The 2021 Open Art Competition & Selling Exhibition

(Shoreline, Gairloch by Jane Lampard)

Our “all new” open art competition is open to any artist, in any medium including painting, photography, sculpture, drawing, ceramics, printmaking and film.

We have new categories, new prizes, new sponsors, new judges and a new exhibition venue!

Artists’ work that is selected for the final judging stage will be exhibited in an exclusive selling exhibition during the Broadway Arts Festival from 4 -13 June 2021.

The main entry deadline(5pm Friday 23rd April 2021) has now passed. Late entries received by 5pm 30th April incur an entry fee of £20 per piece. We understand some of you need a little extra time!

Prizes include:

Main prize £1000 (any medium) sponsored by Wychavon District Council
Painting in Oils Prize £500 sponsored by Trinity House Gallery
Watercolour Prize £500 sponsored by John Noott Galleries
Sculpture Prize £500 sponsored by Priory Gallery
Prize for best entry from a recent Fine Arts graduate £500 sponsored by The Stratford Gallery
Photography Categories sponsored by the Peter Martin Gallery
- Best Photographic Essay – “Surviving Isolation in the Year of Covid” (between 5 and 8 images to be submitted) £500
- Best Photographic Portrait – “The Face of 2020” £250
- Best Photographic Image – “How 2020 Impacted my Life” £250

We have a new panel of esteemed judges, including category judges from the sponsoring galleries. Find out more about our 2021 judges

Please note: There is no theme this year (apart from the photographic categories)

Up to three entries per artist permitted (over 18s only) – only 1 piece to have side dimensions over 1 metre. You can submit multiple entries for the same prize category (up to three).

The preliminary judging will be via electronic images. We require one titled image per piece entered (and up to 8 images for the photo essay entry), either as a jpeg sent via email or a photograph (matt finish) posted with the completed entry form. When entering more than 1 piece, image files must be named in line with the name of the piece entered.

Prize for best entry from a recent Fine Arts graduate: Please note you will need to have graduated in the last 3 years and be required to provide proof should your entry make it into the final 200.

Photography Prizes: Please read all the additional information relating to the photographic prizes before submitting your entries.

Please email your completed entry form and images to Kate Chapman at competition@broadwayartsfestival.com

Please note: the title and price of your entry cannot be altered once the entry has been submitted. As 35% of the sale price of sold work will go to defray the costs of curating the competition and supporting the charitable work of the Broadway Arts Festival, please price your work accordingly.

Entrants will be notified (via email) by May 7th whether their pieces have made it through to the final 200 and the exclusive selling exhibition.

Prize winners will be announced on May 17th.

For the 200 finalists that make it through to the exhibition, the handing in dates are Thursday 27th May or Saturday 29th May and you will be given a choice of time slots to book in advance nearer the time.

Handing in will take place at the exhibition venue, Theatrebarn Bretforton (postcode WR11 7JH).

The open art competition selling exhibition will be hosted at Theatrebarn in 2021 in the beautiful, light buildings surrounding the garden courtyard, open daily from Friday 4th – Sunday 13th June (free entry and no need to book). Outdoor sculpture will be displayed in the lawned garden courtyard.

There will be an exclusive Private View of the exhibition for festival VIPs, judges, Benefactors and sponsors on the opening evening of Friday 4th June at 6:30pm. Prize winners will be invited to the private view which include a photo opportunity.

Handing back days for unsold pieces are Sunday 13th June and Monday 14th June.

Download Entry Form

Competition Judges

Theatrebarn in Bretforton – venue for the selling exhibition