An opportunity to have your work be a part of the Modern Cockney Festival 2026! We are looking for any work that fits our open call of 'Modern Cockney' to become a part of our multidisciplinary exhibition, hosted in East London at Rich Mix and online.

Modern Cockney invites artists nationwide to submit their artwork for an online and physical exhibition. As part of Modern Cockney Festival 2026, in March, both a permanent online gallery will be launched on the Modern Cockney website, and a physicial exhibition will be held for the entire month at London based community arts hub Rich Mix, (35-47 Bethnal Greenn Rd, London E1 6LA).

This is an open call for submissions of art in any form which align with the concept of ‘Modern Cockney’. We welcome any interpretation of this theme, such as : a response to a changing landscape, archival work such as family photographs or statements on personal identity and culture . All art pieces will need to be installed on 1st March 2026  and deinstalled on 31st March 2026. Artists must be avalible to install and deinstall their own work as we have no where to store it. If you wish to display work in the form of prints, such as photographs or digital art, but don't currently have any fabricated or are unable to travel to the venue to provide them- we may be able to assist with creating  prints; please let us know in your application.

From our manifesto:
Modern Cockney is a non-party political, pioneering living heritage and cultural identity project, based on inclusive values.
We celebrate Cockney ;  an evolving community, containing diverse backgrounds, cultures, and beliefs, offering a powerful resource for overcoming adversity, tackling social prejudice, and building greater togetherness for anyone with an affinity with ‘non-posh Londoners’.

Who can apply:
Artists or groups, from emerging to established, across all art forms. Any medium will be considered as long as it fits inside the theme, both new and previously existing work will be accepted.  Artists can clarify if they wish to only submit their work to the online or physical exhibition, or their submission will be considered for both by default.

What you get:
Your work exhibited and promoted on our website , as well as in a gallery space at Rich Mix, located in East London

Fee:
Free to submit; We are unfortunately not able to pay contributors at this time.