Joy
Open Exhibition
19.09.2026 - 31.01.2027
Opening party: 6pm, Saturday 19 September 2026

We are delighted to announce that East Quay will be hosting our second Open Exhibition in Watchet, in Autumn 2026. We are inviting artists from Somerset and further afield to submit works which explore and reflect on the theme of ‘Joy’.

An independent panel of judges will select artworks for the exhibition based on the theme, and the works will be on display in Gallery 1 at East Quay from Saturday 19 September 2026 – Sunday 31 January 2027.There will be an opportunity to win a range of prizes worth £1,000 each, including the Audience Favourite Award, as voted for by visitors during the course of the show.

‍ABOUT EAST QUAY AND CONTAINS ART‍

East Quay is a multi-disciplinary arts venue in Watchet, Somerset. It is home to contemporary art galleries, artist studios, a paper mill, a print studio, a restaurant, an education space, and accommodation pods. East Quay is a social enterprise that seeks to signal how community-led renewal can empower people, help them to develop agency and rebuild a local economy.

Contains Art CIO runs the cultural programming at East Quay, and is founded on the belief that who you are, what you have and where you are from should not restrict access to the highest quality arts, cultural and creative opportunities and experiences.

Our aim is to share ideas, open minds, invite discussion and encourage a social, economic, and environmental conversation through culture, as well as bringing simple joy, beauty, and wonder into people’s lives. We seek to confound expectations of what visiting a gallery is like in a place like ours.

ABOUT THE THEME – Joy

Joy & wonder is one of our core themes for programming over the coming few years. This call is intentionally not prescriptive, and we welcome your interpretation.

What does joy mean to you? What brings joy? How does it take shape in your body, your practice, your relationships, or your connection to place? Is joy fleeting or sustaining, quiet or defiant, private or collective? Where does joy live in everyday life, and how can it be cultivated, protected, shared, or re-imagined? 

How might joy function as an act of resistance in the face of exhaustion, injustice, precarity, or erasure – and what does it mean to choose joy deliberately, as a radical and relational act? How might joy sit alongside grief, uncertainty, or complexity rather than in opposition to them? Is it personal or political, tender or transformative? 

We welcome artistic responses that consider how joy is found, interrupted, reclaimed, or made together.

 ENTRY INFORMATION

- We are accepting applications from artists making two-dimensional works. This year, we will also consider three-dimensional works; however, only a small number of sculptural pieces will be selected, so please take this into account when preparing your application. Digital and video-based works are not eligible for this Open.

- Artists may submit one artwork per entry. The entry fee is £15 (£7.50 for students or applicants under 25). Please note that by submitting to the open does not guarantee selection.

- Please enter up one, clear image of your work per entry (no bigger than 1MB), along with the following work details: Title, medium, year created, dimensions in centimetres (height x width x depth) and price (if work/s are for sale).

- All wall-based works should not exceed 1metre (h) x 1 metre (w), (framed) with a maximum depth allowance of 15cm from the work’s surface. Three-dimensional submissions should be no larger than 1m(w) x 1m (h) x 1m (d).

-  Before delivery, all paper-based works(including drawings and prints) must be professionally framed, ideally in a neutral tone. Works arriving with damaged or flimsy frames will not be exhibited. Paintings and wall collages must be stretched or mounted so that mirror plates can be attached on arrival at East Quay — please do not attach any fixings in advance. The display requirements for selected sculptures and other three-dimensional works will be agreed on a case-by-case basis in discussion with the curators.

- Artists are expected to deliver their work in person. If this is not possible, you must arrange and cover all delivery and return costs to and from East Quay. East Quay cannot organise delivery or returns, and responsibility for safe transport rests with the artist. Please note: it is at the artist’s discretion to insure artworks during transit.

- Artworks can be for sale; however, this is not a requirement. Contains Art CIO will take a 25% commission for any works sold. For all sales of artworks, the purchaser will be required to cover any further shipping costs. Sales will be processed by East Quay, and funds from sales of artwork will be disseminated to the artist upon closure of the exhibition.

TO ENTER

Artists may submit one artwork in total for review. Entry fees are:
• Standard: £15
• Student/Under 25: £7.50 (for artists in full- or part-time education and/or aged under 25)

To enter the East Quay Open, please purchase your application here or by following this link: https://buytickets.at/eastquay/2068674
Once purchased, you will receive a confirmation email with a link to the Google Form application. Please note: In order to access the Google Form, you will need to have a Google account. Once you have completed and submitted the form, you will then receive a confirmation email as receipt of your application.

If you have any questions about the Joy Open Exhibition, or experience any issues completing your application, please contact Assistant Curator, Millie Laing-Tate, via email at millie@containsart.co.uk
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SELECTION PROCESS‍

The Open Exhibition will be judged by an independent panel of adjudicators made up of artists, curators and industry professionals, with a shared knowledge of a range of art practices.

The panel will be announced soon, so please keep an eye on our website and social media platforms for updates.

Please note, by submitting an application, there is no guarantee that your artwork will be selected. All applicants for the Open Exhibition will be informed of the outcome of the selection process by Friday 17^thJuly 2026.

PRIZES

- Judges’ Favourite - £1000
The winner of this prize will be chosen by our selection panel, based on their response to the theme of joy.

- Student/Under 25s Prize - £1000
This prize is for artists in full or part-time education and/or aged under 25, and will be chosen by the selection panel.‍

- Audience Favourite Award - £1000
The winner of this prize will be voted for by visitors during the course of the show.

‍‍KEY DATES

Online Submission Opens
Wednesday 25^th February 2026

Online Submission Closes
Sunday 31^st May 2026

Selection Results 
By Friday 17^th July 2026

Handing-in/delivery dates at East Quay
Tuesday 8^th September 2026

Exhibition Opening Event
6pm, Saturday 19st September 2026

Prize Winners Announcement
The Judge's Favourite Prize and the Student/Under 25s Prize will be announced during the exhibition Opening Event on Saturday 19 September 2026.The Audience Favourite Award will be announced upon closure of the exhibition.

Exhibition Closes
Sunday 31st January 2027

Collection process
To be confirmed. Please stay tuned for updates.

We very much look forward to seeing your work!