First Plinth: Public Art Award 2027 | Offering sculptors an opportunity to extend their practice into competing for public art commissions | winning sculptor is awarded £15,000 to produce a large-scale sculpture | The award theme is RENEWAL

ABOUT THE PRIZE

This biennial award is open to any artist working in three dimensions, providing a unique and rare opportunity for the winner to build a track record in the competitive arena of public art.

The fabrication of the winning work is supported by the award, with the winner receiving mentoring from a team of experienced professionals - engineers, consultants and artists - to ensure the concept is delivered to the exacting standards required of work to be installed in public spaces.

This award is generously supported by the Mirisch & Lebenheim Charitable Foundation.

THE BRIEF

First Plinth: Public Art Award is designed to closely replicate the public art commissioning procedure. 

The award’s aim is to challenge, yet support the sculptor through this process. Like most public art commissions, there is a theme, and therefore value will be attributed to a well-considered approach to the theme of RENEWAL.

Open to interpretation and approach, we hope this theme encourages applicants to push the boundaries of their practice.

The winner of First Plinth: Public Art Award will create an innovative work for the sculpture terrace at Dora House to be shown in 2028 before moving to a second site. 

Previous second sites include  Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park and The Art House in Wakefield, the 'City of Sculpture'.

The winning artist will also have the chance to have a supporting show with one other artist (upon invitation of the winning artist) in the galleries of the Royal Society of Sculptors during the same period the award work is on the sculpture terrace. 

The winner will also be expected to take part in a film about the production of their work, plus an In Conversation event while the show is on.  An arts professional will also produce an essay to accompany the show.

ABOUT THE SCULPTURE TERRACE AT DORA HOUSE

The sculpture terrace is part of the Royal Society of Sculptors site at 108 Old Brompton Road. 

Dimensions: approximately 6 x 3.5m | Work will sit directly upon the ground | Weight bearing: approximately 2000 kg | Foundations: existing concrete foundation 2.5 x 2.5 m to a depth of 20cm | Covering: gravel | Lighting: floodlit at night; external power socket for additional electricity/lighting

THE JUDGES

Emma M. Price | curator and producer

Emma M. Price is a UK-based public art curator and producer with more than twenty-five years’ experience working strategically across the public and private sectors on the commissioning of public art.

In 2016, she co-founded Studio Response, a leading arts organisation that invites artists, sculptors, designers, makers and architects to develop new work in public spaces.

She is an advocate and enabler of artist-led ideas and engagement projects that support community campaigns and placemaking initiatives in both urban and rural environments.

Price holds a BA (Hons) in Photography and a postgraduate diploma in Design Management. She is an Honorary Fellow of the Royal Society of Architects in Wales (Hon. RSAW) and a Fellow of the Royal Society of Arts (FRSA).

Studio Response is the recipient of the 2023 Dewi-Prys Thomas Award for Welsh design excellence and sustainable community regeneration.

Bill Price | Director WSP 

Bill Price is a Director at global professional services firm WSP and a structural engineer by background. He worked on the Shard at London Bridge from the earliest stages of design development as well as the recently completed Paddington Square. 

He is now working on several masterplans involving transport infrastructure, sports facilities and regeneration projects.  Over the years, Bill has also worked with many artists and sculptors, assisting with engineering design, fabrication, safety, transportation and site installation.

Bill has been a Trustee of the Royal Society of Sculptors for several years and provides support to the board as well as artists if required. In addition, Bill is Chair of the Rose Theatre in Kingston, supporting original drama and family shows as well as a wide range of youth and community engagement.

Hannele Tilles | Curator

Hannele has a long-standing association with art, particularly sculpture, and has served in juries for Public Art Awards at the Royal Society of Sculptors in the UK.  

She was also a jury member and organiser for the Society’s SKULPTUR project, an exhibition of work from all five Nordic countries.  She has helped foster a relationship between the RSS and the Association of Finnish Sculptors.

Hannele has also been a jury member for the biennial Finnish Art Prize Below Zero since its inception in 2017 as well as a triennial art prize at Galicia Jewish Museum in Krakow, Poland.  She has curated photographic exhibitions in her native Finland and has been involved with the commissioning of numerous sculptures in the UK.  

Laura Ford | President of the Royal Society of Sculptors

Laura Ford studied at Bath Academy of Art between 1978-82 including a period at the Cooper Union School of Art, New York. 
Then completed an MA at Chelsea School of art 1982-83.Her work is represented in many public collections including; Tate, The Victoria and Albert Museum, Government Art Collection.

Laura's  sculptures are faithful representations of fantasy with sometimes bitter sweet and menacing qualities mixed with tenderness.

She uses humour and an acute observation of the human condition to engage with wider social and political issues. 

Her work is intensely crafted but playful, and she has used a range of media to realise her work including, drawing, painting, performance, set design and has increasingly taken on the challenge of public art alongside museum and gallery shows.

ENTRY FEE 

Early bird fee applies to applications made before 12 pm UK time on Tuesday 10 November

Early Bird | Non RSS members - £17

Early Bird | RSS members - £12

Fee for applications made after 12pm UK time on Tuesday 10 November

Non RSS members - £34

RSS members - £24

**** Please note that the application fee is non-refundable ****

ENTRY PROCESS

To apply, please prepare the following:

• A CV of no more than two pages long
  
  
• A brief description of your present practice 
  
  
• Up to 10 images of recent work
  
  
• A brief statement on how winning the award will move your practice on
  
  
• An outline of your idea for the theme of RENEWAL
  
  
• Up to 3 images that support your idea outline

Click the 'Make a submission' tab at the top of this page to apply.

KEY DATES

The closing deadline for applications | 5 PM, 12 JANUARY 2027

Notification of all results will be sent by email week commencing | 8 FEBRUARY 2027

Unfortunately, due to the number of applications we receive, feedback will not be given at this stage.

Shortlisted artists present Maquettes to Jury | AFTERNOON OF SATURDAY 24 APRIL 2027

Winner announced | EVENING OF SATURDAY 24 APRIL 2027

ELIGIBILITY

Applications are welcomed from artists of any age and nationality working in any style or media who are yet to be recognised as practitioners in public art and have not yet won an open (or closed) competition for a commission to create a work for a public space above the value of £15,000.

For those who have received formal training, the expectation is that you will have a minimum of three years post-graduate experience.

Shortlisted artists will be required to attend an interview on Saturday, 24 April 2027 (also International Sculpture Day), to present a maquette, bound supporting documents, drawings or rendered photographs of the full-scale work, and up to ten images of existing work will need to be presented at this stage (4 copies for the 4 judges).

Shortlisted artists will be expected to be present on the evening of 24 April 2027 for the announcement of the winner of First Plinth 2027.

RULES & GUIDELINES 

By submitting an application, the entrant promises that all of the information comprised in the application is correct. 

The entrant also promises to comply with these rules and any other award requirements specified by the Royal Society of Sculptors (whether on its website or otherwise) and the Society reserves its right to exclude any entry which in its opinion does not comply.

All applications must be made using the online form. No hard copy applications will be accepted.

Applications must be received by the closing date specified.

The proposals submitted must be entirely the entrant’s original idea and creation and they must not infringe someone else’s copyright or other intellectual property rights. 

The submission must be lawful, it must not be offensive, obscene, racist, discriminating or otherwise objectionable and it must not contain any form of advertising.

Proposals must also not be hazardous in any way, and a thorough risk assessment must be supplied by the artist if the initial proposal is shortlisted.

Entrants grant the Royal Society of Sculptors the unrestricted right (without royalty) to reproduce images of submitted artworks in any publication in connection with the First Plinth award be it online, printed or otherwise disseminated.

The Judge's decision is final.

If the Royal Society of Sculptors is unable to contact any shortlisted artist or winners via the email address supplied by the entrant, the shortlist position/ award lapses, and the Royal Society of Sculptors reserves the right to select alternative winners.