An Island of Neigbours
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North East Open Call
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An Island of Neigbours + North East Open Call +
From 24 September – 3 October 2026, Middlesbrough Art Week (MAW) returns, transforming the town with a programme of contemporary art exhibitions, events, and artist-led activity. As the North East’s largest annual contemporary art festival, MAW showcases diverse artistic practices while supporting artists working across the region and its connected communities.
Applications are now open for the North East Open Call (NEOC), a key exhibition within the MAW26 programme.
Rather than working to a fixed theme, this open call invites artists to submit work that genuinely reflects their current practice. We are not looking for responses to a curatorial brief or concept; we are interested in what artists are already making. All media and disciplines are welcome.
We welcome applications featuring existing work from artists and creatives who are from/based in the North East. Selected artists will present work as part of a group exhibition and, where appropriate, through site-responsive presentations across Middlesbrough during the festival.
The initial selection will be made by Penny Payne, NEOC Curator & NEOC Alumni Artist, alongside members of The Auxiliary Project Space and the MAW team.
Second-round applications will be reviewed by Penny Payne (NEOC Curator & NEOC Alumni Artist), David Hoyland, Director (Seventeen), and Garth Gratrix, Artist/Director (Abingdon Studios), Olivia Mason (Artist Future Fund) & Harriet Sutcliffe (Newcastle Contemporary Art)
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Middlesbrough Art Week was born in 2017 as an artist-led festival powered by The Auxiliary Project Space, a small growing team of artists, curators and coordinators, and fueled by wide reaching partnerships. MAW supports artist ecologies in the North East, connecting artistic practice and ideas with like-minded peers nationally and internationally, and is committed to practice and not just preach principles of fair work and social justice.
Deadline: 29th March
Artist Fee: £500*
*Successful artists will receive £500
Applications are now closed.
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Part 1: Simply apply to the email address below with a link to a specific work on your website, Instagram or any online portal or file transfer service that shows your work. If linking to social media i.e. instagram, please make sure we know which work you are pointing us to. You are also invited to submit a short text (max 200 words) in the email body, explaining your work. As ever, there are exceptions: for large scale works and extensive installations please contact us prior to applying. If you are submitting work for a specific intervention, or performative work etc, additional contextual information can also be submitted in the first instance. If you would like to apply with an alternative format ie video/audio then please contact us. The first round of applications are judged by the Auxiliary and Middlesbrough Art Week Team.
Email projectmanager@theauxiliary.co.uk with a link to your work.
Please use the subject header: NE Open Call 2026
Deadline: 29th March
Part 2: From the initial open call, 15 artists will be invited to apply with a more detailed proposal. They will be offered a fee of £75 to cover some of the costs involved. From the 15 submissions 5 will be chosen for exhibition at MAW26. At this point please could you also confirm where your artwork is for collection, or if you will be delivering the work to Middlesbrough. -
Exhibition: A group exhibition that forms part of MAW’s core programme
Artist Fee: £500
A Studio Visit with the NEOC curator Penny Payne (Inperson or online depending on location).
An online studio visit form one of the selection panel.
Professional photography of your work installed at MAW.
Artist Social event during MAW.
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Who’s involved in selecting the artists? The second round applications will be judged by Penny Payne NEOC Curator & NEOC Alumni Artist, David Hoyland, Director (Seventeen) and Garth Gratrix, Artist/Director (Abingdon Studios), Olivia Mason (Artist Future Fund) & Harriet Sutcliffe (Newcastle Contemporary Art)
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Whilst we can only fund a small number of artists with this particular opportunity, we are always keen to hear from artists for potential future partnerships. Please indicate if you are also happy for us to keep your contact details on file for future opportunities from Middlesbrough Art Week and The Auxiliary Project Space. Our aim is to listen to artists and seek out potential opportunities for showcasing existing work or providing new opportunities, so do let us know if you’re happy for us to contact you in the future.
All applicants will receive a line of feedback on their submission.
To hear about future opportunities please sign up to our newsletter here.
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Timeline for North East Open Call
- 2nd March: Open for applications
- 29th March (Midnight): First Round Open Call Closes
- 25th April: Shortlisted artist invited to apply with full application
- 8th May: Deadline for invited full proposals
- 22nd May : Finalists announced
- June/August: Professional Development: Virtual studio visits
- 24th September - 3th October 2026 Exhibition dates.
MEET THE SELECTORS
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MEET THE SELECTORS +
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Penny Payne
Penny is an artist & curator of North East Open Call, working on the North East coast. Through sculpture and installation, her practice considers and brings attention to overlooked women's histories. Penny has shown work at M.A.W in 2018/19/22 She also presented new work that combined research and traditional practice as part of the exhibition 'Sonia Boyce: In The Castle Of My Skin' at MIMA in 2021. Most recently Penny was part of a discussion panel for The National Gallery.
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Garth Gratrix
Garth is a contemporary artist based in the North of England whose practice explores queerness, space and materials; using self-imposed rules within a not-so-straight-line where the formal and frolicsome meet. Their work is held in permanent collections including the V&A, Contemporary Art Society and Grundy Art Gallery, and they have exhibited internationally and alongside artists inc. Derek Jarman, Felix Gonzalez-Torres, David Hockney, Helen Cammock, Rene Matic, and Lubaina Himid. Alongside their artistic work, they are Founder and Director of Abingdon Studios, an artist-led organisation in Blackpool -supporting production, commissioning and cultural infrastructure for early and mid-career artists.
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Dr. Harriet Sutcliffe
Harriet is the Director of Newcastle Contemporary Art and an artist, curator, and researcher. She is also an Associate Lecturer at Newcastle University, where she completed her PhD in 2021 on radical art school pedagogy and the Basic Course at King’s College. Her recent curatorial projects include Listening to the Voices of the Rivers, Delaine Le Bas: + Fabricating My Own Myth – Red Threads and Silver Needles, and Harry Lawson: Stepney Western (Newcastle Contemporary Art, 2025), Mirror Nerons (Hatton Gallery, 2024), Matt Rugg: Connecting Form (Hatton Gallery, 2023), Undutiful Spirit (BALTIC Artists’ Archive Residency, 2022). Her practice, rooted in place, engages with collections, sites, and archives through installation, sculpture, writing, and workshops - often uncovering overlooked histories and narratives.
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Olivia Mason
Olivia is a seasoned development leader with over a decade of experience widening public access to art and culture. She has led stakeholder engagement, philanthropy, income generation, and programme delivery across major UK institutions, including a senior development role at Tate. She drives sustainable income growth, builds high-impact partnerships, and delivers complex projects that create lasting impact for organisations and their communities. Working closely with Boards and senior leaders, Olivia is passionate about championing and advocating for enhanced diversity and inclusivity across the arts sector, and is committed to making the arts welcoming, accessible, and relevant to everyone.
