The PEOPLES Hall

CONNECTION EXHIBITION is a pop up show in The People’s Hall, Nottingham.

Submission deadline: Midnight, Monday 2nd November

This November, Art Fest is taking over The People’s Hall and filling its walls, rooms and unexpected spaces with art.

The People’s Hall has an incredible creative history. In 1843, the building became home to Nottingham’s first School of Design, established to train local artists and designers for the city’s growing lace and textile industries. Almost 200 years later, we want to fill the building with artists again.

As part of our 2026 programme, Build a City For Artists, we’re inviting artists to submit existing work to be part of the exhibition.

• Who can submit?

  The open call is open to artists working across all visual art disciplines. You do not need to be a professional artist or have exhibited your work before.

  We welcome artists working in graffiti, muralism, painting, illustration, photography, collage, graphic design, typography, digital art and other visual art disciplines.

• Is there an artist fee?

  There is no artist fee for taking part in this open exhibition.

  For that reason, we are not asking artists to create new work or develop proposals for us. We want you to submit work that you have already made.

  Art Fest will cover the costs and work involved in printing, curating, installing and removing the exhibition.

  The work installed throughout The People’s Hall will be temporary reproductions rather than original artworks, so the installations themselves will not be available to purchase. We will provide information about participating artists so visitors can discover more of their work and contact or buy from artists directly.

• How many artists will be selected and how will you choose them?

  We’re aiming to exhibit work from 50+ artists, although the final number will depend on the submissions we receive and the spaces available within the building.

  The number of works selected from each artist may also vary.

  Art Fest and our Advisory Board will review the submissions and curate the exhibition based on the quality and suitability of the work, its relationship to the exhibition and how individual pieces work within the different spaces available throughout The People’s Hall.

• What is the theme and what kind of artwork can I submit?

  The theme for this exhibition at Art Fest 2026 is Building a Building for Artists.

  This sits within our wider Art Fest 2026 theme, Build a City For Artists, which explores what it means to make space for artists within a city and the role artists play in shaping the places where we live.

  Your work doesn't need to interpret either theme literally, but we do ask that you submit work you feel fits within them.

  We welcome graffiti, muralism, painting, illustration, photography, collage, graphic design, typography, digital artwork and work from other visual art disciplines.

  The main requirement is that your work can be reproduced as a flat, printed image.

• Can I submit more than one artwork?

  Yes. In fact, we'd encourage you to send us a selection.

  The exhibition is being curated around the different spaces and architectural features within The People’s Hall, so having several pieces to choose from will help us find the work that best fits the building.

  The number of works selected from each artist may vary.

• Does my artwork need to be black and white?

  No. Your original artwork can be in colour, but all work in the exhibition will be reproduced in black and white.

  You don't need to convert it yourself. By submitting colour artwork, you're letting us know that you're happy for it to be considered for reproduction in black and white.

  We’re bringing together work from lots of different artists within The People’s Hall. Using a single black-and-white palette will help bring different artists, styles and disciplines together as one collective installation while allowing each artwork to retain its own identity.

  Black and white will also form part of the visual identity of the exhibition.

• How will my artwork be reproduced and displayed?

  This is not a traditional exhibition.

  Art Fest will reproduce selected artworks onto adhesive paper and temporarily install them across the walls, rooms and architectural features of The People’s Hall.

  Your work might be relatively small, or it could be enlarged to several metres and take over a significant part of the building.

  Art Fest will take care of the printing, curation, installation and de-installation. You won't need to print or install anything yourself.

  We may convert colour artwork into black and white and scale work up or down to suit its location. We won't crop or materially alter your artwork without discussing it with you first.

  Once you have confirmed that you are happy to take part, the exact location of your work within the building will remain a surprise until the exhibition.

  If you're unable to make it to the show, we'll send participating artists high-resolution photographs of the installations after the exhibition has finished.

  Copyright remains with you. Submitting your work gives Art Fest permission to consider it for the exhibition; it does not transfer ownership or copyright to Art Fest. If selected, we'll ask for your permission to reproduce and exhibit the specific artwork before we print it.

  The installations are being produced specifically for The People’s Hall and will be removed after the exhibition. As they are printed onto adhesive paper, it is unlikely that the physical reproductions can be salvaged following de-installation.

• When is the deadline, when will I hear back and when is the exhibition?

  Submissions close at 11:59PM on Monday 2 November 2026.

  Artists will be contacted that week. If you're selected, we'll contact you directly and request the final high-resolution artwork needed for printing.

  The exhibition takes place at The People’s Hall, Nottingham City Centre:

  Opening Night: Friday 20 November, 18:00–22:00
  Friday 20 November: 10:00–17:00
  Saturday 21 November: 10:00–17:00
  Sunday 22 November: 10:00–17:00

• What size or resolution does my artwork need to be?

  For your initial submission, don't worry about sending enormous files. We just need a good-quality image that allows us to review your work.

  If selected, we'll ask you for the highest-resolution version you have available.

  Because some artworks may be significantly enlarged, the final size we can reproduce your work at will depend on the quality and nature of the original file.

  Don't worry if you're unsure whether your file is large enough — send us the work you want us to consider and we'll work out what's possible.

• How do I submit?

  Complete the online submission form and send us the artworks you'd like us to consider.

  You can submit as many artworks as you like.

  There is no application fee and you do not need to create anything new specifically for this open call.

  Submission deadline: 11:59PM, Monday 2 November 2026.