Creative opportunities in Hull this month
A curated roundup of creative opportunities, open calls, paid roles and maker call-outs in Hull, including Ferens Open Exhibition, Generation Hull apprenticeships, Back to Ours artist commission, HEY Mind’s Mindful Makers Market and more.
Hull’s creative calendar is not just about what to see this month. There are also chances to submit work, apply for paid roles, pitch a commission, access funding or get involved in a new makers’ market.
We have pulled together some of the most useful creative opportunities currently open across Hull and beyond, from Ferens Art Gallery and Generation Hull to Back to Ours, Hull Museums, HEY Mind, Arts Council England and Art Fund.
Deadlines can move, so always check the official opportunity page before applying.
Urgent: Ferens Open Exhibition 2026
Best for: artists aged 16 and over
Deadline: midnight, Wednesday 20 May 2026
Opportunity type: open exhibition / artist submission
Where: Ferens Art Gallery
The Ferens Open Exhibition is one of Hull’s key annual opportunities for artists to show and sell work in a major public gallery. Artists can submit up to three artworks for consideration, with selected work shown at Ferens Art Gallery from Friday 16 October 2026 to Sunday 10 January 2027.
The open exhibition has been part of the Ferens programme since 1967 and includes a wide range of work, from painting and photography to textiles, sculpture and ceramics.
This is the most urgent opportunity in the roundup, with applications closing at midnight on Wednesday 20 May.
Apply: via Hull Museums / Ferens Art Gallery.
Generation Hull creative apprenticeships
Best for: young people looking for paid routes into Hull’s creative sector
Deadline: Friday 29 May 2026
Opportunity type: paid apprenticeships
Where: Hull Truck Theatre, Humber Street Gallery and Hull Music Service
Generation Hull has opened its second wave of creative apprenticeships, with three paid roles available across major cultural organisations in the city.
The roles are:
Creative Production Technician at Hull Truck Theatre
Creative Programme Assistant at Humber Street Gallery
Project Service Apprentice with Hull Music Service, based at Albemarle Music Centre
Applicants must live within the Hull boundary. The Hull Truck Theatre and Humber Street Gallery posts are open to applicants aged 18 to 21 at the start of the apprenticeship, while the Hull Music Service role is open to applicants aged 17 to 21.
This is a strong route for young people who want practical experience, a qualification and a first step into the creative industries without needing to leave Hull.
Apply: via Generation Hull.
Hull Museums Marketing & Digital Engagement Officer
Best for: people with experience or interest in cultural marketing, digital content and audience engagement
Deadline: Sunday 31 May 2026
Opportunity type: paid cultural job
Where: Hull Museums
Salary: £26,824 to £29,064
Hull Museums is recruiting a Marketing & Digital Engagement Officer to support marketing, audience development and digital engagement across the museums service.
The fixed-term role is 37 hours a week and focuses on sustaining audience numbers, broadening participation and strengthening engagement with target and priority groups. It also includes digital programmes and audience-focused activity across the wider museums service.
This is one for cultural comms people, digital producers and anyone looking to move further into museum audience development.
Apply: via Hull Museums / Hull City Council jobs.
Back to Ours Hub Member Artist Commission 2026
Best for: artists with experience working outdoors, with communities and in public space
Deadline: Friday 5 June 2026
Opportunity type: artist commission
Fee: £4,500 including artist fee, materials and required infrastructure
Project period: August to December 2026
Back to Ours Hub Members are looking to commission an artist to create a new piece of work for their annual Christmas Parade activity.
The commission is for an artist who enjoys working with people and can create something for streets or green spaces in parade neighbourhoods. The work should engage people attending the events and connect in some way to winter.
Artists need to submit a short project idea, CV and/or portfolio by Friday 5 June. Shortlisted artists will then be invited into the next stage of the process before a final artist is selected later in the summer.
This is one of the strongest opportunities currently open because it combines paid work, neighbourhood culture and public-facing community arts.
Apply: via Back to Ours.
Young Artist Open Exhibition 2026
Best for: young artists aged 15 and under
Submission window: Monday 1 June to Sunday 28 June 2026
Opportunity type: youth art exhibition
Where: Ferens Art Gallery
Cost: free to enter
The Young Artist Open Exhibition is open to young people aged 15 and under who live or attend school in East Yorkshire, the Humber, or North/North-East Lincolnshire.
Selected works will be shown at Ferens Art Gallery from Friday 16 October 2026 to Sunday 10 January 2027, alongside the wider Open Exhibition period.
The competition is free to enter and accepts work from individuals, schools and youth groups. Entries must be two-dimensional works on paper or card, and each child can submit one original artwork.
This is a good one for schools, families, youth groups and young artists looking for the chance to see their work displayed in a major gallery setting.
Apply: via Hull Museums / Ferens Art Gallery when submissions open.
HEY Mind Mindful Makers Market stallholder call-out
Best for: local makers, artists, creatives and independent businesses
Event date: Saturday 22 August 2026, 11am to 4pm
Opportunity type: market stallholder call-out
Where: Pier Street Pop Up Space, Humber Street
Hull and East Yorkshire Mind is launching its first Mindful Makers Market, bringing together local creativity, independent businesses and mental health awareness.
The market will feature stalls across crafts, jewellery, home décor, baked goods, wellbeing products, vinyl and independent businesses.
HEY Mind is currently looking for local makers, creatives and small businesses to take part. Spaces are limited and allocated on a first come, first served basis.
This is a strong crossover opportunity for Hull’s makers, independents and wellbeing-led creative businesses.
Apply: email events@heymind.org.uk.
Supporting Grassroots Music Fund
Best for: grassroots music venues, festivals, promoters, rehearsal spaces, recording studios and sector bodies
Deadline: midday, Thursday 28 May 2026
Opportunity type: funding
Funder: Arts Council England
Arts Council England’s Supporting Grassroots Music fund is open to projects that strengthen grassroots music infrastructure.
The fund is aimed at music venues, music festivals, promoters, recording studios, rehearsal spaces and sector bodies working in grassroots music.
For Hull, this matters because the health of the live scene depends on more than artists alone. Venues, promoters, festivals and rehearsal spaces all shape what gets made, heard and sustained locally.
Apply: via Arts Council England.
Art Fund Student Opportunities grants
Best for: museums, galleries, libraries, archives and visual arts organisations
Deadline: Friday 26 June 2026
Opportunity type: organisational funding
Grant value: up to £10,000
Art Fund’s Student Opportunities grants support museums, galleries and visual arts organisations to offer paid opportunities for full-time university students.
The funding is designed to help students gain meaningful work experience in the arts while giving organisations extra capacity for public-facing projects.
This one is not for individual artists or students to apply directly, but it is useful for cultural organisations thinking about placements, student engagement or paid entry routes into the sector.
Apply: via Art Fund.
