Celebrating Female Resilience Through Art, Sport & Storytelling

We’re inviting open-call submissions for Touchlines of Fortitude – a high-profile physical and online exhibition that will be part of a vibrant programme of cultural arts events running across the Twickenham, Teddington and Richmond area this September, during the 2025 Women’s Rugby World Cup.

What is Touchlines of Fortitude?

Supported by Arts Council England and rooted in the spiritual home of rugby, Touchlines of Fortitude celebrates the intersection of art, sport and storytelling to celebrate female representation, resilience, empowerment and creativity.

As Touchlines of Fortitude will be taking place with the backdrop of the 2025 Women’s Rugby World Cup, this is a unique opportunity to exhibit alongside a dynamic community of artists, athletes and change-makers at a landmark once-in-a-generation cultural moment for women’s sport. 

As a result, we expect this event to gain a notable audience and media attention in the Twickenham, Teddington and Richmond area. 

We will also be celebrating the most inspirational works from Touchlines of Fortitude’s open-call with awards for the best painting, photo and sculpture.
 
Touchlines of Fortitude’s guiding theme: female resilience

We’re looking for artworks that explore the many ways in which women rise, persist, endure and transform – whether it’s through sport on the pitch, in a creative studio space, at home or at work, or in the face of personal, social or physical challenges.

Resilience can be quiet or fierce. It can be vibrantly active and dynamic, or it can be calm and passive. It can take the form of recovery, action, resistance, or healing. This exhibition is a celebration of that strength in all its forms.

What sort of works are we looking for? 

We’re looking for written pieces of up to 500 words that explore the many ways women rise, persist, endure, and transform—whether on the pitch, in the studio, at home, or in the face of personal, societal, or physical challenges.

It can be about you, or someone you know; a friend, a colleague, someone in your family, or an inspiration from the world of sport. Equally, artists don’t need to be female to tell a story about female resilience.

When and where will the work be shown?

Work that is selected from the open call will be featured in:

• A physical group exhibition at The Beach Gallery in Teddington

• An online exhibition hosted on our website (fortitude-touchlines.com), reaching wider audiences beyond the gallery walls

The physical exhibition will be taking place from Wednesday, 25 September to Sun, 5 October.

We will print selected works and display them on the gallery wall as a Wall of Fortitude. The audience will be invited to add their own stories to the wall.

The online exhibition will be available to view for 12 months (until Oct 2026).

As part of the project, participating artists will receive professional documentation of the exhibition, including high-quality photography and video, to support their portfolios and future opportunities.

Who do we expect to attend Touchlines of Fortitude?

By taking place alongside the 2025 Women’s Rugby World Cup, Touchlines of Fortitude also opens itself to up to 82,000 fans set to attend the finals at the Allianz Stadium in Twickenham on and around Saturday 27th September.

Based on this, alongside the vibrant community of 100+ artists who will be directly involved with Touchlines of Fortitude, we expect a minimum of 1,500 people to engage with and attend Touchlines of Fortitude through its exhibitions, events and school outreach programme, with an anticipated online audience of 80,000+ across the year to Oct 2026.

How will we be promoting the event?

We’ve already built a strong network of cultural partners, prominent local arts institutions, charities, schools and local government organisations for Touchlines of Fortitude, helping us amplify the event’s reach through newsletters, press and targeted community engagement.

These include: Orleans House Gallery, Twickenham Art Circle, Richmond Art Society, Richmond Arts Services and Creative United.

We will promote Touchlines of Fortitude online and through our soon-to-be-launched social channels, as well as with a comprehensive marketing, press, and PR campaign.

Equally, we will be asking artists, speakers and participants to amplify the Touchlines of Fortitude events through their own channels.

KEY DETAILS

Exhibition dates: Wed 24 Sep – Sun 5 Oct
Location: The Beach Gallery, Teddington
Eligibility: Open to all UK-based artists
Media: Written piece in a form of a story or a poem.

This project is funded by Arts Council England and includes two exhibitions, a schools outreach program, a workshop, community storytelling events, and digital legacy content.

We invite both emerging and established artists to join us in creating a vibrant and inspiring exhibition.

OPEN-CALL SCHEDULE

Wed 20 Aug: Submission deadline: open-call closes

Wed 27 Aug: Selection online by judging panel

Mon 1 Sep: Shortlist announcement

Wed 24 Sep: Press morning

Wed 24 Sep: Private view / networking

Thu 25 Sep: Exhibition opens to public

Sun 28 Sep: Meet the artists event

Sun 5 Oct: Exhibition closes