Wales Contemporary 2026: International Art Competition to include film and animation for the first time
Milford Haven: Thanks to the generosity of our main sponsors at The Port of Milford Haven, The Wales Contemporary Art Competition is back again this year.
Our 6th annual exhibition will open on August 29th with the awards ceremony at Sybil House, a flagship building of The Port of Milford Haven. Work will be exhibited next door at The Waterfront Gallery, the home of The Wales Contemporary and at other locations close by.
Open to artists and makers of all ages, whatever the medium, national or international and with a strong connection to Wales.
This year, the exhibition promises to be bigger, better and more inclusive, taking artists working in film and animation for the first time.
Awards will be made for excellence across all mediums, with prizes totalling £6000,
plus solo exhibitions. Deadline for online submission entries is 29th June 2026.
The panel of three distinguished judges are Tim Davies, Laura Thomas and Sarah
Williams: see biographical information below.
The competition is open to all artists based in the UK or internationally via online
submission at https://artopps.co.uk/opportunities/walescontemporary-26
Under 18s must have parents’ written permission and enter via the Waterfront Gallery
website https://thewaterfrontgallery.co.uk/
Artists eligible to enter must fulfil one of the following criteria:
• Born in Wales,
• Living or working in Wales,
• Marking work responding to the landscape, heritage or culture of Wales,
• Contributing to the arts in Wales, through exhibitions, gallery representation,
community projects and donations to arts organisations or charities.
Judges Biographies:
Tim Davies originally from Pembrokeshire, studied in London, Norwich and Canterbury.
He led the fine art course at Swansea College of art for many years and was awarded a personal professorship in 2012. Still living and working in Swansea, he has exhibited and made work in Wales, the UK and internationally.
Recipient of the Mostyn Open Prize, Waken Award and Gold Medal at the National Eisteddfod of Wales. Tim was the only European artist selected for the inaugural Artes Mundi Visual Arts Prize exhibition in 2004 and was chosen to represent Wales in a solo show at the Venice Biennale in 2011.
His multi-media work is represented in many private and public collections, includingthe British Council, Arts Council Collection at the Hayward Gallery, London and Amgueddfa Cymru/Museum Wales, Cardiff. His recent work explores the written, spoken and visualised word.
Laura Thomas an award-winning textile artist, designer and maker, specialises in
producing unconventional textiles for contemporary spaces. With a first-class degree from Birmingham University, an MA from The Royal College of Art, and two research scholarships, Laura has worked on a diverse range of projects spanning public and site-specific art, commercial design, curation, artists' residencies and creating work for exhibitions.
She has worked in the permanent collection at the V&A, The Powerhouse Museum, Australia, The Crafts Study Center and The National Wool Museum.
Underpinning her practice is an inherent practical curiosity to exploit weaving principles, celebrate the beauty of yarns and create striking aesthetics from this ancient craft.
Laura’s creative practice is complemented by her commitment to education. A part-time lecturer at Carmarthen School of Art since 2004, she has lectured at many notable universities, including Goldsmiths and Tokyo Zokei.
Sarah Williams graduated from Aberystwyth University with a degree in fine art and has since exhibited in galleries across Wales.
Rooted in Welsh myths, culture and the environment, her practice explores storytelling and place through both painting and intricate hand painted cut-outs. In addition to this aspect of her visual art Sarah has illustrated the work of numerous Welsh poets and experimented with other creative forms, including music and animation. As a Welsh speaker, Sarah voices her concerns for her native tongue.
This has been the backbone of her work as she engages with local communities to give them a voice. Sarah is one of ten artists featured in ‘Hon:Female’ Artists in Wales, a publication celebrating the work and voices of Women in the Welsh visual arts community.