Calling All Artists:
Be Part of POSE
Are you an artist or maker ready to share your work with a wider audience? Do you have a home, studio, or other venue in Portsmouth (PO1–PO6) that could be opened to the public during the weekend of 24-26th October 2025? Then POSE could be just the opportunity you’re looking for.
You don’t need to live in Portsmouth to take part – you simply need access to a venue here. If you don’t have one yet, get in touch, we’ll do our best to help match you with someone who does.
Or if you if you have a venue to offer please let us know - its incredibly rewarding and a great way to be part of the weekend.
What is POSE?
POSE – Portsmouth Open Studios Event – is a citywide urban arts trail. For one weekend, artists across the city open their doors to the public, inviting people into their studios, homes, pop-up spaces, and even galleries to experience art where it’s made. Visitors can see your process, take part in workshops, watch demonstrations, talk to you about your work, and buy directly from you.
It’s more than an arts trail – it’s a community. POSE brings together artists from every background, working in every medium: painters, ceramicists, printmakers, sculptors, photographers, textile artists, illustrators, installation artists, animators, performance artists, musicians and more.
Whether you’re emerging or established, working solo or as part of a group – you’re welcome.
POSE 2024
How to Take Part
Taking part involves two quick steps:
Phase One – Register and Pay
Your registration is confirmed once we’ve received your participation fee. You’ll then be sent a password to complete the next step via your receipt.
Phase Two – Submit Your Artist & Venue Info
Here you’ll upload your images and provide the information we need for the brochure, website, and marketing.
We’ll guide you through it – and we’re here if you get stuck.
What You Get as a POSE Artist
✔️ A full profile in the POSE Guidebook – our most valued printed resource, distributed widely
✔️ A presence on our website, and social media channels.
✔️ Mapped visibility at your chosen venue across the event weekend
✔️ A POSE Participant Pack – including signage and useful info for the day
✔️ All administration costs and Marketing of the event
✔️ A POSE Discount Card – enjoy offers from local businesses, cafes, framers, art materials and more - valid until 28th October. In order to help you save costs on the run up to POSE.
✔️ Access to a supportive artist network – we’re all in this together
✔️ To celebrate Portsmouth Centenary A GROUP EXHIBITION - Date and Location to be confirmed TBC (first quarter of 2026)
You’ll also benefit from promotion to thousands of visitors who are keen to support local creativity, network with buy directly from artists, and see the process behind the work.
Shared Spaces & Artist Groups
Not every artist has a venue suitable for public visits – and that’s okay.
If you’re part of a shared venue or studio group, you can register together (each artist still needs to pay individually). This could be a home, workplace, or hired space within the PO1–PO6 area.
Artist Adoption
No venue? No problem.
Let us know when you register, and we’ll do our best to match you with a space or studio that’s open to adopting another artist.
Got a venue but happy to share it?
Brilliant – we’d love to hear from you too. Email us and we’ll connect you with someone looking.
Fees
Entry Fee: £95
Early Bird Discount: £85 if paid before 1st May 2025
Every participating artist contributes this fee, which helps cover brochure production, marketing, admin costs, and promotional efforts. It also secures your place in the event.
The increased fees from last year are to cover the extra costs of running POSE as whole. Which was very much underestimated last year. All of the improvements are in response to Feedback from the participating artists.
This years event itself is improved along with the offer to artists which includes the offer of an exhibition in the first quarter of 2026, in conjunction with Portsmouth Centenary Celebration. We have also increased the marketing of the event as a whole and the visibility given to each artist on our website.
Young Portsmouth Artist (YPA)
Are you aged between 18-25? Please get in touch before you register.
We want to give 25, under 25's in the year 2025 a helping hand as emerging artists of all genres.
Please get in touch BEFORE registering.
Do you have PHAS membership?
Are you a member of PHAS (Portsmouth and Hampshire Art Society)? Please get in touch with us BEFORE you register.
Criteria
You must be over 18
Have Public Liabilty and Product Insurance - this costs around £40 a year for visual artists and you can get daily rates for other forms of art - its not as scary as it sounds (honest!) but absolutely essential. Please get in touch if you have any questions about this.
Here is a link too A-n Membership which comes with PLI and Product insurance (for your information).
It is widely used by artists and artist organisers. It is however YOUR responsibility to ensure the insurance provider you choose is the right one for you and your specific practice.
Pay in Instalments
We can also offer you a payment instalment plan so you can spread the cost of the fee over a few months, please get in touch and one of our team will help set it up. (From as little as £12.50 per month for 7 months)
Good to know
Last year we have over 30,000 recorded visits to artists over the POSE weekend. with an estimated £78,000 in sales with a total uplift within the city of around £150,000 (including artists sales) across businesses, cafes, restaurants, transport and parking.
Not to mention artists and performers who have since been offered further exhibitions - and featured in publications, as well as some being taken on by galleries, directly due to their participation in POSE.
A number of artists were selected by the Box Gallery, Castle Road for a Pre-POSE exhibition.
But most importantly, above anything else, genuine friendships have been made and mutual support given and lives have been changed.
Ready to Get Started?
This is Portsmouth’s biggest artist-led event – and we’d love you to be part of it.
Apply now, pay your registration fee, and let the preparations begin.
Once both phases are complete, all that’s left to do is create your POSE.
We can’t wait to see what you’ll share.
N.B. City Arts Portsmouth reserves the right whether or not to accept your application; any unsuccessful applicants will be re-imbursed, minus the booking fee.
KEY DATES
Open Studio dates 2025:
24th October
25th October
26th October
Call for artists and makers:
1st April until 1st June 2025
Artist information and image upload
Deadline 14th June 2025
PRICES
Full price application with profile on the web site and in the brochure £95
Early bird application with profile on the web site and in the brochure at a reduced price until 1st May £85
Sponsorship
If you would like to feature as a sponsor in the guidebook and website please get in touch by filling out the form below.
POSE with City Arts Portsmouth, represents a natural progression from the foundation laid by "Created in Portsmouth" Open Studios, embodying a legacy of artistic exploration and community engagement. This evolution wouldn't have been possible without the dedication and tireless efforts of the Created Portsmouth teams, whose commitment to making a vibrant arts scene has been instrumental. Their hard work has not only paved the way for POSE but has also cultivated a rich cultural landscape within Portsmouth, uniting artists and audiences alike. POSE is deeply indebted to the vision and perseverance of the Created Portsmouth team, and it stands as a testament to their enduring legacy in shaping the artistic identity of the city.