Short Description
The annual Shape Open exhibition Call is now open. This year, to address the cuts to payments and funding that threaten disabled people’s lives, we are seeking work which responds imaginatively to themes of rights, protest, power, and the state of the British welfare system.
We are also interested in work that reflects on how protest itself is changing: becoming more digital, more restricted, and increasingly under threat, for example by surveillance.
This exhibition is supported by our National Disability Movement Archive and Collection (NDMAC), which is collecting the heritage story of the disability rights movement. Our show will include photographs by Keith Armstrong, a disabled poet, artist, musician, and activist. His photos of disability rights protests in the 1980s and 1990s are part of our NDMAC archive and collection. We have included a selection further down this page. We hope they inspire you.
The exhibition will be at The Engine Shed in High Wycombe. It’s a big space, so we’re looking for work that can stand out and make an impact. Think bold colour schemes, big messages, or eye-catching formats. We’re keen to find work that can be hung across the space or projected. We’d be interested in light-weight sculptures and installations that can be easily dismantled and rebuilt in the venue.
Eligibility
This year, to address the cuts to payments and funding that threaten disabled people’s lives, we are seeking work which responds imaginatively to themes of rights, protest, power, and the state of the British welfare system.
The call out is open to disabled and non-disabled artists and creatives of all career stages. You must be over 18 years of age and live in the UK.
● We can’t accept very large or heavy artworks that are hard to move or take apart.
● Performances might be included, but we’ll mainly choose work that can stay on display for the whole exhibition.
● Flat / 2D works such as photography, painting, drawing or text on a page can be submitted but cannot be displayed on walls. So your submission should come with a suggestion as to how the work could be shown in a different way, or at a different scale.
● You are welcome to do a sketch or explain in a brief written note how this might look or work. We are interested in creative or unusual ideas, so this could be a good way to rethink how your work connects with people in a public space.
● The venue is big, so we’re looking for work that can fill the space. That doesn’t always mean “large” – for example, you might suggest we project pages from a zine instead of showing the physical copy. If you have ideas for scaling up your work, tell us in your application. For example, we could project
a larger image of the work. There are photos of the venue on our website to help you consider this.
● You must be able to post your work with a regular delivery service like Royal Mail, Evri, or DHL. If that’s not possible, think about how we might show it another way – for example, as a digital image or projection.
● We do not expect people to make new work for this exhibition. You can submit work that you have already made, works in progress, R&Ds, or, should you wish to, new work. Where works are in production, or you have ideas about how you want to change elements for this exhibition, we ask that you upload sketches or examples as images as part of your application.
● Work will be selected by the Shape Arts team, including a member of our NDMAC heritage project.
How to Apply
Online Application
Program Benefits & Awards
Selected artists will each receive £250 for exhibiting their work. Shape will cover costs related to transport of artwork.
Entry Fee
None
Location
United Kingdom
Timeline
- Application Deadline: 27 July 2025
Website Link: https://www.shapearts.org.uk/Blog/apply-2025-shape-open#start
