Featured Opportunities

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Open call for six emerging creatives aged 18-24 to join the 2026 Develop Collective focusing on Publications. Participants will collaboratively research, plan and create a photography-based publication as part of the Gallery’s Develop programme. The Develop programme (2023-2026) supports and commissions emerging creatives through annual photography-focused projects.

Building on the 2025 theme of ‘extended realities’, the 2026 focus is on publishing. Participants will take part in workshops and talks designed to introduce key skills, techniques and approaches to creating a publication, led by industry professionals. Programme offers hands-on experience, skill development and collaboration on a real-world creative outcome at The Photographers’ Gallery. Free to participate.

Application requires downloading and completing application form and emailing to [email protected] with subject header ‘Develop Publication Collective 2026′. Based in London at The Photographers’ Gallery (16-18 Ramillies Street, W1F 7LW).

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Open call for the 2027 cultural programme inviting artists of all backgrounds, disciplines, and career stages based on the island of Ireland only. Welcomes proposals across all themes and both solo and joint applications. Embraces wide range of practices including digital art, large-scale installations, performance, outdoor, off-site, and site-specific work. All selected artists will be paid fairly in line with fair pay for artists, with fees dependent on confirmed funding.

Expression of interest should take no more than 20 minutes. Application requires: project title, full name (as on passport), artist name (if different), email, phone, project idea/proposal (200-400 words), proposed budget, 3 images of work, artist CV, optional website and social media handles.

Selected work may be combined with other artists for joint exhibitions. Successful applicants notified by mid-March 2026. Located in Ennistymon, Co Clare. Submission information may be used for CHG&S funding applications for 2027 programme. Due to volume of applications, may only respond to selected artists.

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Fully funded 12-week residency (April-June 2026) for emerging or mid-career visual artists from the Democratic Republic of Congo working across all disciplines. Provides 24-hour access to fully accessible private Live/Work Residency Studio at Studio Voltaire in South London, within a community of 51 onsite artists.

Includes £2,400 stipend for living expenses, materials/research/production budget, plus funds for public events, dissemination and access costs. All travel and visa costs covered with application support provided. Open Studio event showcasing work/research with access to international arts audiences. Dedicated pastoral care from Curator and Programme Coordinator. Bespoke professional development, networking and mentoring programme. Dedicated residency webpage and short video interview for social media. Social events with studio artists and cultural tenants. Access to workshop and AV equipment. Prepaid TFL zone 1-2 travel card for duration. Non-prescriptive residency offering space, time and resources for research and new work.

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The British School at Rome, in partnership with the Bridget Riley Art Foundation, invites applications from exceptional early to mid-career artists working in painting, drawing, or sculpture for a six-month residency from September 2026 to March 2027.

Open to UK or Commonwealth nationals or residents, the residency offers artists time, space, and inspiration to develop their practice within a vibrant international community in the heart of Rome. Residents receive board and accommodation in a purpose-designed studio, full staff support, access to the BSR Library and archives, Italian lessons, and a rich programme of workshops, site visits, and public events.

The residency provides opportunities to collaborate with local artists, showcase work through open studios, and engage deeply with Italy’s artistic and cultural heritage. This extraordinary setting allows artists to explore new ideas in an environment that combines professional development with cultural immersion.

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Annual award for 100 emerging artists and cultural practitioners working in contexts where cultural expression is under pressure. €5,000 trust-based grant per recipient to invest freely in artistic and cultural practice development. Open to individuals in initial 1-5 years of professional career (excluding study years) from, living, and working in eligible countries in Africa, Asia, Latin America, the Caribbean, Middle East, and Eastern Europe (OECD DAC listed countries).

Applicants must have established innovative artistic/cultural practice addressing pressing social/political issues in their local context, and received little to no institutional recognition/support. Work must contribute to free expression and safe spaces in civil society, participation and structural equity, or environmental sustainability.

Applications via online platform only, requiring work samples, CV, reference letter, and 3-minute pitch video/audio answering “What drives you as an artist?”. Trust-based funding allows recipients complete autonomy in how they use the grant. Broad disciplinary understanding of arts and culture; experimental, innovative, interdisciplinary practices encouraged. Results announced mid-July 2026. One-time award only; previous recipients cannot reapply.

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Open call for photography or film work responding to Lee Miller’s documentation of community and the wider world, currently exhibiting at Tate Britain. Seeking submissions responding to themes of community identity, resistance, surrealism, and activism. Open to women, trans+ and non-binary artists aged 16-25 who are part of Tate Collective (free to join).

Submissions can be existing works or newly created pieces. Film submissions must be maximum 3 minutes in length. One entry per person. Submissions require 100-150 word description of work and how it responds to the brief. Applicants must provide name, email, DOB, and Tate Collective membership number.

Selected works will be shown on digital display at Late at Tate Britain on 13th February 2026, on the Tate website, and on other Tate approved partner platforms including social media. Tate granted non-exclusive permission to use material for promotional purposes; copyright remains with artist.

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This international portrait painting competition is open to all artists aged 18 and over as of 1st January 2025, limited to one entry per artist. Works must be predominantly painted in oil, tempera, or acrylic on stretcher or board (preferably framed and unglazed), completed within the last two years (after 1 January 2024), based on a sitting or study from life with the human figure predominating. Self-portraits and group portraits are permitted.

The first round of judging is digital; selected artists will then need to deliver physical works to a London judging venue (29 January – 4 February 2026). Prizes include: First Prize £35,000, Second Prize £12,000, Third Prize £10,000, Young Artist Award £9,000 (for artists aged 30 or under as of 1 January 2025), and the Herbert Smith Freehills Kramer Artist Commission £14,000 (announced in 2027 for artists exhibiting in 2026 and 2027). The exhibition runs at the National Portrait Gallery from 25 June to 7 October 2026, with an Awards Ceremony on 23 June 2026.

Free to enter for artists receiving Universal Credit or Pension Credit; 50% discount for artists receiving Disability Benefits, students, or those aged 18-25.