brilliant examples of this.
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Is An Opportunity Right For You?
Zealous is full of incredible opportunities. However, before applying to an opportunity, it is important to think of whether what you are applying to is right for you.
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Video Artists You Should Know
Video art is something which can find itself embedded in many different practices, and these creatives are perfect examples of that.
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How To Run an Online Photo Contest (& Market It Like a Pro)
Learn the secrets to running an online photo contest with our expert guide to boosting entries and growing your campaign.
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I Wish I Knew That: Starting Out
Becoming a creative is a constant learning curve, and there are always things we wish we knew.
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Top listing sites for your Photography Competition
We’re here to help you get the word out for your photography competitions! Here’s a list of photography competition directories to start the process.
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Environmental Artists You Should Know
To celebrate the launch of Zealous Amplify: Environment, we have put together a list of 10 fantastic environmental artists to hopefully give you some inspiration for your submission.
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Introducing Zealous Amplify: Environment
Welcome to Zealous Amplify: Environment!
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Minimalist Artists You Should Know
With the idea that art should have its own reality and not be an imitation, the minimalist art movement allows the viewer to see what they see.
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How To Make Your Portfolio Stand Out
Making your portfolio stand out is something important for all creatives. We asked some of the organisations who are part of our community to give us some of their top tips.
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Making A.I. work for the creative industries
A deep exploration into the opportunities and threats A.I. poses for the creative industries, written by someone whose straddled both worlds.
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Collage Artists You Should Know
Although traditionally seen as a paper-based medium, collage is a technique which is constantly evolving. Whether working in a more conventional way, or expanding to the digital and three-dimensional realms, these 10 creatives are ones you should definitely be watching.
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Should you take award entry payments first or last?
Should you take payments upfront when candidates submit your award? The following article breaks down best practices when taking entry fees.
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LGBTQIA+ Artists and Artworks You Should Know
To continue our celebration of the brilliant LGBTQIA+ artists and creatives who explore gender identity themes both on and off Zealous, we have put together a list of 10 creatives that you should know.
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Celebrating Pride Month: 10 LGBTQIA+ Resources To Inspire Your Creativity
Pride Month is an exciting time to highlight LGBTQIA+ creativity, celebrate spaces of self-expression and proudly continue to fight for equality.
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Guy Meets Michelle, Director at UK New Artists
Our Founder at Zealous, Guy Armitage, had the opportunity to speak to Michelle Bowen at UK New Artists about their exciting programmes and managed to get some invaluable tips for emerging creatives too. You don’t want to miss this. Read…
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Artistic Resources for Working Class Creatives
Working class creatives have been constantly alienated from the arts scene.
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Top 5 Mistakes to Avoid When Organising Awards
Behind the glitz and glamour of an awards ceremony lies a meticulous planning process which, if not executed with precision, can lead to disappointment for all involved.
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Marketing Your Opportunity (Interview)
Looking back at Zealous Amplify: Mental Health and Wellbeing, community manager Bethan and marketing coordinator Carmela talk about all things marketing.
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The Black Experience
Zealous Amplify: Mental Health and Wellbeing 3rd place winner Charmaine Chanakira is a Zimbabwean-born, London-raised Afro Expressionist. As a self-taught artist, her collections are inspired by her experience as a Zimbabwean woman living in the UK.
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Writing An Artist Biography
As a creative, having an artist biography is something which becomes increasingly important. Viewers of your work want to know more about you and your journey.
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New Logo, Same Us
You might notice we’ve changed our logo. We thought it was important to share the reasons we made that change, and the process we went through before doing it.
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Creative Resources for Women’s Empowerment
Creative women have been breaking barriers for centuries.
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Hear My Cry
Zealous Amplify: Mental Health and Wellbeing 2nd place winner Jennifer Louise Martin is a visual multi-disciplinary artist from London.
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Founder Update 2023
Our mission to reduce the barriers to entry for creating opportunities for the creative sector has never felt so important. In 2023 we promise to do our part in building the creative world we wish to see tomorrow.
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Just Do It
Zealous Amplify: Mental Health and Wellbeing 1st Place Winner Adri São Bento is a Portuguese deaf interdisciplinary artist working with a variety of media including video, performance and sculpture.
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Winners Announcement – Zealous Amplify: Mental Health and Wellbeing
With the closing of the first iteration of Zealous Amplify, which touched upon Mental Health and Wellbeing, we are so happy to announce the winners!
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Grants For The Arts: A Funding Toolkit
You’re a creative, you have a vision for a great piece of art, but you can’t do it alone. You need funding for equipment and space.
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Migrating Zealous
Zealous is undergoing a complete migration of its data to a series of real-time databases hosted across Europe.
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Marketing your Award Effectively (even on shoestring budgets)
Without good marketing, no one will submit to your award/competition. Here are a few tips to increase exposure to your programme
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5 Creativity and Wellbeing tips
Let’s face it, we could all do better at taking care of ourselves. The pursuit of creativity is a journey which can be as thrilling as it is perilous…
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War Notes
Zealous Stories: Photography 2022 winner Mouneb Taim is a photojournalist who has covered life under siege in Douma, Eastern Ghouta, Idlib and Aleppo.
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Augmented Reality Murals
Zealous Stories: Design 2022 winner Luke Gray is a nomadic surrealist painter specialising in large scale paintings on walls and canvas.
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The Cut of Your Gib
Zealous Stories: Painting 2022 winner Amy Dury is an artist based in Hove, specialising in oil painting.
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Founder Update 2022
This year, everything changes for the better. In 2021 we strengthened our foundations. 2022 will be all about building.
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Supporting Growth Within Creative Communities
Now is such an important time to support one another. We’ve put together a list of organisations, individuals and collectives that pay an extraordinary amount of attention to fostering growth, equality and strength within the creative community.
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Maximising Engagement using Competitions
How to maximise engagement for your open call, create exposure for your brand, show support for your community & begin a meaningful dialogue.
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Imperfection I
Zealous Stories: Craft Winner, Carmen M. Castañeda is an artistic researcher and practitioner specialising in hand-embroidery techniques.
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Major Entries Upgrade
We have some exciting news! Based on all your feedback, we are rebuilding how you and your judges will experience processing entries from the ground up. Here is a quick preview of what you can expect very soon.
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Tippler and The Crow
Mason Matak is an illustrator based in Iran. His works have appeared on the pages of children’s books, beside Old Iranian folktales, as tattoos on people’s skin, and also exist online as NFTs.
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Burial Rites
Zealous Stories: Short Story winner, Yvette Naden, is an obsessive writer of poetry and prose.
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Voice Like an Insect
Zealous Stories: Print winner, Angelica Trimble-Yanu, was born and raised in Oakland, California and is an enrolled member of the Oglála Lakȟóta Nation.
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Drawing up your schedule
Timing is everything – opening your submissions at the wrong time or for too long could negatively impact the number of candidates who apply. Find out more on what to watch out for when crafting the schedule of your programme.
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Terminal B
Zealous Stories: Digital Art winner, Nigel Goldsmith, is a visual artist focusing on environmental issues and the Anthropocene.
