Open Call Exhibition 2026

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.

Exhibition open times:
Preview evening: Thursday 18th June 2026 6pm – 8pm (Book your FREE tickets soon)
The Exhibition will run between Monday 22nd June and Thursday 2nd July 2026 (times tbc)

Submission Information

Eligibility Requirements

Artists must be living or working within Northumberland or North Tyneside.
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 (Thursday 18th June 6pm – 8pm) to sell and introduce their work.

Entry/ Submission Requirements

Artists are asked to donate a small piece of their own work for the charity auction.
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.
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 1st June – Friday 5th June 2026 (9.30am – 4.30pm) to Headway Arts.
Artists will be informed via email by Tuesday 9th June 2026 whether their work will be included in the exhibition.
The Exhibition Preview event is on Thursday 18th June 2026 6pm – 8pm at Headway Arts. (Artists must attend.)
Exhibition ends on Thursday 2nd July 2026.
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 the week from Monday 6th July 2026 between 10am – 4pm, unless otherwise agreed with Headway Arts.
Headway Arts cannot store any works. Artworks that are not collected before Friday 10th July are considered donations 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

Posted on April 2nd 2026