Holt Art Projects
Holt Art Projects is an initiative established in 2025 to continue the artistic legacy of Holt Festival. For more than fifteen years the festival brought high-quality visual art, music and performance to the market town of Holt in North Norfolk.
The original Sir John Hurt Art Prize was founded in 2010 and reflected Sir John’s deep commitment to the visual arts alongside his distinguished career as an actor and painter. Following his death in 2017, the prize continued in his memory and has since expanded into a wider programme of seven awards celebrating excellence across multiple visual art disciplines.
Shortlisted works from the awards form a major annual exhibition bringing together both emerging and established artists from the UK and internationally.
The Awards for 2026 are:
Sir John Hurt / £2,000
Charlotte Fraser Glass & Ceramic / £1,500
Helen Herbert Portrait / £1,000
Mannington Nature Prize / £2,000
Benjamin Hall Photography / £1,000
Sworders Emerging Artists / £750 (all entries to this award automatically go into SJH)
Sworders Young Artists / £500 (all entries to this award automatically go into SJH)
Current opportunities
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Holt Art Projects - Benjamin Hall Photography Award - £1,000
Deadline: 14/06/2026City: Holt | Country: United Kingdom | Holt Art Projects
Established in 2026, the Benjamin Hall Photography Award celebrates photography as a powerful way of seeing and engaging with the world, recognising the role the medium plays in observing, recording and understanding people, places and events.
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Holt Art Projects - Sir John Hurt Award - £2,000
Deadline: 14/06/2026City: Holt | Country: United Kingdom | Holt Art Projects
The Sir John Hurt Award celebrates excellence in contemporary art and is open to artists working across all forms of two-dimensional wall-based media, including painting, drawing, printmaking and mixed media.
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Holt Art Projects - Charlotte Fraser Glass & Ceramic Award - £1,500
Deadline: 14/06/2026City: Holt | Country: United Kingdom | Holt Art Projects
The Charlotte Fraser Glass & Ceramic Award celebrates excellence in contemporary ceramic and glass practice. Open to artists working across these expressive materials, it recognises innovation, craftsmanship and original artistic vision.
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Holt Art Projects - Helen Herbert Portrait Award - £1,000
Deadline: 14/06/2026City: Holt | Country: United Kingdom | Holt Art Projects
The Helen Herbert Portrait Award celebrates the enduring power of portraiture to capture personality, presence and human connection. Established in 2026, it honours the legacy of Norfolk-based artist Helen Herbert, whose work explored the individuality of the people around her and the relationships that shape our lives.
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Holt Art Projects - Sworders Emerging Artists Award - £750
Deadline: 14/06/2026City: Holt | Country: United Kingdom | Holt Art Projects
The Sworders Emerging Artists Award celebrates the next generation of creative talent and is open to artists aged between 19 and 23.
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Holt Art Projects - Sworders Young Artists Award - £500
Deadline: 14/06/2026City: Holt | Country: United Kingdom | Holt Art Projects
The Sworders Young Artists Award celebrates creative talent at an early stage, encouraging artists aged between 16 and 18 to share their work and gain recognition within a professional arts context.
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Holt Art Projects - Mannington Nature Award - £2,000
Deadline: 14/06/2026City: Holt | Country: United Kingdom | Holt Art Projects
The Mannington Nature Award celebrates artistic responses to landscape and the natural world. Open to artists working in any medium, it invites submissions that explore our relationship with nature, place and environment.