Explore creative opportunities across London
Refine your search:
Public Art Installation in Catford - OPEN CALL
Overview
The London Borough of Lewisham is seeking an artist or collective to create a site-specific artwork for two selected shopfronts in Catford. This initiative aims to enhance the vibrancy and visibility of the area, celebrate local identity, and support creative placemaking in partnership with the community and local businesses.
The installation and selection process will be managed by SHAPESLewisham, celebrating the cultural and creative sector across Lewisham.
Objectives
• Enhance the visual appeal of the shopfront and contribute to Catford’s evolving character
• Celebrate the cultural, historical, and social identity of the local area
• Foster a sense of pride and ownership among residents and business owners
• Support economic vitality by increasing footfall and engaging new audience
Project Scope
• Location: Specific shopfront on Catford Broadway in Catford
• Medium: Could include mural work, vinyl graphics or mixed media approaches suitable for exterior public display
• Duration: Artwork should be durable and remain in place for a minimum of 12 months
• Any design including images of people, particularly those that are identifiable, political or offensive messaging will be automatically rejected
Artist Expectations
• Knowledge of or interest in Catford’s cultural and social history
• Ability to develop a bold, engaging concept that connects with passers-by
• Ability to install artwork to a high standard, that will be durable for 12 months
• Must be a Lewisham based artist and be part of the SHAPESLewisham network If not yet registered, please register here: https://www.shapeslewisham.co.uk/register/
Budget
· Total budget of £1500 per shop front (inclusive of artist fee, materials, installation, and any engagement activities)
Selection Criteria
• Artistic quality, originality and clarity of concept
• Connection to the local context of Deptford
• Feasibility and durability of your proposal
• Whether the artist is new to Catford Broadway (i.e. not already publicly exhibited there)
Timeline
Open call release: 22/0/25
Deadline for submissions: 30/09/25
Artist selected: 08/09/25
Installation: 17/09/25
How to Apply
Please send the following to info@shapeslewisham.co.uk in a PDF format:
• Your CV or artist bio
• A short artist statement (200–300 words) about your practice and connection to Deptford/New Cross
• A proposal including:
- Concept sketch or visual references
- A short description of how you might use an assigned shape, and which specific shape (from the Shape Palette) resonates with you
- Detailed explanation of install process and how you will make the artwork durable
- Budget breakdown
Call for Papers: Voice/s in the Museum
Museums have a responsibility to tell culturally inclusive stories of art, facing both internal and external pressures in the process. How might interpretation practice address the complex expectations placed on museums today?
We are seeking contributions exploring the role of art museum interpretation in serving audiences, artists and institutions."
Eligibility: Students, artists, curators, researchers, editors
What you get: Research published in an online, peer-reviewed journal on art, its history and museum practice
THE F WORD Open Call
We are inviting submissions from artists who are exploring the depth, diversity, and power of what it means to be a woman and a creative voice in the world today. How do you engage with femininity as a concept, and what does it mean to you?
This exhibition aims to uplift and highlight the work of artists who are often underrepresented in the arts. We welcome creatives working in all mediums - including painting, sculpture, photography, digital art, performance, installation, and more.
What We're Looking For:
Work that explores themes of identity, gender, empowerment, community, or personal narrative
Submissions from women, trans, and non-binary artists
Emerging and mid-career artists
Autumn / Winter Exhibition
The first month runs alongside Beyond from the Olive Collective in Firepit's Red Room an exhibition exploring the stages of Menopause.
Deadline: September 20th 2025
Exhibition Dates: Opening Night October 9th. Exhibition runs until Jan 31st 2026
Location: Main Gallery Space Firepit Gallery. London UK
Co Curated by Anne-Marie Bickerton and Amy-Rose Edlyn. With full support from the Firepit Team.
There is no fee to apply. We are committed to inclusivity and providing a supportive and respectful space for all participants.
If you would prefer to respond in a video or audio format instead of this written form, please email us a link to a file no longer than 4minutes at info@firepit.art
Open Call | Unveiled: Stories Behind The Silence | Firepit Art Gallery
“Unveiled: Stories Behind the Silence” is a powerful exhibition revealing the hidden stories of domestic violence survivors — from pain and isolation to strength, healing, and hope.
The exhibition is designed to guide visitors through the full emotional spectrum that survivors may experience on their path to recovery.
This project aims to raise funds for Solace, a London-based charity that supports over 30,000 women and children each year in building lives free from abuse.
Eligibility: We are looking for artworks that reveal stories usually hidden behind a smile, pieces that express one or more emotions experienced during the healing journey. These may include fear, embarrassment, loneliness, vulnerability, courage, hope, empowerment, vitality, or others.
What you get: Reveal a story hidden behind the smile, make it visible, and inspire those currently suffering from domestic violence to believe in the possibility of living a different life
HOUSE Open Call
County Hall Pottery invites ceramic artists from around the world to apply for HOUSE, our winter exhibition and curated marketplace. This showcase celebrates innovative and functional ceramic design created specifically for the home.
Eligibility: Open to emerging and established ceramic artists worldwide.
What you get: Each selected maker will exhibit one key piece/collection and will be asked to produce a small number of editions of that object for us to keep in stock throughout the exhibition period. They will receive 60% of any sales and the gallery will take 40% so please take this into account when pricing your work.
ArtWorks Open Prize Award Show
Fine artists working in 2D and 3D media are invited to submit work for the ArtWorks Open Prize Award Show. This annual platform supports emerging and mid-career UK artists, awarding cash prizes, exhibitions, and residencies. With Joseph and Piper as selectors, the 2025 show will likely showcase diverse, socially engaged art that foregrounds identity, dialogue, and impact.
As leading figures in contemporary Black British art, with early roots in movements such as the BLK Art Group and the Institute of International Visual Arts, they bring decades of critical engagement and visual innovation. Their curatorial approach suggests a focus on cultural identity, political critique, multimedia complexity, and social justice.
Who can apply:
All fine artists working in 2D and 3D media; emerging and mid-career UK-based artists
What you get:
Cash prizes, exhibitions, and residencies
The opportunity to have your work selected by Joseph and Piper, influential voices in contemporary Black British art
Inclusion in a high-profile annual show that foregrounds identity, dialogue, and social engagement
Fee:
£12 for one work; £24 for two works; £33 for three works; £40 for four works
IMAGINED WORLDS: Artist Open Call
Lewisham Libraries invites artists to explore the boundless realms of imagination for our sci-fi and fantasy season, Imagined Worlds.
What are your imagined worlds?
Fantasy realms • Dystopian futures • Utopian societies • Alien landscapes • Parallel dimensions • Dream states • Mythical kingdoms • Digital realities • Underwater cities • Sky worlds • Time-warped spaces • Memory places
We're seeking original and thought-provoking art pieces in any media that:
- Challenges conventional reality and pushes creative boundaries
- Presents unique perspectives on alternate worlds and societies
- Demonstrates personal artistic vision
- Invite viewers to question, wonder, and imagine - Address social, environmental, or philosophical themes through fantastical lens
- Create dialogue about our relationship with reality and possibility
Exhibition Details:
17 NOVEMBER 2025
• THE LIBRARY AT DEPTFORD LOUNGE
Open to all artists - emerging and established
No submission fee
Open Call Deadline: 30th September 2025
ING Discerning Eye 2025: Call for Entries Now Open
ING Discerning Eye 2025: Call for Entries Now Open
Now in its 27th year, the ING Discerning Eye is one of the UK’s most respected open exhibitions, offering artists the chance to exhibit at the Mall Galleries in London and win part of a £13,000 prize fund.
Open to all UK-based artists, this prestigious annual show celebrates small-scale works in all styles and media, from painting and drawing to sculpture, print, photography, textile and more.
Shortlisted works will be selected by six leading figures from across the art world: artists Curtis Holder, Polly Morgan, and Richard Ansett, journalist Rosie Millard OBE, museum director Dr Chris Stephens and collector Nicholas Scott.
This is your chance to get your work onto the walls of a central London gallery, and in front of an established audience of art lovers and collectors.
Eligibility:
Open to all UK-based artists. All works must be for sale and under 50cm in any dimension.
What you get:
Selected artists will have their work exhibited at the Mall Galleries in central London, seen by leading art world figures and collectors, with a chance to win part of a £13,000 prize fund.
Deadline 28 August 2025
Organiser: Parker Harris, ING Discerning Eye, Mall Galleries
Royal Institute of Oil Painters Open Call Now Open
The Royal Institute of Oil Painters (ROI) invites artists worldwide, aged 18 and over, to submit artwork for the ROI Annual Exhibition 2025 at Mall Galleries.
Submission deadline: Friday 10 October 2025 at 12 noon.
This year’s special theme is ‘HOME’ – with the ROI Themed Painting Prize awarded for the best interpretation. However, the theme is optional and represents just one aspect of a broader exhibition, which welcomes oil paintings on all subjects.
Eligibility:
Artists worldwide may enter a maximum of six artworks each.
The combined total of the longest dimensions of accepted paintings must not exceed 8 feet per artist.
Works must have been completed within the last three years and not previously exhibited at Mall Galleries.
Works must be created in oils. The ROI promotes and exhibits work of the highest standard in oil paint.
Water-soluble oil paint is acceptable if framed as an oil painting, to maintain the overall appearance of the exhibition.
What you get:
Take part in the ROI Annual Exhibition 2025 at Mall Galleries (27 Nov – 13 Dec 2025) With a total prize fund exceeding £10,000.
BADA Art Prize 2025
The BADA is proud to announce that the BADA Art Prize is returning for a fifth year, promoting “the antiques of tomorrow” by awarding a £1,000 grant to an emerging contemporary artist whose work exemplifies the enduring ingenuity and quality illustrated by our members’ objects.
Eligibility: Applicants must be currently enrolled in or have completed a post-secondary education at a UK institution. Submissions must be original works produced within the last 2 years. Beyond this, there are no criteria - all medium and styles are welcome.
What you get: Finalists will be selected by a panel of industry experts, including internationally recognised artists, art critics, and curators. The finalists' works will be on public view at the BADA Art Prize reception on 13th November 2025 at David Messum Fine Art in London and the winner announced at the event. The winner will be awarded a £1,000 grant.
Design Dalston’s Future: Kingsland Shopping Centre Logo Design Competition
Bring Dalston to Life – In a Logo Kingsland Shopping Centre is getting a fresh new look – and we want you to design it.
We’re calling on Hackney’s residents, workers, and students to help reimagine the centre’s visual identity in a way that reflects the heart, heritage, and creativity of Dalston today. Whether you’re a seasoned designer, an aspiring artist, or someone who simply loves this neighbourhood, this is your chance to shape a piece of East London’s future.
Eligibility: Anyone who lives, works, or studies in Hackney
What you get: The winning designer will receive £2,000 and have their work featured prominently in one of East London’s most iconic destinations, while each of the four finalists will also receive £500.
The British Art Prize 2025
Artists & Illustrators is delighted to be back with The British Art Prize 2025. Enter for the chance to win some fabulous prizes, have your work exhibited at TWO major London galleries and featured in Artists & Illustrators magazine.
This major international art competition is back with bigger prizes, broader exposure, and even more ways to get your work seen by thousands of art lovers, collectors, and curators.
Eligibility: Open to everyone – whether you’re an amateur, emerging, or professional artist – all styles, media* and techniques will be considered.
*AI art will not be considered.
What you get: A prize fund worth more than £10,000 which includes cash, art materials and a solo show at Panter & Hall's Cecil Court gallery. Winners and finalists will also feature in a special 10-page editorial in Artists & Illustrators, the UK's best-selling art magazine.
All shortlisted artworks will be showcased at an exhibition at gallery@oxo from 26-30 November 2025 in London. Shortlisted artists will also be invited to a prestigious private view reception on 27 November 2025 alongside artists, collectors, and other VIP guests.
Mural Fund Small Grants
The Abbey Harris Mural Fund makes grants to artists to create semi-permanent or permanent public murals or site specific works on walls, in any medium, in the United Kingdom.
Eligibility: Mural painters
What you get: Funding of up to £7000 is available for an artist or organisation producing a public mural in the UK
Lorem ipsum dolor
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam, quis nostrud exercitation ullamco laboris nisi ut aliquip ex ea commodo consequat.
Duis aute irure dolor in reprehenderit in voluptate velit esse cillum dolore eu fugiat nulla pariatur. Excepteur sint occaecat cupidatat non proident, sunt in culpa qui officia deserunt mollit anim id est laborum.