SOLO Award Application Deadline: EXTENDED TO FRIDAY 6 APRIL 2018
NEWS & UPDATES WILL BE POSTED ON THE SOLO AWARD PAGE
​AND VIA EMAIL TO APPLICANTS
View full list of Guidelines and key dates below.

Terms & Conditions / GUIDELINES / FAQS

GENERAL
Who is the SOLO Award is open to?
​What is the prize?
​What are the key dates I need to be aware of?

SUBMISSION & SELECTION
​What kind of work should I submit?​​
​​How should I prepare my work for submission?
​How do I apply as part of an artist collaboration or collective?
​Can I apply on behalf of someone else?
​How do I complete the Application Form?
​Who are the judges?
​​​How is work selected?
​How will you keep me notified and what feedback can I expect?

PAYMENT 
​How much is it to enter?
​How can I pay my entry fee?
What do I need to know about the application fee & refunds?
​Why is there a fee to apply and what happens to the money made from all the applications received?

JOTFORM PENDING PAYMENT CONCERNS
I've paid and submitted my form, but I've received a 'pending payment' email...what's going on?

FINALISTS & WINNER 
What happens if I'm shortlisted?
​What happens if I win?

EXPENSES / SALES / LEGAL
​​What expenses are covered or fees offered to applicants, shortlisted artists and winners?
​What about Sales?
​What about copyright & ownership?
Who is the organiser and where is the SOLO Award, the selection panel and the exhibition based?

OTHER
​I have questions or problems that aren't answered on this page, how do I contact you?
GENERAL
​
          Who is the SOLO Award is open to?
  • contemporary artists 
  • artists working in any medium
  • artists at any stage in their career, aged 18 or over
  • artists of all nationalities, who are UK/ROI-based - i.e. working, living or studying in the UK & ROI
  • artist collaborations are also eligible (see below)

    What is the prize?
  • A group exhibition for all finalists:
    30     May - 7 June 2018 @ Chiara Williams Contemporary Art @ The Cello Factory, London (PV Tuesday 29 May 6-9pm)
  • 1000 GBP prize money + 6 months support & mentoring for overall winner
  • A solo exhibition at the next London Art Fair Jan 2019 for overall winner

    What are the key dates I need to be aware of?
  • January 2018 - SOLO Award Launch: Online applications open
  • Friday 30 March 2018 at 12pm (midday/noon) - Deadline for completed online applications. NB. There will be no extension unless large volumes cause unforeseen technical issues or crashes. Please check the application form itself for the most up-to-date information.
  • April - selection panel views the entries
  • End of April: Longlisted artists notified
  • Beginning of May: Shortlisted artists notified
  • Wednesday 30 May - 7 June 2017: GROUP exhibition for shortlisted finalists @ Chiara Williams Contemporary Art @ The Cello Factory, London (PV Tuesday 29 May 6-9pm)
  • June: SOLO Award winner announced
  • July - December 2018: £1000 awarded and 6 months preparation time for winning artist to develop upon or create new work for their solo exhibition
  • January 2019 - Award winner's solo exhibition in Art Projects at the London Art Fair
SUBMISSION & SELECTION
​
         What kind of work should I submit?​
  • There is no set theme; work should be representative of your practice or process.
  • Media can include painting, sculpture, installation, performance, video, audio, drawing, collage, printmaking, digital, photography, mixed media, have we missed anything? That too. 
  • There is no size restriction on works submitted for consideration by the panel.
  • It doesn't matter if the examples of work you submit have been previously exhibited, are already sold or sell subsequent to your application; the winner will be expected to make and exhibit new work (see below).
  • Commercial considerations are not part of the selection criteria. The SOLO Award is a not-for-profit project.
  • In the July - December period, the winning artist is expected to develop upon their existing/submitted work to create new content in preparation for their SOLO exhibition at the London Art Fair in the following January. Extensive support and guidance will be provided during this period.

    ​How should I prepare my work for submission?
  • The selection panel will consider a max of 5 images or links.
  • You can submit almost any combination of jpegs or links, numbering not more than 5 in total.
  • As a minimum requirement, all applicants must upload at least 1 jpg image or link.
  • The submitted files can represent different aspects of a single work, or 2, 3, 4 or 5 different works.
  • If you wish the panel to consider further examples of your work, you will have to submit and pay for another application.
  • Image file guidelines: Max 500kb each, min 800 pixels wide, preferably 72dpi and preferably RGB (not CMYK). 
    RESIZE IMAGES IN PHOTOSHOP OR ONLINE FREE http://www.picresize.com/
  • Video/Audio content should not be uploaded, but instead provided as links (vimeo, youtube etc) pasted into the video/audio boxes.
  • For each image uploaded or link pasted, you must provide a corresponding number, title, medium, dimensions or running time, date. 
  • No CV, no statement necessary (further info will only be required at shortlisting stage).
  • If you need to include important information or context in order for your work to be better understood, please use the 'Anything else...' box at the bottom of the form.
  • Please do not send your physical artwork to us.

    How do I apply as part of an artist collaboration or collective?
  • Artist collaborations should enter as a single application. You will need to apply & pay using a single full name & email account, however there is room on your application form (The 'Joint application?' box), in which to include details of each artist involved as well as the name under which you work collectively.

    Can I apply on behalf of someone else?
  • Yes, but please use the 'Joint Application?' box on the form to provide the full name of the artist on whose behalf you are applying. You may use the 'anything else' box at the end of the form to provide any further clarification. Strictly one application form per artist - so if you wish to apply on behalf of more than one artist, you will need to complete an application form for each of them.

    ​How do I complete the Application Form?
  • Application is via an online form and a maximum of 5 images or video/audio links.
  • Please note that the online application seems to work best with the Google Chrome browser. Firefox and Safari may be unreliable.
  • Hover your mouse over the form fields for more help or info.
  • The form autosaves data via your browser (but not image uploads), so even if you accidentally close the browser window or lose your internet connection, you can return to edit it anytime for up to 4 weeks, provided you are using the same computer and haven't cleared your browser cache.
  • The form is only editable BEFORE you click submit.
  • Uploaded images will not be autosaved.
  • Once you click SUBMIT APPLICATION, you cannot edit it.
  • We recommend you prepare your images in photoshop (so that they are correctly sized and titled) before proceeding to fill out the form. The image requirements are detailed above and also on the form itself.
  • We recommend you have your credit/debit card or PayPal login details handy when you are ready to submit your form.
  • You do not need to have or create a PayPal account, you can pay by credit or debit card by clicking the the relevant link underneath the PayPal login box when it appears (after you click 'submit application')
  • ​Please remember to check your spam/junk email folder for correspondence after you submit your application. It can take up to 2 hours for your confirmation email to come through. 
  • If you are having problems applying in the final minutes or hours before the deadline, please give us a call on +44(0)7519646508 and we will try to help you.

    Who are the judges?
  • Each year, the SOLO Award invites a fresh, independent panel of art world professionals to choose their winner. Previous judges have included: Sarah Monk, Robin Klassnik, Lisa Le Feuvre, Francesco Pantaleone, Gordon Cheung, Danielle Arnaud, Fedja Klikovac, Kate Brindley, Cherry Smyth, Lisa Milroy, Alison Wilding, Charlotte Mullins, Ceri Hand, Gill Saunders, Sheila McGregor, Helen Sumpter, Kate Davis, Deb Covell.
  • The 2018 judges include Alistair Hicks (writer, curator, former Senior Curator at Deutsche Bank for 20 years), Sarah Martin (Head of Exhibitions at Turner Contemporary, Margate), Sarah Monk (Director London Art Fair), Chiara Williams (Director CWCA), plus a selection panel includes Enzo Marra, Kyung Hwa Shon and Chiara Williams.

    ​​How is work selected?​
  • We try to operate a fair, democratic and as far as possible, anonymous selection process.
  • Commercial considerations are not part of the selection criteria. The SOLO Award is a not-for-profit project.
  • The first stage of the selection process is completed online with the assistance of our selection panel. 
  • Further information, examples of work and proposals will be required from shortlisted artists at a later date.
  • Should you be shortlisted, you will be invited to participate in a group exhibition in May / June, the date for this will be communicated to the shortlisted artists.
  • At the panel's discretion, incomplete applications will be disqualified if there is insufficient information provided.
  • Applications will be considered incomplete and automatically disqualified without the entry fee.
  • Following selection and notification, the exhibition organisers reserve the right to exclude artists who cannot provide further information as requested, or cannot commit to the exhibition dates and requirements in the lead up to the London Art Fair.
  • The judges' decisions are final.

    How will you keep me notified and what feedback can I expect?
  • Please remember to check your spam/junk email folder. You may want to put [email protected] into approved your contacts list.
  • On successful submission of the form and payment, you will receive email confirmation and a copy of your application form. This can take up to 2 hours to come through and might go to your spam folder.
  • Applications without payment will not be processed at all. You will receive a 'Pending Payment' email inviting you to submit again & pay.
  • All applicants and those on the mailing list will receive periodical reminders about the award deadline. You can unsubscribe at any time.
  • We will not extend the deadline, however, there is a very short grace-period post deadline to allow for your forms and payments to come through.
  • All applicants will be informed by email as to whether or not they have been shortlisted for the award. See key dates above.
  • No correspondence will be entered into if applications are disqualified because they are incomplete or the fee has not been paid.
  • No correspondence will be entered into about your work, you will not receive feedback from the judges. 
  • SOLO Award administrators are regrettably unable to offer specific feedback on your submission or enter into discussions about the judges' decisions, due to the number of applications received and the collective nature of the decision-making process.
PAYMENT 
​
         How much is it to enter?
  • £25 (GBP – pounds sterling) per entry consisting of 1 application form with up to 5 images/works/links. You can enter as many times as you wish.

    How can I pay my entry fee?
  • You can pay online using Paypal or your credit/debit card, you will be prompted to pay after submitting your form.

    What do I need to know about the application fee & refunds?
  • The fee is non-refundable under any circumstances.
  • Please pay your application fee (for 1 form with up to 5 works) only once, unless you are submitting multiple application forms.
  • You may submit and pay for multiple applications if you wish to.
  • You will get a receipt from PayPal, but it could take a couple of hours to come through.
  • Check your spam/junk folder for emails from Paypal.
  • We will not issue refunds for multiple paid application fees, so please keep a record of your application & payment confirmation.
  • We will not issue a refund if you apply and pay twice because you forgot you already applied. Believe it or not, artists have made this mistake before!
  • The fees we receive cover administration and staffing and the revenue helps fund the finalists' group exhibition and the prize for the overall winner. The SOLO Award is an entirely not-for-profit project. We recognise that asking artists to pay fees is not ideal and not always fair. Therefore, we rely on artists making their own informed decisions, and for those who do choose to apply, we suggest making it part of a rounded business strategy, and setting the expense against your taxes as a self-employed artist.

    ​Why is there a fee to apply and what happens to the money made from all the applications received?
  • The fees we receive cover administration and staffing and the revenue helps fund the finalists' group exhibition and the prize for the overall winner. The SOLO Award is an entirely not-for-profit project. We recognise that asking artists to pay fees is not ideal and not always fair. Therefore, we rely on artists making their own informed decisions, and for those who do choose to apply, we suggest making it part of a rounded business strategy, and setting the expense against your taxes as a self-employed artist. On request, we can supply shortlisted artists with letters of support for funding applications relating to their participation in the SOLO Award exhibitions.
JOTFORM PENDING PAYMENT CONCERNS

I've paid and submitted my form, but I've received a 'pending payment' email...what's going on?

Don't worry, an unfortunate flaw in the system means that even after you've successfully submitted your form, paid, and received a confirmation of this, you may also receive a 'pending payment' email. These 'pending payment' emails are generated by each and every aborted/abandoned form/payment, even if they were aborted long before your final submission/payment went through...the system holds on to the unresolved forms for several hours and sends out auto-reminders, it is not sophisticated enough to sync this with the successfully submitted form and payment, as it registers these as separate events. Apologies for any anxiety this causes, if you have definitely submitted and paid once, you can ignore the 'pending payment'. Please do not pay twice.
FINALISTS & WINNER
​
​          What happens if I'm shortlisted?
  • Shortlisted artists will be contacted by email at the end of April.
  • You will be invited to participate in a group exhibition in May / June, the date for this will be confirmed asap and communicated to you.
  • The group exhibition is an opportunity for the shortlisted artists to show an example of their existing work to the panel.
  • Shortlisted artists will also be asked to supply a digital portfolio (via email), this is ideal for presenting the panel with a greater breadth of work, as well as showing large work, sculpture, installation, performance, time-based or site-specific work.
  • Shortlisted artists will also be asked to submit a brief proposal for the SOLO exhibition at the London Art Fair.

    What happens if I win?
  • In the July - December period, the winning artist is expected to develop upon their existing/submitted work to create new content in preparation for their SOLO exhibition at the London Art Fair in the following January.  Extensive support and guidance will be provided during this period, including studio visits. £1000 prize money will be paid to the artist to support the production of the new work.
  • The winner is expected to travel to the London Art Fair and arrange transport for their work to the London Art Fair.
  • We require the winner's exhibition at the London Art Fair to be the first public showing of new work created with the support of the award. As such we expect the winner to inform us of any other exhibitions during the course of the award year, so that we can coordinate with these and work together with other organisations as necessary.
  • The exhibition organisers reserve the right to withdraw the award from artists who cannot provide further information as requested, or cannot commit to the exhibition dates and requirements in the lead up to the London Art Fair.​
EXPENSES / SALES / LEGAL​

​         What expenses are covered or fees offered to applicants, shortlisted artists and winners?
  • No expenses or compensations are covered for costs incurred by artists at any stage of the application process.
  • No fees are offered for time spent on applications at any stage of the process.
  • No travel expenses are available at any stage of the application process.
  • The shortlisted artists/finalists are responsible for all costs associated with the production, installation, presentation, framing, insurance and transport of their work to and from group exhibition.
  • No expenses, accommodation or fees are offered to the winner, except the prize money as described above.
  • The organiser will pay the full prize money to the winning artist, to spend as they wish.
  • The organiser will pay for the stand at the London Art Fair and all costs associated with the basic stand presentation, staffing, marketing, publicity and on-site stand insurance.
  • On request, the organiser can supply shortlisted artists with letters of support for funding applications relating to their participation in the SOLO Award exhibitions.
  • The artist is responsible for all costs associated with the production, installation, presentation, framing, insurance and transport of their work to and from the London Art Fair.

    What about Sales?
  • Although commercial considerations are not part of the selection criteria and the SOLO Award is a not-for-profit project, it is expected that work presented for exhibition with Chiara Williams Contemporary Art will be available for sale. Sales of any work exhibited / works on consignment / or commissions arising from the SOLO Award will be handled by Chiara Williams Contemporary Art, who will retain 50% commission.

    What about copyright & ownership?
  • The Artist retains copyright in the Work (if the Artist is the copyright owner) and all reproduction rights save for the following limited rights granted to the organiser: reproduction for marketing and promotional purposes, in an Exhibition catalogue; in publicity material for the exhibition; to accompany critical review of the Exhibition; to be included in an archive providing a record of the exhibition history of the Gallery. The Gallery will credit all photographs (not taken by the Gallery) published with the Artist's name, the title of the Work and the name of the photographer.

    Who is the organiser and where is the SOLO Award, the selection panel and the exhibition based?
  • The SOLO Award™ is a registered trademark and is organised by Chiara Williams Contemporary Art, based in London at 30a Queensdown Road, London E5 8NN.
  • The selection panel is comprised of art world professionals based both nationally and internationally. 2017 panel : Robin Klassnik, Lisa Le Feuvre, Sarah Monk, Chiara Williams.
  • The finalists' group exhibition location: The Cello Factory, 33-34 Cornwall Rd, Lambeth, London SE1 8TJ. Date: 30 May - 7 June (PV Tuesday 29 May 6-9pm). Hosted and curated by Chiara Williams Contemporary Art.  
  • The winner's exhibition is a solo presentation at the London Art Fair, each January, in the Art Projects section of the fair, and is hosted and curated by Chiara Williams Contemporary Art. 
  • The stand is allocated by the London Art Fair and can vary in exact size and location, it is approximately 20-25 sqm / 215-269 sqft.
​OTHER          

​         I have questions or problems that aren't answered on this page, how do I contact you?
  • Questions relating to the SOLO Award should only be sent to [email protected], or they will not be answered.
  • Helpline: +44 (0)7519646508