Leeds Artists Show 2023

What are the criteria for submission?

The exhibition is open to all artists or collectives aged 18 and above. Selected artists must live or work in Leeds. All those who have a Leeds postcode and/or who pay their council tax to Leeds City Council will be eligible. Eligible addresses also includes postcodes that fall within the Leeds local authority that do not begin with LS (BD10, BD11, 3 & 4 / WF10, 12, 17, 2 & 3).

All applicants will be asked to give a Leeds postcode for either their place of residence or place of employment/studio space in Leeds. Applications are accepted from artists working in any medium including, but not limited to; painting, sculpture, moving image, photography, drawing, performances, textile art or installation.

Work submitted must have been made during or after the year 2019.

Artists working collaboratively as part of collectives are eligible to apply if they fulfil the above criteria.

Why is there a focus on Leeds artists?

We have decided to focus on the flourishing and vibrant scene with this exhibition which takes place during LEEDS 2023 Year of Culture. Previous open submission exhibitions at Leeds Art Gallery have had a focus on the Yorkshire region.

What medium of artwork(s) is acceptable?

Any medium of work made after 2019. We are open to submissions in a wide range of different mediums, including painting, performance, drawing, digital media, textile art and sculpture.

What is the deadline for submission?

Applications for the Leeds Artists Show open on Wednesday 14 September and close at 11pm on Sunday 16 October 2022.

Any applications made after this date cannot be considered.

What do I need to submit?

Required:

• A maximum of 3 examples of artwork, all made during or after 2019.
• You must have completed the online form on this page.
• Statement up to 250 words. Please provide a short description about you and your work.
• Description of the artwork/s (theme/approach) up to 250 words.

Please note:

• Only work made during or after 2019 will be considered.
• Images should be uploaded in either JPG or PNG format with a maximum file size of 2MB. No other formats will be accepted.
• Each image file must be named with your surname, first name, work title and a number from 1-3 e.g. SmithJohn_Artwork title_1.jpg. This number should correspond with the image information on your online application form.
• If your work or documentation involves moving image or sound, you can upload these via the online form as long as these are under 10MB or no longer than 5 minutes in length. If longer than 5 minutes in length please share a link to the full film on YouTube or Vimeo and paste links in the relevant boxes. We also ask that you upload a 5 minute clip of any longer films as well as linking to third party sites where the full film can be watched.
• You may submit a mixture of images, audio links and videos but only a maximum of 3 examples of your practice in total.
• Please bear in mind that the selection panel will be making their selection from the visual material submitted. If selected you are selected for the exhibition, Leeds Art Gallery curators may also arrange a studio visit to discuss the work for the show.
• Please do not email or post in any additional material, including catalogues, photographs or anything further in support of your application. This cannot and will not be reviewed by the selection panel and it will not be possible to return such materials to you.

Is there an age restriction for applicants?

Yes, this opportunity is open to artists who are aged 18 and above.

Is there a theme to the submissions or exhibition?

Not at the application stage. The curators will decide whether or not to highlight certain themes in their curation of the selected works.

If I work as part of a collaborative partnership or group, can we still apply?

Yes. Please designate one person from the collective to submit the application. If your application is successful, that person will become the main point of contact for the exhibition.

Can I submit more than one application?

No. We would like you to submit the 3 most representative examples of your recent work, therefore second applications from artists will not be considered. If, however, you work collaboratively as well as individually, you may submit an application as yourself and as a member of your group.

Can I submit as part of a collective and as an individual?

Yes.

How long must I have lived in Leeds to apply?

We do not specify an amount of time that we expect you to have lived or worked in Leeds but selected artists will be asked to provide proof of address or work address in the form of a recent utility bill (sent within the last 3 months), bank statement, or salary slip. We cannot accept mobile phone bills.

Is there a fee to enter?

No, we believe that a fee presents a barrier to access.

Can the artist statement be written by someone else?

Yes, we accept descriptions written by someone else, as long as they do not exceed 250 words.

How many examples of my work can I submit?

Artists can submit up to 3 examples of their practice. These can be in the form of images, web URLs or a combination of both, e.g. 2 images, and 1 web URL. Work will be selected from the visual or audio material submitted.

How do I upload a video work, digital work or documentation of a performance/event/installation/sound work?

If your film is longer than 5 minutes, please make a trailer or an edit of your work of 5 minutes and upload this via the form, as well as including a URL link to the full film on a third party site for example Vimeo, YouTube or SoundCloud. If submitting a web-based artwork please provide the URL to the website.

Does a multi-part work count as one work?

Yes.

Why must submitted artworks have been made since 2019?

The aim of the Leeds Artists Show is to provide a snapshot of contemporary art practice in Leeds at this time.

Can I apply with a new work that I would make specifically for the Leeds Artists Show?

We will choose applicants from the works submitted in the application form, not from proposals. If you are selected to exhibit, the works submitted will be used to make a selection for the show. In specific cases other works may be discussed individually with the curators if you are selected.

Can I apply with an unfinished work?

Yes, works in progress can be submitted. However, please make sure they are presented in a way that’s easily understood as such: artists will be selected from the supplied material only.

Are there any size restrictions on work I submit?

No, there is no size restrictions on actual works, but all work submitted should be able to be exhibited at Leeds Art Gallery and fit through our doorways or be able to be dissembled into constituent parts and re-built within the gallery space. If you are selected, we will discuss specific dimensions in more detail.

Can the work have been exhibited elsewhere before?

Yes, work can have been exhibited elsewhere, it is not a disadvantage.

Can I send supporting material by post?

No, please do not send additional catalogues, photographic or other material in support of your application to the gallery. We will receive a high number of applications and it will not be possible for the selectors to review additional material. It will also not be possible to return such material to you.

Can I work on my application form over a number of days and save changes as I go?

Please note you are unable to save your application mid-way and so we recommend applicants work into a word document and then copy and paste into the fields of the online form. A word document will also allow word length to be checked before copying and pasting.

I am having a problem proceeding with my application. What do I do?

Please make sure that your internet browser is up-to-date. If the problem continues, please email us at [email protected] (please be aware that any technical issues experienced over the weekend cannot be dealt with until the following Monday). If you experience technical issues on the final weekend before the deadline and are unable to contact anyone at the gallery, we will accept applications sent through to the address above but only in these extenuating circumstances.

Please check the size of image files and video links before submitting.

I am unable to submit online, can I submit my work as a hard copy?

In case of special access needs or if you are unable to submit your work online, please contact us by email at [email protected] so that we can provide you with a word document application form or discuss any other ways of supporting your application.

I do not have access to a computer and am submitting a hard copy of the application form. What format must my images be in?

Please phone the gallery on 0113 378 5350 who can arrange for a hard copy of the application form to be sent out to you. Images must be printed out no larger than A4 size and must have your Full Name and the number on them, which corresponds to the information on your application form.

I require assistance with form-filling or would prefer my statement to not be in written form due to access needs/requirements

Please contact exhibitions curator Holly Grange either by phoning 0113 378 5350 (Monday-Thursday) or emailing [email protected]

Holly will be happy to discuss alternative means of submitting your statement as well as provide assistance with form filling where required.

How do I know my application has been received?

If you submit your application electronically, you will receive an electronic receipt by email. If you post a hard copy of your application, you will be contacted by post or by telephone to inform you that your application has been received.

The exhibition aims to showcase original work made over the past three years and to reflect the diversity and vibrancy of the Leeds art scene. The selection panel are asked to bring their expertise to consider work that they feel collectively is important, relevant and timely.

When will I hear back?

The call for entries closes at 11pm on Sunday 16 October 2022. Final decisions about the selection will be made by the end of October. Candidates will be informed by mid-November at the latest.

Derek Horton

A writer-curator based in Leeds. He was Director of Research in Contemporary Art at Leeds Metropolitan University (now Leeds Beckett University) until 2008, developing an internationally recognised practice-based PhD programme. He co-founded the online magazines ‘/seconds’ with Peter Lewis in 2005 and ‘Soanyway’ with Lisa Stansbie in 2009. Derek has exhibited artworks and published writing. He is a co-director of &Model, the curatorial collaboration with Chris Bloor and James Chinneck. In their gallery in central Leeds they exhibited over 300 artists from the UK, Europe and the USA between 2013 and 2017. He is currently working freelance for Touchstones Rochdale as a research curator on an exhibition for 2023, ‘A Radical Decade: Rochdale Art Gallery in the 1980s’, funded by the Paul Mellon Center for Studies in British Art. Derek Horton (academia.edu)

Kadish Morris

An editor, writer, art critic and poet who lives and works between London and Leeds. She is currently a critic and journalist for The Observer, where she previously worked as a commissioning editor. Before that, she was a staff writer at frieze. Her bylines include The Guardian, The Financial Times, frieze, Art Review, RA Magazine, Vice, Dazed & AnOther. She is a winner of the 2020 Eric Gregory Prize for poets under 30. Kadish Morris

Hardeep Pandhal

An artist born in Birmingham, Hardeep studied for his BA Fine Art at Leeds Metropolitan University (now Leeds Beckett University) from 2004-2007 before studying at The Glasgow School of Art. He now lives and works in Glasgow and has had solo exhibitions at galleries including Tramway, Glasgow; New Art Exchange and Primary, Nottingham; Cubitt, London; Glasgow International 2018; Berwick Film and Media Arts Festival, Berwick-upon-Tweed; Eastside Projects, Birmingham. Hardeep’s work is also included in British Art Show 9, which will next tours to Plymouth (9 October – 23 December 2022). Hardeep Pandhal

Jane Bhoyroo

Principal keeper at Leeds Art Gallery. Previously Jane was the producer of Yorkshire Sculpture International. She has curated a major Joseph Beuys exhibition in partnership with Artist Rooms and Tate, and led the public programme for British Art Show 8 at Leeds Art Gallery. She was previously director of S1 Artspace, Sheffield and sculpture curator for the Arts Council Collection. She was visual arts relationship manager at Arts Council England based in Cambridge from 2004-1010. Jane began her career in London in the mid-1990s at Matt’s Gallery and Anthony Reynolds Gallery. She studied on De Appel’s Curatorial Programme in Amsterdam and has an MA in History of Art from The Courtauld Institute of Art. She is the chair of Transform Festival and a trustee of original projects.

Holly Grange

Exhibitions curator at Leeds Art Gallery. Previously Holly was curator of the Musgrave Kinley Outsider Art Collection at the Whitworth, Manchester from 2016-2020, and has held curatorial roles at S1 Artspace, The Hepworth Wakefield and Tate St Ives. She has worked with artists and collectives including: Assemble, Michel Auder, Zadie Xa, Simon Fujiwara, Alex Katz and others.

Isabelle Marklew

An upcoming performance artist and sculptor based in Leeds; Isabelle is representing the Leeds Art Gallery Youth Collective. Their drag persona Xero Phucse is a rising star in the local queer nightlife scene, performing regularly at events like Dirt Dykes and AGEOFTHE. Isabelle is currently in their third year of BA(Hons) Fine Art at Leeds Arts University, specialising in sculpture and video art.