Featured Opportunities

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Pilgrim’s Art Postcard Collection (PAP) is a grassroots micro-funding initiative supporting low-income, early-career creatives working in visual arts disciplines to undertake research pilgrimages to exhibitions, artworks, and inspiring arts events throughout the Midlands. Open to those working, studying, living, making, or visiting in or around the Midlands (central England), successful applicants receive up to £25 to cover complete journey expenses including travel within/around the Midlands, subsistence (food, drinks, essentials), admission fees to exhibitions/galleries/arts events, pilgrimage documentation (postcard materials and 2nd class stamp), and access needs where required.

No Jobs in the Arts does not use a single standard to define “early-career creative” nor means-test income. Applicants decide if this opportunity would benefit their creative journey. Applications require a link to pilgrimage location, cost breakdown (up to £25), contact details, and creative practice link. Successful applicants submit receipts/invoice for expenses and optionally send a postcard documenting their journey within one month of completing the trip. Each applicant eligible for one grant award only.

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Annual international contest recognizing the best photojournalism and documentary photography. Free to enter, open to all professional photographers working in photojournalism and/or documentary photography worldwide.

Three format categories: Singles (single frame photos shot in 2025), Stories (4-10 photos shot in 2024-2025), and Long-Term Projects (minimum 6 photos from 2025, spanning at least 3 different years). Work judged across six worldwide regions: Africa; Asia Pacific and Oceania; Europe; North and Central America; South America; and West, Central, and South Asia.

Winners receive prizes up to €11,000, inclusion in annual traveling exhibition visiting 60+ cities worldwide, publication in yearbook, inclusion in public archive, and international recognition. Winners selected by independent regional and global juries. All singles shot in 2025 eligible for World Press Photo of the Year.

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An international experimental video prize open to anyone worldwide (no age restrictions or formal degrees required) including visual artists, dancers, performance artists, filmmakers, animators, writers, actors, musicians, and collectives.

Applicants submit a video proposal (up to 3 minutes) presenting new, original work between 1-15 minutes in experimental Fluxus spirit. €45,000 total distributed: 100 shortlisted artists receive €100 each and are uploaded to FluxusMuseumTV for public judging. 10 finalists receive €1,000 to develop their work, then another €1,000 upon submission of finished work. Finalists exhibit at FluxusMuseum gallery in Paros, Greece (June-October 2026). €15,000 distributed among winner and runners-up at exhibition end.

Single-channel films only, displayed on monitors/projectors with headphone audio. Artists retain ownership.

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The Scottish Portrait Awards celebrate Scottish talent and creativity across three categories, hosted at the Portrait gallery in Edinburgh for the first time in 2026. Open to artists over 16 who were born, or are living or studying in Scotland. The Scottish Portrait Award in Fine Art (any 2D/3D medium or time-based media) offers prizes of £5,000 first prize plus National Galleries commission for Scotland’s national collection, £1,000 second prize, £500 third prize, £1,000 Young Fine Artist (16-25 years), and £1,000 June Carey Award for Etching.

The MPB Scottish Portrait Award in Photography (any photographic process) offers £5,000 first prize plus National Galleries commission, £1,000 second prize, £500 third prize, £1,000 plus £250 MPB voucher for Young Photographer (16-25), and £1,000 Albert Watson Portrait Prize. Scotland Now! Phone Portrait Award (phone photography of Scottish residents, taken after 1 January 2025) offers £500 first prize. Total prizes of £16,000.

Around 120 works selected for fine art and photography exhibitions, top 60 phone portraits on digital display. Judges include Kirsty Wark, Albert Watson OBE, and Calum Stevenson. Exhibition Autumn 2026 – Spring 2027.

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Autograph is inviting artists working with collage and/or photomontage to question or disrupt dominant narratives to submit their work. Open to anyone of any age, based anywhere in the world (text captions must be in English), the call is particularly keen to work with emerging artists in the early stages of their artistic career who may not have had a mainstream platform before. Artists must have a series of 10 or more pieces of work.

Successful applicants will receive a £400 fee, an online exhibition on Autograph’s website featuring around 10-20 images, and editorial support from Autograph’s experienced staff. The work will be promoted via Autograph’s newsletter, social media channels and networks. Initial submissions require just three representative images via Google Form.

The call is inspired by Autograph’s exhibition “I Still Dream of Lost Vocabularies,” examining issues of political dissent and erasure through collage. Judges include Bindi Vora (Senior Curator), Sunil Gupta (photographer), and Livvy Murdoch (digital content and learning manager).

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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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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.