The Wigan Open Exhibition returns for 2026, taking over the iconic Wigan
Pier from 17–24 March, with an open call inviting artists from Wigan and
beyond to submit work for one of the borough’s most popular and
inclusive exhibitions.

Produced by Wigan Heritage and Arts Trust, trading as The Old Courts, the
Wigan Open Exhibition celebrates contemporary creative practice across a
wide range of disciplines. The exhibition is open to everyone, welcoming
submissions from established professionals, recent graduates, students,
emerging artists, enthusiastic amateurs and first-time exhibitors alike.

Alongside the open call, organisers have secured an exciting new partnership with Wigan & Leigh College, creating a unique opportunity for students to gain hands-on experience of producing a major public exhibition. Working with professional artists Anna FC Smith and Klaire Doyle who both bring extensive experience from Liverpool Biennial and UP
Projects, 15 students will take part in an intensive programme of practical learning covering curation, planning, project management and exhibition production.

The project will culminate in the final Open Exhibition at Wigan Pier, with students playing a central role in curating and presenting work by artists from across the borough and beyond.

Jonny Davenport, Artistic Director of The Old Courts, said: “We’re incredibly excited to be working with Wigan & Leigh College on this project and to be doing it in such an iconic heritage building as Wigan Pier. Open exhibitions are all about opportunity, opening doors for artists and giving people a reason to walk in and discover something new. When we last hosted an Open Exhibition in 2018, we displayed around 300 entries and welcomed thousands of visitors through the doors. We’re hoping this one will be bigger and better, and that the students involved will gain a genuinely valuable, hands-on experience working alongside professional artists and producing a major exhibition from start to finish.”

The submission portal for the Wigan Open Exhibition 2026 will be open from Thursday 12 February to Monday 23 February 2026. Artists are invited to submit work in the following categories: ceramics; digital and moving image; drawing; print; painting; photography; sculpture and installation; and textiles.

More information can be found at wiganarts.co.uk