Apply to exhibit at Birmingham Jewellery Biennial

1 – 31 May 2027, Birmingham Museum and Art Gallery

Applications close 6 September 2026

Birmingham Jewellery Biennial invites UK-based jewellery practitioners to submit an Expression of Interest for the inaugural Birmingham Jewellery Biennial exhibition, taking place 1–31 May 2027.

The Birmingham Jewellery Biennial exhibition will bring together makers from across the UK and beyond, selected by an independent jury of leading figures from the jewellery world. The exhibition will be held at Birmingham Museum and Art Gallery – one of the UK’s great civic museums, housed in a landmark building in the heart of the city.

Selected Open Call artists will exhibit alongside wider internationally recognised works, placing UK-based makers in direct conversation with the global jewellery field. We’re looking for ambitious, statement work that responds to this year’s theme and demonstrates creative design, technical excellence and quality of materials.

This year's theme: colour

Colour is central to the evolution of jewellery design throughout history. It has the power to signify belief, evoke emotion, make memories and express status, heritage and belonging. For the exhibition we are seeking submissions that are inspired by colour, experiment and innovate with colour, or explore the stories and symbolism of colour and its manifold meanings. Taking inspiration from Birmingham Museum and Art Gallery’s own collections, colour will be a lens to consider the wider relationships between making, wearing, gifting and viewing jewellery.

Why you should apply

Birmingham Jewellery Biennial is a once-in-a-generation opportunity to show your work on one of the most significant new platforms in UK jewellery.

An internationally respected venue. Selected works will be exhibited at Birmingham Museum and Art Gallery - one of the finest civic museums in the UK, home to one of the world's great pre-Raphaelite collections and visited by hundreds of thousands of people each year.

Thousands of pounds to be won. The Biennial offers prize money for selected exhibitors, recognising the breadth and quality of contemporary jewellery practice across the UK.

A national platform. This is the UK's jewellery festival. Your work will sit alongside pieces by national and international jewellers and be seen by collectors, press, industry professionals and the public from across the country and beyond.

Be part of something historic. As a first-edition festival, the makers who exhibit in 2027 will be part of the founding story of Birmingham Jewellery Biennial - a festival built to last.

Who can apply

Open to jewellery practitioners based in the UK, at any career stage. You must be the designer/maker of the concept and finished work submitted.

What we're looking for

For the purposes of this Open Call jewellery is defined as work created intentionally as jewellery, designed to be worn, adorn, or interact with the body. We are open to the full spectrum of jewellery, e.g. fine and art jewellery.

We welcome work in all materials, from traditional (e.g. gemstones, precious metals, enamel) to less traditional (e.g. plastics, paper, glass, textiles), and the full breadth of jewellery-making techniques, such as (but not restricted to) designing, mounting, setting, polishing, carving, engraving, casting and alloying.

Stage one

OPEN NOW

Expression of Interest

5 Aug – 6 Sep 2026

Artist details, bio, up to 5 works, and a 250 – 500 word statement of interest.

birminghamjewellerybiennial.com/open-call