PhotoIreland FUTURES Talents 2026

PhotoIreland launches the 9th FUTURES Talent Call for artists, opening the opportunity to all Ireland and UK practitioners.

Overview

Submission is open and free to artists based in Ireland and the UK, as well as those Irish and UK artists practicing abroad. The call is for artists working in photography and its expanded practice at any level, who feel their practice is at a suitable stage to avail of this opportunity. The selecting jury will be looking for contemporary, lens-based artists, regardless of curriculum or experience, who have demonstrated dedication and serious intent in their practice.

Practical Info

Submission must include a 200-word max. bio in third person, an artist statement, CV, a description of the latest project in 500 words max. including all details as needed (year, location of project, etc.), a selection of low resolution images that represent the latest project, and brief information on past projects, if any (links are accepted).

Selected artists will receive a €500 artist fee, the opportunity to have conversations with international professionals, online and in-person, an invitation to take part in the programme of networking events, workshops, and talks at the Annual Event of 2026, which takes place in October in Utrecht, Netherlands, and hosted by Fotodok (travel costs and accommodation covered). Plus, access to the exclusive Magnum online education platform of talks and workshops, especially developed for FUTURES artists and more.

In addition, PhotoIreland provides access bursaries for artists, aimed at providing an equal opportunity for all artists by facilitating and accommodating those with specific requirements and circumstances that normally prevent the artist from participating fully in their practice. Photographers may require some financial support to enable their participation due to accessibility reasons. They can include these in their application, including an estimate of costs. Examples of accessibility costs may include (but are not exclusive to) financial support towards: a caretaker; parental support (co-parent assistance, childminder, etc); transport; overnight stay; technical support, and others.

About PhotoIreland

PhotoIreland grows the reputation of Irish artists globally through a 360 degree support system and platform for contemporary photography, activated through a diversity of projects. These include events such as PhotoIreland Festival and Halftone print fair amongst others; resources such as the PhotoIreland Collection, a specialised research library of photobooks, and Ireland’s Art Bookshop, The Library Project; via publishing with projects such as OVER Journal and TLP Editions; professional development support through networking and consultancy opportunities; and empowering early and mid-career photographers via our international partnerships, most relevantly through Creative Europe co-funded platforms such as FUTURES and Parallel.

About FUTURES

Co-funded by the Creative Europe Programme of the European Union from 2017, the FUTURES Photography Platform pools together the experience of leading photography institutions across Europe to increase the capacity, mobility and visibility of its selected artists. By bringing together a wealth of resources and curatorial expertise, each talent selected by the Futures members gains access to an unprecedented international network of professionals as well as new markets and audiences. Currently, the platform has over 20 member institutions across Europe, who are invited to nominate artists to join the platform each year.