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

Handback Day: All unselected work to be collected from RUA Offices, Alpha House, 1 Rosemary         Street, Belfast, BT1 1QA between 10am and 4pm on Sunday 31st August 2025 or by arrangement..

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