Organizer Information
Over the Bridge and Fountain Arts are UK-based cultural initiatives focused on public engagement, accessible exhibition formats, and community-centered visual arts programming. Fountain Arts operates as a contemporary exhibition space that regularly collaborates with artists, photographers, and curators to activate both gallery and public-facing environments.
This open call reflects their ongoing commitment to expanding access to Photography and Visual Arts beyond traditional gallery contexts by transforming everyday urban spaces into exhibition platforms. Through site-specific and window-based displays, the organization emphasizes visibility, accessibility, and informal audience engagement.
Title & Description
Summer Holidays Postcard Exhibition – Open Call for Photography (Fountain Arts, UK)
This open call invites photographers to participate in a summer group exhibition organized by Fountain Arts in collaboration with Over the Bridge. The project transforms the venue’s street-facing windows into a public exhibition space, where selected photographic works will be displayed in postcard format throughout the summer season.
The theme, “Summer Holidays,” encourages artists to submit existing photographic work reflecting personal or observed experiences of travel, leisure, and seasonal movement. Submissions may include candid imagery, documentary approaches, landscape photography, or reflective visual narratives connected to summer journeys—whether local, national, or international.
Rather than commissioning new work, the program focuses on recontextualizing existing bodies of work within a public Exhibition setting. Selected images will be printed as postcards and installed in the windows of Fountain Arts, allowing passers-by to engage with contemporary photographic practices outside conventional gallery spaces.
A small number of works will also be selected for enlarged print display, offering additional visibility for selected artists. The exhibition format emphasizes accessibility and public interaction, positioning Photography as an open and everyday visual language.
During the exhibition period, the public will also be invited to contribute their own postcard submissions, creating an evolving participatory archive of summer experiences.
Categories
- Photography
- Visual Arts
- Public Art
- Installation (window-based display format)
- Mixed Media (postcard reproduction format)
Eligibility
This open call is international and open to photographers and visual artists at all levels of practice.
Eligible applicants include:
- Emerging and professional photographers
- International and UK-based artists
- Practitioners working with existing photographic archives or bodies of work
- Artists submitting completed or previously produced work (no new production required)
Requirements:
- Submissions must be suitable for public display in a street-facing environment
- Works must align with the thematic focus of “Summer Holidays”
- Only existing work is eligible (no commissioned production for this call)
Program Benefits & Awards
- Inclusion in a public-facing Exhibition at Fountain Arts
- Printed postcard versions of selected works
- Large-scale print selection for featured artists
- Full production and printing costs covered by Over the Bridge
- Public visibility in a high-footfall street environment
- Return of physical prints after exhibition (collection or postal delivery)
- Engagement with a participatory public contribution program
This opportunity provides a fully supported exhibition context with no production costs for selected participants.
Application Fee
None
Application Requirements
- Digital image files of selected photographic work
- Completed submission form (online)
- Basic artist/contact information
- Existing photographic work aligned with the “Summer Holidays” theme
No CV or statement is explicitly required, but contextual information about the submitted work may be included if requested in the form.
How to Apply?
Online Application
Key Dates
- Application Deadline: 14 June 2026
- Installation Period: End of June 2026
- Exhibition Dates: 2 July 2026 – 31 August 2026
Location
Additional Details
This project is designed as a rapid-turnaround Exhibition emphasizing accessibility and public engagement rather than traditional gallery exclusivity. Works will be presented in postcard format within the venue’s windows, ensuring visibility to everyday pedestrian audiences.
The exhibition also incorporates a participatory layer, inviting members of the public to submit their own summer postcards during the display period. This creates a dialogue between professional photographic practice and community-generated imagery.
Artists should note that all selected works must be appropriate for public display and visible from a street-facing context. The program prioritizes openness, accessibility, and informal interaction with audiences outside institutional art spaces.
After the exhibition ends, all printed works will be returned to artists via collection or postal delivery.