The Dorset Art Prize 2026
The Dorset Art Prize 2026 - open for entries soon!
The Dorset Art Prize 2026
We are back to champion the incredible talent right on our doorstep. Founded by Bournemouth and Poole College in partnership with the Dorset Community Foundation, this prize celebrates imagination in every form.
From painting and sculpture to digital art and film, if you make it, we want to see it.
Whether you're an amateur or a professional, there is a category for you (both 16–18s and 18+). The 2026 theme is coming soon, but here is the headline: entry is free, the top prize is £1,000 and finalists earn a spot in a public exhibition at a top local venue.
The Dorset Art Prize remains one of the region’s most inspiring celebrations of our vibrant creative talent and economy, so check back soon for further information on how to enter.
Bournemouth & Poole College are delighted to welcome entries for the Dorset Art Prize in the following categories:
This category is open to all submissions from young artists aged between the ages of 16 and 18 on the date of submission.
The Dorset Art Prize is only open to submissions from people who live in Dorset.
All entries are online and should be submitted on the Dorset Art Prize portal on the Bournemouth and Poole College website. More than one photograph may be submitted to support the entry of 3D submissions.
1st Prize £1,000 2nd Prize £500 3rd Prize £250
Open to all adults 18 and over - accepting all forms of visual arts.
Photography, Animation, Digital Fine Art, Graphic Art, Illustration and any other visual art specialism.
The Dorset Art Prize is only open to submissions from people who live in Dorset.
All entries are online and should be submitted on the Dorset Art Prize portal on the Bournemouth and Poole College website. More than one photograph may be submitted to support the entry of 3D submissions.
1st Prize £1,000 2nd Prize £500 3rd Prize £250