Open Call: Emerging Photographers Commission

As Plymouth’s ‘plans for homes’ starts to shape the transformation of the city centre and waterfront - delivering 10,000+ new homes, alongside employment, leisure, culture, and green spaces - this is a timely opportunity to reflect on the city’s history, understand the present, and think about Plymouth’s future.

The successful commissions will be displayed at the same time as our major The Way We Live exhibition, curated by Beth Hughes, which will be presented on the first floor of The Box and Steve McQueen’s Grenfell, in St Luke’s church.

What are we looking for?

The commission seeks to explore the circumstances that shape our experience of home - the small gestures, creative decision making, and quiet routines that we encounter in our personal lives that explore the ordinary and personal. Our aim is that this commission will uncover, and bring to the fore, the textures of life and identity that define Plymouth in this moment. We are interested in proposals that reflect the issues of our age, that are innovative, unique and that consider the themes we are interested in:

The home as a creative space
The home reflects who we are and who we aspire to be. It becomes a creative space when daily routines spark imagination. Familiar rooms, gestures, and materials inspire personal expression, shaping how we build a sense of belonging, place, and community in our everyday lives.

Everyday life
Everyday life in the home often slips by unnoticed: the rhythms of routine, the quiet moments we share, the worn paths we follow without thinking. These small, ordinary moments form the texture of living, revealing how we inhabit our spaces, shape our sense of belonging and find connection across generations.

Plymouth through its people and places
Plymouth’s housing story spans generations, from pre-war housing and estates, the 1943 A Plan for Plymouth that imagined a clean, bright, democratic and optimistic future, to today’s evolving needs and developments. Each generation reshapes the city’s homes and hopes, building on past visions to create a Plymouth where people of all ages can belong and thrive.

Eligibility

Using the themes above as the stimulus, we welcome ideas for creating a series of photographic images or photography-based 2D artwork for display at The Box.

We are looking to commission three emerging photographers. We invite photographers, artists/ photographers based in Plymouth, Devon or Cornwall, and within the first five years of their practice to apply, including recent MA and BA graduates.

You are welcome to use an analogue (film-based) process as part of your work, but submissions to the open call must be high resolution digital images, or 2D photography-based work ready for display.

Is this opportunity right for me?

You should be able to answer ‘yes’ to all the points below:

• I am over 18 and not in full time education. I can provide evidence of being in my first five years of practice.
• My artistic practice is relevant and is photography-based, and I can provide evidence of my approach to working in community settings (if applicable).
• I am based in the South West region of the United Kingdom.
• I am confident I can invest sufficient time to meet the expectations of this commission.
 

Equality, diversity and inclusion

We are committed to creating a culture in which all those who engage with us are treated with fairness, dignity and respect. The Box Plymouth puts people at its heart, creating active participants, connecting people with their heritage and creativity, building pride and confidence. We welcome applications from candidates of all backgrounds.

How will the work be displayed?

The photographs/photography-based works will be displayed as part of the exhibition The Way We Live in the Active Archive display cases at The Box from 24 October 2026–21 February 2027. The wider exhibition will inhabit multiple spaces at The Box and involve archival material, contemporary art and a looped screening of Jill Craigie’s film The Way We Live (1946).

The Box will work to support each artist/photographer to develop their display.

How to apply

Send a short PDF expression of interest including 10-15 examples of your work, and a maximum 200-word statement that includes how you would approach the commission and why you think you meet the eligibility criteria to us by email.

Please put ‘TWWL OPEN CALL Application’ in the subject. The application should be submitted as one PDF document.

We are particularly keen to hear from new and emerging photographers from backgrounds that are currently underrepresented in museums, galleries and archives.

Commission fee: £1,000 including materials, equipment and travel (and VAT if applicable)
Production costs: Up to £500 production costs covered by The Box
Outcome: At least 5-10 images – so that a selection can be made for final display at The Box

Deadline for entries: 12pm on 29 June 2026
Selection announcement: 17 July 2026
Final submissions: 11 September 2026