Open Call Exhibition 2024

Our Open Call Exhibition is back again this year – if you’re interested in submitting your work, please read the guidelines below and get in touch via email if you have any questions.

Submission Information

Eligibility Requirements

  • Artists must be living or working within south east Northumberland.
  • Entrants must be at least 16 years old at time of submission.
  • Artists may submit artworks which have been previously exhibited or published elsewhere. Artworks previously submitted to Blyth Open Call Exhibition will not be considered.
  • Collaborative works are eligible.
  • Artificial Intelligence (AI) art is not eligible for submission. Headway Arts reserves the right to reject artworks which they consider may have been created with AI.
  • Artists whose work has been selected for exhibition are required to be personally present during the Preview event (Tuesday 18th June 2024 6.30pm) to sell and introduce their work.

Entry/ Submission Requirements

  • Artists may submit up to 5 pieces for consideration.
  • Each artwork will be considered individually.
  • Headway Arts makes no guarantee that artwork submitted will be chosen for exhibition.
  • Artists are asked to donate a small piece of their own work for the charity auction.
  • There are no thematic limitations but the work must not be overtly obscene, sexually explicit or otherwise offensive, or be inconsistent with Headway Arts’ Equality & Diversity Policy, at the discretion of the curators.
  • Artistic disciplines include (but are not restricted to) works on canvas/ board/ paper/ other supports, mediums such as oil/ acrylic/ collage/ watercolours/ mixed media, photography, digital art (excluding AI assisted art), video art, sculpture, fibre art and installation.
  • 2D artworks can be no larger than 193cm (76 inches) in width, length or depth (including frame). If an intended submission is wider than 250cm (98 inches) please contact us prior to submission.
  • 3D artworks can be no larger than 193cm (76 inches) x 71cm (28 inches).
  • If a single artwork has numerous elements that are integral parts of the same artwork – such as a diptych – it is considered as one piece.
  • All 2D artworks selected for the exhibition must be appropriately framed/ mounted and ready to hang with string, hooks or other hanging fixtures.
  • Video artists must provide their own display equipment.
  • Artists must complete a Submission Form on delivery of work. The price list and exhibition labels will be created from the Submission Form completed by the artist. Headway Arts takes no responsibility for incorrect information provided.
  • All works must be clearly labelled with artist name and artwork title in order to be identifiable during the hanging process.
  • Exhibited artworks must be for sale. All sales are private transactions between buyer and artist. No arrangements or money is handled by Headway Arts who takes no responsibility for the selling process.
  • In order to facilitate the sale of artworks, artists must supply Headway Arts with business cards (or equivalent) for potential buyers to take – you must give Headway Arts permission via the Submission Form to pass on the business cards (or equivalent) to others.

Timeframes

  • Delivery window: Monday 3rd June – Friday 7th June 2024 (9.30am – 4.30pm) to Headway ArtSpace.
  • Artists will be informed via email by Tuesday 11th June 2024 whether their work will be included in the exhibition.
  • The Exhibition Preview event is on Tuesday 18th June 2024 from 6.30pm at Headway ArtSpace. (Artists must attend.)
  • Exhibition ends on Saturday 29th June 2024 at 9pm.
  • Artists must arrange with buyers for artwork to be collected – artists must inform Headway Arts via email who will be collecting their artwork. The collection window is Monday 1st July between 3pm – 5pm, unless otherwise agreed with Headway Arts.
  • Headway Arts cannot store any works. Artworks that are not collected after Monday 15th July 2024 are donated to Headway Arts by the artist and offered to charity, local hospitals, nursing homes or other care givers.

Publicity

  • By submitting your work for consideration, you are giving permission for photographs of your work to be used on social media, printed materials and in press publications, at the discretion of the Headway Arts team.
  • Submission of work is not a guarantee of publication.

General

  • Artworks will be curated and hung by the Headway Arts team. Decisions about placement of work are final.
  • No postal entries.
  • Headway Arts reserves the right to close the submission window early.
  • Headway Arts shall have no liability whatsoever for any loss, damage, deterioration or wear, including damage to frames.
  • If you need this info in another accessible format and/or help with the submission process do contact us on 01670 351962 or hello@headwayarts.co.uk

Download submission details.

We gratefully acknowledge the generous support of all our funders which recently includes:

  • Architectural Heritage Fund
  • Arts Council England
  • Blyth Town Council
  • Community Foundation
  • Edward Gostling Foundation – RW Mann Trust – Shears Foundation
  • Erasmus+
  • Hadrian Trust – High Sheriff of Northumberland – Rothley Trust
  • Henry Smith
  • Heritage Fund
  • National Lottery Community Fund
  • Northumberland County Council
  • Postcode Community Trust
  • Scope
  • Sir James Knott Trust
  • The 1989 Willan Trust – Wellesley Trust
  • the Coalfields Regeneration Trust
  • This project is part-funded by the UK government through the UK Shared Prosperity Fund
  • This project is part-funded by the UK government through the UK Shared Prosperity Fund – North of Tyne Combined Authority