One way to bust artist’s block and keep yourself busy making art is to submit your work to the many juried events and exhibitions in the UK and beyond! A selection of competitions are listed below, many of them awarding substantial prizes for work in 2-D (painting, drawing, print-making, etc.), 3-D (sculpture, installation, etc.), film/video, photography, etc. Most charge a small fee to enter (which often covers administration costs), and should your work be selected, the rewards vary from cash to commissioned work along with the chance to join an exhibition and be included in critical write-ups.
Let me know if you think there are some opportunities that could be added to this list!
Also, click the link to read more practical info about applying to open calls
Selected annual/regular London-based art prizes, commissions, etc. (by deadline date)
| Project/event name (click link for more info) | Apply deadline | Event dates |
| Jerwood Arts (commissions and events) | check regularly | check regularly |
| Jerwood Funding (grants and commissions) | check regularly | check regularly |
| Bloomberg New Contemporaries* | January | July; November |
| Royal Society of Painters Open Portrait Prize | January | May |
| Ashurst Emerging Art Prize* | suspended 2021 | suspended 2021 |
| Taylor Wessing Photo Portrait Prize | January | November |
| Derwent Art Prize for Drawing | January | March |
| National Portrait Gallery – Portrait Award | January 14 | Summer |
| Sky Arts Portrait Artist of the Year | February | April |
| Frieze Artist Award | February | October |
| RA Summer Exhibition | January/February | Summer |
| John Moores Painting prize at Liverpool Biennial | March | Sept |
| Jerwood Art Fund Makers Open (biennial) | 2025 | Summer 2025 |
| Ruth Borchard Self-Portrait Prize | January thru May | Autumn |
| Young Masters art prize | April | October |
| Chelsea Art Society Summer Exibition | April/May | June |
| Sky Arts Landscape Artist of the Year | April/May | Summer |
| Gallery at Green & Stone (summer exhibition) | April/May | Summer |
| Griffin Award | May | open |
| Women in Art Prize | June | Summer |
| Contemporary British Painting Prize | June | Sept |
| Trinity Buoy Wharf Drawing Prize (formerly Jerwood Drawing Prize) | June | Sept |
| June | Oct | |
| Ingram Art Prize* (for graduates/emerging artists) | Summer | Autumn |
| Passion For Freedom festival (biennial) | Summer | Autumn |
| National Open Art prize | currently suspended | currently suspended |
| London Open at Whitechapel (triennial) | Autumn 2025 | Spring 2026 |
| Columbia Threadneedle Prize | currently suspended | currently suspended |
| Photoworks. (biennial) | check regularly | check regularly |
| Jerwood Developing Artist Fund | Autumn | following year |
* NOTE: These events/open calls are for emerging artists such as those under a certain age, final year BFA/BA/MFA/MA students and/or recent graduates only.
** For the Ashurst Art Prize, early entries received can get feedback from their experts
Lists of Art Lists – open calls, commissions, prizes, and residencies
| Project event name | Link |
| Art Quest – a-q – Opportunities | https://artquest.org.uk/opportunities/ |
| Art Opps – Home of Creative Opportunities | https://artopps.co.uk/ |
| Artist Residencies website – ResArtis | https://resartis.org/open-calls/ |
| The O Lists – Calls for Artists | https://theolist.oess1.uk/ |
| Starving Artist Opportunities (Instagram) | https://instagram.com/starvingartistsopportunities |
| UK Art Competitions | https://www.moma.co.uk/uk-art-competitions/ |
Also keep an eye on these websites…
There are a number of art-related websites, too, where other opportunities are listed on a regular basis, including residencies, projects, collaborations, exhibitions, events, talks, and more.
Art Fairs – let’s not forget those!
| Biennials / multi year | Links | Dates |
| Documenta – Kassel, Germany | http://www.biennialfoundation.org/biennials/documenta/ | 5 yrs |
| Manifesta – European cities | http://manifesta.org/ | even years |
| Qalandiya International Biennial – Palestine | https://biennialfoundation.org/biennials/qalandiya-international-palestine-2/ | even years |
| Sharjah Biennale – Dubai, UAE | http://www.sharjahart.org/ | odd years |
| Shubbak Festival – London, UK | http://www.shubbak.co.uk/ | odd years |
| Venice Biennale – Venice, Italy | http://www.labiennale.org/en/Home.html | even years |
| Annuals | Links | Dates |
| Affordable Art Fair – Battersea, London | http://affordableartfair.com | Mar |
| Art Basel – Basel Germany; Miami; Hong Kong | https://www.artbasel.com/ | Jun; Dec; Mar |
| Frieze – London, UK | https://www.frieze.com/fairs/frieze-london | Oct |
| London Art Fair – London, UK | http://www.londonartfair.co.uk/ | Jan |
| Other Art Fair – London, UK | http://www.theotherartfair.com/ | Apr |
| Parallax – London, UK | http://parallaxaf.co/ | Feb |
| SOFA – Chicago, IL | http://www.sofaexpo.com/ | Nov |
kelise soixante-douze 