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Current URL: royalulsteracademy.oess1.uk
Client Name: Royal Ulster Academy of Arts
Logo: https://s3.eu-west-2.amazonaws.com/oess-uk1/clientimages/911888082-34mainlogo.png
Call for Entries 2025
Founded in 1879, the Royal Ulster Academy of Arts is the largest and longest-established body of practicing visual artists in Northern Ireland. One of its founding principles was to hold an annual exhibition showcasing work by both members and non-members of merit, welcoming submissions from across the island of Ireland and beyond.
The Academy is dedicated to advancing public education th...
Open for Entry
Entry Deadline: 10/07/2025, 5pm
Exhibition Location: UK
Exhibition Type: Gallery and Online
Call for Entries 2025
Founded in 1879, the Royal Ulster Academy of Arts is the largest and longest-established body of practicing visual artists in Northern Ireland. One of its founding principles was to hold an annual exhibition showcasing work by both members and non-members of merit, welcoming submissions from across the island of Ireland and beyond.
The Academy is dedicated to advancing public education through the promotion and exhibition of fine and applied arts, providing a platform for artists from Northern Ireland, the wider Irish arts community, and international contributors
Now in its 144th year, this event remains one of the highlights of the Northern Irish arts calendar. The 144th Annual Exhibition will run at the Ulster Museum, Belfast from Mid-October 2025 to 6th January 2026.
The Royal Ulster Academy welcomes submissions from emerging and established artists across all disciplines of the visual arts, regardless of nationality or country of residence. Initial submissions must be made online
Amongst the £10,000 in prizes, there will be a number of new and exciting awards and prizes this year such as The Leonora Miller award £2000, The Irish News Award £1000 for the best work from the open submission category.
A new collaboration with Historic Royal Palaces — the independent charity that cares for Hillsborough Castle & Gardens. Together, we are introducing the Hillsborough Castle and Gardens Irish Landscape Award.
This new award celebrates the remarkable talent of Irish artists and their vivid portrayals of our landscapes. The winner of this award will have the opportunity to display the winning piece at Hillsborough Castle during the 2026 visitor season.
This year's guest adjudicator is Richard Wakely
Richard, outgoing Artistic Director & CEO of the Belfast International Arts Festival after 23 years, will select the top three prizes for our 2025 exhibition. His expertise and long-standing connection to the festival, which proudly features the RUA Annual Exhibition, make him the perfect choice to celebrate artistic excellence.
Embrace your creativity with BradburyART, your local family-owned art supplies store, and enjoy an extra 10% discount online or in-store as we proudly support the Royal Ulster Academy’s call for submissions—let’s get painting together!
Voucher code - RUA
Valid until 31st March 2026
Call Status: Open for Entry
Exhibition Location: UK
Exhibition Type: Gallery and Online
Entry Deadline: 10/07/2025, 5pm
Exhibition Contact: info@royalulsteracademy.org
Submission Period:
Start: Saturday, 1st March 2025
Deadline: Thursday, 10th July 2025
Selection Process:
First Stage Selection Completed: Tuesday, 22nd July 2025
Artists, please log in to your account for pre-selection notifications.
Delivery for Physical Selection:
Sunday, 3rd August 2025
Location: RUA Offices, Alpha House, 1 Rosemary Street, Belfast, BT1 1QA
Note: All hanging attachments must be removed from artwork prior to delivery.
DUBLIN DROP OFF :
Date: Sunday, 3rd August 2025
Dublin Pick-Up Point:
Location: Molesworth Street, Dublin
Time: Approximately 1:00 PM to 2:30 PM
Booking: Contact Brian at brian@tomcaldwellgallery.com to reserve your place or for further details.
Final Selection:
Completed: Monday, 11th August 2025
Exhibition Details:
Open to Public: 19th October 2025 to Tuesday, 4th January 2026
Venue: Ulster Museum, open Tuesday to Sunday, 10:00 AM to 5:00 PM
Standard Prices.
Maximum Artwork Entries: 3
First or Single Entry Price: £20.00
Up to 2 artworks: £35.00
Up to 3 artworks: £50.00
When entering this call, the organisers request that you answer the following questions.
Royal Ulster Academy of Arts
144th RUA Annual Exhibition - Call for Entries 2025
PLEASE READ THE TERMS AND CONDITIONS BELOW BEFORE PAYING AS NO REFUNDS CAN BE GIVEN.
Overview
Founded in 1879, the Royal Ulster Academy of Arts (RUA) is Northern Ireland's largest and longest-established body of practicing visual artists. One of its founding principles was to hold an annual exhibition featuring works from both members and non-members of merit. Now in its 144th year, this event remains a highlight of the Northern Irish arts calendar. The 144th Annual Exhibition will be held at the Ulster Museum, Belfast, from October 2025 to 6th January 2026
Eligibility
- Open to visual artists working in all mediums: painting, drawing, original prints, photography, video, textiles, ceramics, sculpture.
- Artists must be over 18 years old.
- Work must have been created between 2023 and 2025.
- Work previously exhibited in Northern Ireland will not be accepted.
- The RUA reserves the right to reject work believed to be in breach of copyright.
Prints.
-Entries must be original works of art. Original prints, such as etchings, lithographs, screen prints, or other artist-created printmaking techniques, are admissible. Reproductions or copies of original artworks, including giclée prints or digital reproductions of paintings, drawings, or other media, are not permitted.
Key Dates:
Submission Start: 1st March 2025
Submission Deadline: 10th July 2025
First Stage Selection Complete: 22nd July 2025
(Artists Login for pre-selection notification)
Delivery of Work for Physical Selection: Sunday 3rd August
ALL HANGING ATTACHMENTS MUST BE REMOVED
Final Selection Complete: Monday 10th August 2025
Submissions should be made online. All entries must be less than 2 meters in any direction, including the frame. There is no minimum size limit.
Sculptures outside these dimensions may be considered but could be restricted due to weight.
There is no minimum size limit.
Delivery and Collection
- Artists are responsible for the delivery and collection of their work. All packaging materials must be removed after delivery and brought back at collection. We do not have the facility to store packaging.
- Work not collected on designated days will be subject to a storage charge.
- **The RUA strongly advises against postal submissions and does not accept liability for damages to works during transit or while on the premises.
The RUA will not pack and label work for collection by couriers at the end of the exhibition.
If you do require work to be returned by post or courier we will arrange post and packing at a cost.
Agreement
By submitting work, artists agree to the following:
- The decision of the Selectors is final.
- The RUA reserves the right to amend exhibition arrangements and terms as necessary.
- Artists authorize the use of their images for promotional purposes.
- All information provided is true, and the work is the artist's original creation.
- No refund of entry payments is possible after they have been paid..
INSURANCE
Artists are responsible for insuring their own work. All works accepted for exhibition will be transported entirely at the artists' risk. RUA will not accept liability for loss or damage occurring during travel to the exhibition, the selection process or during the course of the exhibition. The upmost care will be taken of all works submitted for exhibition. The RUA will not be responsible for any damage, loss of or destruction of any works for any reason whatsoever. Artists should insure their works against all risks.
Prizes and Awards so Far
£1000 NIAVAC Award for most outstanding work from a member of the Academy
£1000 Tom Caldwell Installations award for excellence from an Associate Member
£1000 Irish News Award for most outstanding work from the open submission
£2000 Leonora Millar Award
£500- Landscape Award (Gormleys )
£500** - Drawing Prize (BradburyArt)
£500** - Textile Prize (ArtTalks: ArtWalks)
£500** - Photography Prize (Errigle Inns)
£500** - Watercolour Prize (Ulster Watercolour Society)
£500** - Sculpture Prize (Hamilton Architects)
£500 AE Russell Society Prize (George Russel Society)
Tyrone Guthrie Anita Young Bursary, residency at Annachmakerrig
Residency in France** (Hambly and Hambly)
Gallery Invitation ArtisAnn Gallery
Entry Pricing
- First or Single Entry: £20.00
- Up to 2 artworks: £35.00
- Up to 3 artworks: £50.00
Image and video Submissions
- **Images:** JPG or PNG, max 5MB.
- Video Submission Guidelines: Submissions must be single-channel, no longer than 20 minutes, and provided via a URL (e.g., Vimeo or YouTube). Password-protected submissions must include the password. It is the artist’s responsibility to ensure that all video works have appropriate copyright clearances for both music and visuals, permitting their display in a public space.
Pricing and Sales
- Selected work must be for sale. A 30% commission will be charged by the RUA, and VAT must be included if applicable. The minimum price of artwork is £200.
Contact Information
Exhibition Contact:** info@royalulsteracademy.org
Exhibition Location:** Ulster Museum, Botanic Gardens, Stranmillis, Belfast
Extra 10% offer at BradburyART
Embrace your creativity with BradburyART, your local family-owned art supplies store, and enjoy an extra 10% discount online or in-store as we proudly support the Royal Ulster Academy’s call for submissions—let’s get painting together!
Voucher code - RUA
Valid until 31st March 2026
Please Note: The above terms and conditions are provided by the exhibition organisers.
For terms and conditions which apply to the use of the OESS entry system please view below:
OESS Terms & Conditions | Privacy Policy