Open call for Jerwood/Photoworks Awards (United Kingdom)

Now in their fifth edition, the Awards are for UK-based artists who are between one and ten years into their practice to realise ambitious new works for a national touring exhibition. They particularly seek to encourage artists exploring new approaches to photography.

Funding Information

• Two artists will receive a £15,000 award each (comprising £10,000 fee and £5,000 production budget) with a full package of support from Photoworks and Jerwood Foundation to create new work over a 12-month period. This includes:
  • £10,000 artist fee
  • £5,000 production budget
  • Access to a £5,000 printing budget from print partner Spectrum Photographic
  • Mentoring support from a high-profile international pool of experts for at least 12-months
  • Curatorial support from Photoworks and Jerwood Foundation
  • A two-person exhibition in London as part of the Jerwood Foundation programme at Jerwood Space (from October 2022)
  • A UK touring exhibition
• The full value of each award package is £32,000.

What are the jerwood/photoworks awards looking to support? 

• They are looking for bold and original proposals to make new work(s) in photography that will represent a step-change in your practice. They want to support ambitious ideas that will benefit significantly from the research and development period enabled by the awards, for example by enabling experimentation with new and ambitious ways of working with photography.
• The awards seek to support the potential of new approaches to photography. The Photoworks team provides 1:1 guidance and developmental support to the two awardees, working alongside them on the curatorial and logistical development of their proposal. In addition, a high-profile pool of artists and curators is available to the awardees as mentors and critical friends to help them realise their proposal and develop their practice throughout the 12 months from selection to exhibition and beyond.

Who are the jerwood/photoworks awards for? 

• There is no educational requirement or age limit to apply.
• They welcome applications from individual artists and those working in collaborative practices who:
  • Are working with photography and believe photography to be central to their practice now and in the future.
  • Are between one and ten years into their professional artistic practice working with photography at the time of applying. This means they consider the beginning of their professional artistic practice to have started after May 2014, and no later than May 2024, unless you have had a career break, or your career trajectory has been significantly affected for health or care reasons.
  • Have applied in previous editions, as well as those who have not.
  • Have the legal right to work in the UK, are resident in the UK, and with the intention to continue residence within the UK until December 2026 (you do not need to be a British National).
• The following are not eligible for the Jerwood/Photoworks Awards:
  • Anyone who is undertaking full or part-time formal education at any point between September 2021 and October 2022 (including dissertation writing).
  • Artists who are not based in the UK.
  • Artists whose primary practice is another artform, including moving image work which is not eligible for the Jerwood/Photoworks Awards.

Selection Criteria

• The assessors will consider applications based on the following criteria:
  • The quality and track record of the individual artist or collective’s existing practice, including examples of work, key career moments and recent work.
  • The vision and ideas of the proposal for new work(s).
  • The potential impact of the Jerwood/Photoworks Awards on the development of the individual artist or collaborative practice at this moment in time.

For more information, visit Photoworks.