MIAH Foundation Harmony 2026: UK Digital, Video and Sound Artists — 19 October Deadline
Last-day call for UK-based digital and sound artists
The Museum of Islamic Arts & Heritage (MIAH) Foundation in Birmingham has extended its 2026 Annual Artist Open Call, themed Harmony, to 11:59 pm UK time on Monday 19 October 2026. It is open to UK-based artists whose original art meaningfully engages with Muslim heritage and the artistic traditions of the Islamic world. Digital art, film/video and sound art are explicitly welcome alongside drawing, painting, photography, textiles, ceramics, jewellery and sculpture. Applicants can be of any faith or background.
Theme and eligibility
Harmony can be understood through pattern, balance, symmetry, colour, form or unity. The connection to Islamic artistic traditions must be substantive; merely submitting a digital image is not enough. The call is UK-only for logistical reasons, not a general international exhibition. Artists at all career stages, including first-time exhibitors and applicants from previous years, may enter. Each person may submit a maximum of two original works.
Important dates and conflicting old deadline
The main application page still includes the original deadline of 5 pm on 17 October 2026, but its updated extension banner and key-dates section explicitly say Monday 19 October at 11:59 pm. Selected applicants are due to be contacted by 24 October, while accepted artwork drop-off and display-fee payment are scheduled for 31 October. The preview is 14 November and the exhibition is 19 November to 19 December 2026 at MIAH Gallery, 496 Moseley Road, Birmingham.
Free application is not free exhibition
The initial application is free. However, selected works are subject to exhibition display fees, calculated using the final outside measurements including framing or mounting. Artists must review the linked 2026 Open Call Guidance for the applicable rates and understand delivery, return of work, and technical display requirements. Applicants working in video or sound should clarify how dimensions and display fees apply to their medium before accepting an exhibition place.
Host and how to submit safely
The Museum of Islamic Arts & Heritage Foundation is a Birmingham arts-and-heritage organisation that presents exhibitions and supports engagement with art connected to Muslim cultures. This is its second annual artist open call following a 2025 inaugural programme. Applications go through the official Artist Open Call Entry Form linked by the host; entrants should read the caption guide and all technical rules, and verify the current status before applying close to midnight UK time.
Official opportunity and application
https://miahfoundation.com/news/annual-artist-open-call-2026