Submit your zine or book to be part of the Zine Library for our annual exhibition celebrating emerging artists!

About the exhibition:

For the past 13 years, Ones to Watch has supported more than 450 emerging artists based in or from Yorkshire in all creative disciplines, giving them the opportunity to exhibit in a gallery setting in a professionally curated exhibition.

Many have sold work during the show, gone on to exhibit professionally elsewhere and maintained relationships with the Gallery, featuring in subsequent exhibitions or selling work through our Gallery Shop.

This year's exhibition will take place between the 9th January - 28th March 2027 and will feature a Zine Library wall in the exhibition space.

About Sunny Bank Mills:

Sunny Bank Mills is an inspirational cultural destination in the heart of the local community of Farsley, Leeds.

Founded in 1829, Sunny Bank Mills offers beautifully restored creative business spaces for both small and large organisations. 

Sunny Bank Mills Gallery is the epicentre of our arts programme, spanning exhibitions, workshops, studio spaces and events. Sunny Bank Mills Museum & Archive protects and promotes the history of the Mills and the community.

The Gallery, located in a 3,000 sq. ft. former cloth warehouse, has hosted diverse exhibitions and events for the past 10 years. Our annual Ones to Watch exhibition has supported over 350 emerging Yorkshire artists. 

We are enhancing our Arts and Heritage Programmes, focusing on inclusion and accessibility. The Gallery also features a shop and tearoom, and runs an extensive workshop programme. The Mills has a large artist studio community.

More on Access at Sunny Bank Mills

What are we looking for? 

We are looking for zines and books to include on our Zine Library within the Gallery. Through this open call, we hope to hear from a range of voices.

If selected, your work be seen by thousands of visitors throughout the course of the exhibition and may be featured on our social media with a reach of 30,000+ followers.

Eligibility:

To be eligible for this opportunity, you must be;

• Yorkshire-born or currently Yorkshire-based.
• An emerging artist with very limited experience exhibiting your work OR an artist coming back to your practice following a break.
• Able to deliver or arrange delivery of your work to Sunny Bank Mills Gallery to be exhibited between 9th January & 28th March 2027. 

We will be accepting work that is for sale in limited or unlimited runs, one-off artists' books and books that are not for sale. 

Please note - the work featured in the library will be handled by visitors on a daily basis, so please consider this when applying.

Accepted formats:

• Photographic or illustrative zines or self published books
• Artists’ books
• Poetry or prose books / pamphlets
• Dummy / prototype books

Relevant themes

• Navigating the arts as an emerging creative
• Finding your creative voice
• Identity
• How you perceive the world
• How the world perceives you
• Self-discovery
• Stories about your experience as a student
• Time spent in education or learning 

Tips to strengthen your application:

• Attach clean, high-quality photos of the work you plan to exhibit and add names and approximate dimensions.
• Please include any other images that support your application or will help to create an impression of your practice as a whole.
• Clearly describe the work you are submitting, as well as discuss your practice in general.

Important dates and additional information:

The exhibition runs 9th January - 28th March 2027  at Sunny Bank Mills Gallery, Leeds.

Work will need to arrive to the Gallery on 6th January at the latest.

Work will remain in the library throughout the duration of the exhibition. If work is for sale, 1 copy will be a display copy to include on the library trolley until the exhibition ends.

Postage costs can be covered upon request, as we may request up to 5 zines/books if available. 

Our standard rate of commission is  45% including VAT, so please consider this when pricing your work. 

Please include the retail price on your application form.

APPLICATION DEADLINE: Midnight on Sunday 1st November 2026.

Find out more about the exhibition on our website.

When applying for this opportunity, we would really appreciate it if you could fill out our equal opportunities survey here.

If you have any questions or need support with your application, please contact us here on Curatorspace.