Organizer Information
The Guildford Festival of the Arts is an annual arts event celebrating creativity and artistic expression in Guildford, United Kingdom. The festival provides a platform for artists and creatives to showcase their work to a wider public audience, supporting both emerging and established practitioners across a broad range of visual art disciplines. Through exhibitions, public engagement, and creative programming, the festival aims to encourage participation in the arts and create opportunities for artists to gain recognition, connect with audiences, and present their work in a professional exhibition environment.
The festival is designed as an inclusive celebration of artistic diversity, welcoming submissions from creators working across different visual mediums without restricting participation to a specific artistic theme or style. By opening the call to a wide range of approaches and practices, the Guildford Festival of the Arts encourages artists to share experimental, contemporary, traditional, and interdisciplinary works.
The 2026 edition invites artists to submit their artworks for consideration in the festival exhibition programme. Selected artists will have the opportunity to display their work publicly, participate in a recognised local arts event, and compete for several awards judged by a professional panel of arts representatives and community figures.
Title & Description
Guildford Festival of the Arts 2026 – Open Call for Artists
The Guildford Festival of the Arts 2026 invites artists and creatives to submit their original visual artworks for inclusion in the annual festival exhibition. The open call has no specified theme, allowing artists complete freedom to submit work that reflects their own artistic practice, ideas, and creative vision.
The opportunity is open to all forms of visual art that can be displayed in a gallery setting or presented on a screen. Artists are encouraged to submit works across a wide range of mediums, from traditional forms such as painting and drawing to contemporary practices including digital art, mixed media, photography, and screen-based works.
Selected artworks will be exhibited as part of the Guildford Festival of the Arts 2026 programme, giving artists the chance to present their work to festival audiences, gain public exposure, and compete for awards recognising artistic achievement.
The festival will feature a judging panel consisting of artists, cultural representatives, and community figures who will evaluate submitted works and select prize winners. In addition to financial awards, selected artists may benefit from exhibition opportunities and increased visibility within the local arts community.
Categories
Eligible submissions include Visual Art across a broad range of mediums, including but not limited to:
- Painting
- Drawing
- Illustration
- Sculpture
- Mixed Media
- Digital Art
- Photography
- Textile Art
- Installation Art
- Screen-based artworks
- Other contemporary visual art practices suitable for gallery or digital display
Eligibility
The open call welcomes:
- International and UK-based artists
- Emerging and established artists
- Professional and amateur creatives
- Students and young artists
There are no stated restrictions regarding age, nationality, artistic background, or professional experience.
Applicants must submit original visual artwork that is suitable for exhibition in a gallery environment or on a screen. The festival does not require submissions to follow a particular theme, allowing artists to present work from any subject area or creative approach.
Program Benefits & Awards
Selected artists will receive the opportunity to exhibit their work as part of the Guildford Festival of the Arts 2026. Awards include:
- 1st Prize: £1,000 cash prize
- Runner-up Prize: £500 cash prize
- Student Winner: £150 gift voucher
- Public Vote Winner: Exhibition opportunity
- Public exhibition of selected artworks during the festival
- Exposure to festival visitors and the wider arts community
- Opportunity to sell artworks through the festival team during the event
- Recognition through festival awards and promotional activities
Artists whose work is selected for exhibition may sell their artwork during the festival. The festival team will manage sales and retain a 15% commission from sold artworks to support the organisation of future editions.
Application Fee
None
How to Apply?
Online Application
Key Dates
- Application Deadline: 31 July 2026
- Selection Notification: Late August or early September 2026
- Festival Exhibition/Event Date: 2026 (exact dates to be announced)
Location
Guildford, United Kingdom
Additional Details
- Artists may submit only one application.
- There is no fixed theme for submissions.
- Submitted artworks must be suitable for display in a gallery or on a screen.
- The judging panel for 2026 includes:
- Sally Varrah
- Councillor Jane Tyson
- Monica Popham
- Andy Newbold
Artists whose works are selected will have the opportunity to showcase their practice in a public festival environment and connect with audiences interested in contemporary visual arts.