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Are you an artist using photomontage or collage to question dominant narratives? Share your work with us by 12 January for an opportunity to exhibit it online with Autograph's support!
Are you an artist working with collage and/or photomontage to question or disrupt dominant narratives? We’re inviting artists who have a series of work (by which we mean 10 or more pieces) to share your work with us.
Our panel of judges will select their favourite(s) and the successful applicants’ work will be featured in an online gallery on Autograph's website, and will receive a £400 fee as well as editorial support from Autograph's experienced staff.
We welcome submissions from people of all ages, based anywhere in the world. Text captions need to be provided in English. The call for artists is free to enter, and the deadline for submissions is 10am on Monday 12 January 2026.
This call for artists is inspired by Autograph’s exhibition I Still Dream of Lost Vocabularies, examining issues of political dissent and erasure through the idea of collage.
In order to apply please complete this Google Form. At this stage, we are asking to see just three images that are representative of your work and which speak to the theme. If you are shortlisted, we will be in touch to ask to see more of your work.
The deadline to apply is 10am, Monday 12 January 2026.
Autograph's online content aims to be accessible, compassionate and progressive. We want our content to bring joy, understanding, awareness and action. To do this, we need a multiplicity of voices and perspectives involved, which is why we want to hear from you.
If your application is successful, Autograph's experienced staff will work with you to:
• discuss your work and support you in displaying it to the public via Autograph's website
• publish your work online and share it with others
• promote the work in our newsletter, on our social media channels and via our networks
We will feature the work of the successful artist on Autograph's website and social media. Submissions will be shortlisted by a panel of judges including:
Bindi is Autograph's Senior Curator and a photographic artist. She has exhibited internationally, including at The Photographers’ Gallery in London and Belfast Exposed.
Sunil is a photographer focusing on issues of race, migration and queerness. His work can be found in many private and public collections. A major retrospective of his work was held at the Photographers' Gallery in 2021.
Livvy manages Autograph's digital content and learning programmes. They have a particular interest in programming around queer identity and disability justice issues.
In 2024, Jermaine Francis produced six new works titled A Pleasant Land - The Muted Sounds of a Black Odyssey. Completed as part of the Autograph x Light Work Artist Residency, the work reflects on the intertwined histories and landscapes of Jamaica and Britain by combining archival images - specifically that of Jamaican individuals from the Victorian era - with contemporary self-portraits taken in English landscapes.
You can find out more about the work in this collection highlight.
In 2022, Autograph commissioned artist Reena Saini Kallat to produce 28 digital collages and an illustrative map which examine how different nationalities' passports grant or deny access to international travel, addressing the ever-shifting politics of border mobility and inequity.
Collectively titled Pattern Recognition, each work in the series represents one country – a single collaged page, layering images sourced from the internet and news. You can find out more about this commission here.
Can I have a physical exhibition in Autograph's gallery space?
This is not an opportunity for an exhibition in Autograph's gallery.
Does the work need to be new?
No, we do not expect you to make new work for this open call. The successful artist will receive a fee of £400. This is not intended to cover the cost of producing new work.
How many images can I share?
At this initial submission stage, we are asking to see just 3 images that represent your work using photomontage and/or collage to address the theme. If you are shortlisted, we will be in touch to ask to see more of your work. For the final image gallery, we are looking to share around 10 - 20 images in total.
Who is this opportunity for?
We're keen to work with emerging artists who are in the early stages of their artistic career on this opportunity. Emerging artists can be of any age or educational background, and we wouldn't expect you to have had a mainstream platform for your work before.
Will I retain the copyright for my work if selected?
Yes, copyright for any images you submit will remain with you. We will credit all images with your name and sign off all captioning information with you before sharing the work publicly.
Do I have to be based in the UK to apply?
No! We are accepting submissions from people based anywhere in the world.
Can I apply as part of a collective?
You're welcome to apply as a collective if you have worked together on a series of work that you wish to submit.
Will you provide feedback if I'm not selected?
We are a small team and we are not able to offer individual feedback for applicants who are not successful. Often the reason we’re not able to support your work is due to our limited capacity rather than the quality of your submission so please don’t be disheartened and feel free to engage with our future open calls.
Can I submit images that have already been published or exhibited elsewhere?
Yes, though please bear in mind that we are looking to support emerging artists with this platform, so are less likely to shortlist artists who have had already had significant exposure for a body of work.
I have an unanswered question, how can I contact you?
Get in touch with us by emailing info@autograph-abp.co.uk
By entering the Call for Artists you are accepting the following:
1. Usage rights: By submitting your work, you grant Autograph the right to display the selected photographs for promotional use about the project, including on Autograph’s website, social media, advertising and in press.
2. Data consent: You allow Autograph to collect, process, store and use your personal data (name and email) for this open call. You can access, correct, or delete your data anytime by emailing info@autograph-abp.co.uk
3. Model releases: You have obtained permission from any individuals depicted in your work, and have model release forms where required. For images of children aged under 18, a release form signed by a parent or legal guardian is necessary to enter this call for photos. An example of a model release form is available here.
4. Ethical considerations: Ensure your photos respect ethical guidelines to protect vulnerable individuals. We recommend reviewing the standards of the National Press Photographers Association and UNICEF for reporting on children.
5. Credit line: All photographs used by Autograph will include your name and credit line. Any inadvertent omission of this credit line by Autograph will not be considered a breach of the terms of the call for photographs.
6. Liability: You acknowledge that Autograph is not responsible for and will not be held liable for any misuse of your images.
7. Working agreement: The successful applicant/s will receive a working agreement for the use of their images, outlining further details on the above.
10 Oct 2025 – 21 Mar 2026
A free exhibition examining political dissent and erasure through the idea of collage
This Call for Artists is programmed to coincide with the exhibition I Still Dream of Lost Vocabularies which is supported using public funding from Arts Council England. Also supported by the African Arts Trust.
Banner image: Thato Toeba, Man on Fire [detail], 2017. © and courtesy the artist.
Images on page: 1) Jermaine Francis, Surveying the sea for the souls of the Transatlantic, Falmouth, England, 2024 / The muted sounds of picturesque Jamaica, A. Duperly & Son, 1895-1905, from the series A Pleasant Land - The Muted Sounds of a Black Odyssey, 2024. © and courtesy the artist. 2) Reena Saini Kallat, Bangladesh, from the series Pattern Recognition, 2022. Commissioned by Autograph for Critical Times: Dialogues in Contemporary Photography, supported by the Bagri Foundation. © and courtesy of the artist.
Exhibition: Sabrina Tirvengadum and Mark Allred, Family [detail], 2023. © and courtesy the artists.
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Autograph is a space to see things differently. Since 1988, we have championed photography that explores issues of race, identity, representation, human rights and social justice, sharing how photographs reflect lived experiences and shape our understanding of ourselves and others.
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