We are inviting artists, patients, healthcare professionals, community groups, and researchers to submit artwork for an upcoming hybrid exhibition hosted by the NIHR Patient Safety Research Collaboration (PSRC) Newcastle, held physically at Newcastle University’s XL Gallery and alongside an online digital gallery.

Open Call for Artist Submissions: NIHR PSRC Newcastle Exhibition

Theme: Responses to Healthcare and Patient Safety

Organised by: NIHR Patient Safety Research Collaboration (PSRC) Newcastle
Responses to Healthcare and Patient Safety

Physical Exhibition: 6 July – 15 July 2027 | XL Gallery, Newcastle University

Online Gallery: 6 July – 31 July 2027

Submission Deadline: 10 December 2026

Entry Fee: Free

About the Exhibition: We are inviting artists, patients, healthcare professionals, community groups, and researchers to submit artwork for an upcoming hybrid exhibition hosted by the NIHR Patient Safety Research Collaboration (PSRC) Newcastle, held physically at Newcastle University’s XL Gallery and alongside an online digital gallery.

This exhibition explores personal, social, and visual responses to healthcare and patient safety. We welcome authentic works that reflect your own lived healthcare experiences, both positive and negative, or represent the perspectives of a community group or care environment you work with.

Submission Guidelines

Accepted Media: We are seeking a diverse range of physical media and social arts films, including:

• Photography
• 2D Artwork (paintings, drawings, prints, textiles)
• Sculpture and 3D Installations
• Film (with a focus on social arts contexts)

Rules & Formatting Constraints

Submission Limit: One artwork (maximum dimensions: 1m x 1m), or one cohesive series designed to function as a single work under the exhibition theme. Each artist or collective may only submit once.

Format Requirements: Submit your artwork examples as a single PDF file (maximum 2 A4 pages) or provide a direct, viewable web link to your film.

Ineligible Media: No AI-generated artwork or purely digital/synthetic media will be accepted. Works must be original, human-created physical pieces or social arts films.

Selection Process: A judging panel will evaluate all submissions after the 10 December 2026 deadline.

How to Submit

Access & Queries: If you have any questions or access requirements, please get in touch with Sofia Barton.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

General Questions

Is the exhibition free to enter?
Yes, there is no entry fee to submit your artwork or participate in the exhibition.

Is there an age, background, or geographic restriction to apply?
No. We welcome submissions from artists at any stage of their career, including community groups, students, emerging artists, healthcare staff, researchers, and established professionals, who have a story or response to share regarding healthcare and patient safety.

When will I find out if my work has been selected?
All submissions will be collected after the 10 December 2026 deadline and evaluated by our panel of judges. Selected artists will be notified by January 2027 (unless otherwise stated).

Artwork & Media

Why aren't you allowing AI-generated or digital art?
We want genuine, authentic human works created in direct response to care that artists have received, delivered, or witnessed. This exhibition prioritises tactile, human-made physical media and social documentary/community films to ground the patient safety dialogue in lived human experience.

Can I submit work that was created by a group?
Yes. Collaborative works or pieces created through community workshops/groups reflecting shared healthcare experiences are strongly encouraged.

Does my 2D artwork need to be framed or ready to hang?
Yes. If selected, physical 2D artworks must arrive ready for display (e.g. framed, strung, or with appropriate fixings). Sculpture and installation pieces must be structurally stable.

Do I need to include a written description or statement with my work?
Yes. In the submission form, you will be asked to provide a short artist statement (maximum 250 words) explaining how your piece connects to healthcare and patient safety.

Can I submit more than one application if I work in different media?
No, please choose your single strongest piece or series that best reflects the exhibition theme.

Delivery, Display, Sales & Costs

Do I have to drop off my work at the gallery in person?
Selected artists must deliver their physical artwork to Newcastle University between 29 June and 1 July 2027. (Detailed drop-off windows, location, and courier instructions will be provided to selected artists).

When do I need to collect my artwork after the exhibition?
Physical works must be collected from the XL Gallery immediately following the close of the physical exhibition (exact collection dates and windows will be confirmed upon selection).

Can I sell my artwork during the exhibition?
The exhibition is primarily curated for public engagement and research communication. Artworks will not be sold through the exhibition.

Who pays for artwork transport and insurance?
Artists are responsible for the cost, insurance, and arrangement of delivering and collecting their artwork to and from the XL Gallery.

Copyright & Image Usage Rights

Do I retain copyright of my artwork?
Yes, you retain full copyright of your work. By submitting, you grant Newcastle University and NIHR PSRC Newcastle permission to use high-resolution images or footage of your work for non-commercial promotion, the exhibition website, press releases, and academic research communication related to this event.

Data Protection Notice
Any data collected through your submission will be held on a secure server for 12 months. It will be accessed solely by employees of Newcastle University or NIHR Newcastle PSRC for communication regarding this event. For more information, please visit www.ncl.ac.uk/data-protection/.