Organizer Information
Grimsby Fishing Heritage Centre is a cultural and heritage institution in Grimsby, North East Lincolnshire, United Kingdom, dedicated to preserving and sharing the region’s rich maritime history. Through exhibitions, educational initiatives, community engagement, and creative projects, the centre connects local heritage with contemporary culture. As part of its commitment to supporting creative development and broadening participation in the arts, the centre has launched "This Place We Share" Open Photography Exhibition, encouraging people from all backgrounds to document and celebrate the identity, heritage, landscapes, and communities of North East Lincolnshire through photography. The initiative aims to amplify underrepresented voices while strengthening local cultural participation by making photography accessible to everyone regardless of age, experience, or equipment.
Title & Description
This Place We Share – Open Photography Exhibition 2026
This Place We Share is an inclusive open photography exhibition celebrating the People, Places and Spaces of North East Lincolnshire through the perspectives of those who know the region best—its residents, workers, visitors, families, students, artists, and local communities.
Organized by the Grimsby Fishing Heritage Centre, this exhibition invites photographers of every skill level—from professional practitioners to first-time participants using smartphones—to contribute photographs that reflect their personal experiences and interpretations of North East Lincolnshire.
The exhibition embraces documentary, artistic, historical, and contemporary photography that explores everyday life, local identity, heritage, environment, community, industry, memory, and belonging. Participants are encouraged to submit images that reveal meaningful stories, overlooked moments, familiar places, or unique perspectives that capture the character of the region.
Applicants may interpret the theme creatively, producing work that documents local people, public spaces, landscapes, coastlines, architecture, workplaces, industrial heritage, green spaces, or historical archives. The exhibition particularly welcomes submissions from communities and individuals who have traditionally been underrepresented in galleries, museums, and cultural institutions, reinforcing its commitment to accessibility, diversity, and inclusion.
Selected photographs will be professionally printed and exhibited at the Grimsby Fishing Heritage Centre from September 2026 through January 2027, offering participants an opportunity to share their work with a wide public audience while contributing to an important visual record of North East Lincolnshire.
Categories
- Photography
- Documentary Photography
- Portrait Photography
- Landscape Photography
- Community Photography
- Mobile Photography
- Heritage Photography
- Architectural Photography
- Historical Photography
- Visual Arts
Submission themes include:
- People
- Places
- Spaces
- Historic North East Lincolnshire
Eligibility
- International applicants are eligible.
- People of all ages.
- Emerging photographers.
- Professional photographers.
- Amateur photographers.
- Students.
- Community groups.
- Collaborative teams.
- Individuals using DSLR, mirrorless, compact cameras, smartphones, or tablets.
- First-time exhibitors.
Eligibility requirements include:
- Photographs must have been taken within North East Lincolnshire.
- Images should generally have been created within the past three years.
- The three-year limit does not apply to entries submitted under the Historic North East Lincolnshire category.
- Up to three photographs may be submitted.
- Individual and collaborative submissions are accepted.
The organizers particularly encourage participation from people and communities that are often underrepresented within galleries, heritage projects, and cultural institutions.
Program Benefits & Awards
Selected participants receive numerous non-monetary professional opportunities, including:
- Inclusion in a curated public photography exhibition.
- Professional exhibition at the Grimsby Fishing Heritage Centre.
- Public exposure to local and regional audiences.
- Opportunity to contribute to a community heritage project.
- Professional printing of selected works for exhibition.
- Recognition alongside photographers from diverse backgrounds and experience levels.
- Opportunity to build an exhibition portfolio.
- Increased visibility within the regional arts and heritage sector.
- Participation in a project celebrating North East Lincolnshire's cultural identity.
Additional participant support includes:
- Free submission support sessions.
- Technical assistance with digital submissions.
- Guidance on selecting photographs.
- Information about exhibition processes.
Young photographers can also participate in a dedicated educational workshop led by photographer Kate Harling, covering photography techniques and submission guidance.
Application Fee
None
Application Requirements
- Up to three photographs.
- High-resolution JPEG files suitable for professional printing.
- Basic personal information.
- Digital image uploads.
- Photographs taken in North East Lincolnshire.
- Images created within the last three years (except Historic category).
Applicants are encouraged to review the submission guidelines, FAQs, and Terms & Conditions before submitting.
How to Apply?
Online Application
Key Dates
- Application Deadline: 20 July 2026
- Notification of Results: 31 July 2026
- Exhibition Opening: 11 September 2026
- Exhibition Closing: 3 January 2027
- Free Drop-in Support Sessions
- 7 July 2026 — Waltham Library
- 14 July 2026 — Immingham Library
Location
Grimsby, North East Lincolnshire, England, United Kingdom.
Additional Details
- Photographs may be created using any camera, including smartphones and tablets.
- Individual and collaborative submissions are welcomed.
- Participants may submit a maximum of three images.
- Historic archive photographs are accepted within the dedicated Historic North East Lincolnshire category.
- Free support sessions are available to assist applicants with image selection, technical issues, and digital submission.
- The exhibition aims to celebrate local identity while increasing representation of communities whose stories are often absent from traditional cultural spaces.
- A dedicated workshop for young people provides photography training and submission guidance, although attendance requires membership of Horizon Youth Zone.
- Applicants are encouraged to carefully review the official FAQs and Terms & Conditions before applying.