News Story
Are you a photographer?
Do you live in the West Midlands?
Are you over 18?
If so, we have the perfect exhibition for you.
Midlands Arts Centre (MAC) and Birmingham-based photography network Prism are proud to present Prism Open 2025: a free to enter photography exhibition for photographs responding to the theme of ‘belonging’.
This opportunity is open to professional and non-professional artists alike, and is for anyone over the age of 18 who lives in the West Midlands. The selectors will choose up to 15 photographs for display in an exhibition at MAC’s Community Gallery between 15 March - 26 May 2025.
All participating artists will receive a fee of £100, invitations to development, advice and networking events associated with Prism Open 2025 and feature across MAC’s socials and website.
Theme of 'belonging'
Our need to belong defines who we are, our kinship with others giving meaning to our lives. Yet in a world more divided than ever, it also shapes how we see each other. Some find it in a place, a landscape, in a local club or community others through work, family, heritage and faith.
The selectors
Rachel Bradley is a curator, public art commissioner and writer based in the West Midlands. Her focus is place-based practice, and she recently curated MAC exhibitions, The Butterfly Effect and Worlds Away: Art, Nature and Wellbeing.
Francesco Falciani is an executive Director of Prism photography network and documentary photographer based in Birmingham.
Rachel Segal Hamilton is a writer and editor with a specialism in photography. She has been Contributing Editor for the Royal Photographic Society since 2018, is a regular writer for British Journal of Photography and author of two books on photography, Love Story and Unseen London, published by Hoxton Mini Press.
Marley Starskey Butler is a multidisciplinary artist and social worker. They work within visual, audio, and written mediums through themes of opposites, parallels, memory, love, loss, reflection, process, and play.
Deadline for applications: Friday 3 January 2025, 5pm
How to apply
Email for applications: [email protected]
- Send us your name, location and a short paragraph (100 words max) about you and your photograph, why you are submitting it to the Prism Open 2025 and how you are responding to the theme of ‘belonging’.
- Please contact [email protected] if you have access needs or would like to respond by video or audio.
- Attach ONE image only (JPEG) which needs to be 2MB and around 300 dpi.
- Artists will be responsible for the production and costs of producing their photograph if selected, as well as for delivery to MAC. The maximum size of print accepted is A1.
- Presentation of your photograph will be discussed with you. Framing will be provided where necessary.
- The £100 fee will be payable to the artist on delivery of your work to MAC in early March 2025.
Who can apply
The only criteria are that you live in the West Midlands and are over 18 years old. We welcome applications from early career to established artists, including people who are self-taught. We welcome applications that reflect the diversity of the West Midlands population.
Selection process
Selection will take place in January 2025. If you have not heard from MAC by Monday 27 January 2025, your application has regrettably been unsuccessful, but we are grateful for your interest.
