Want to see your writing published in the next issue of Tate Etc. alongside the work of world-renowned artists and writers?
Tate Collective are invited to write 500 words in response to a painting included in Lubaina Himid’s exhibition at Tate Modern. Lubaina Himid is open until 2 October 2022.
Himid has been pivotal in the UK since the 1980s for her contributions to the British Black arts movement, making space for the expression and recognition of Black experience and women’s creativity. Over the last decade, she has earned international recognition for her figurative paintings, which explore overlooked and invisible aspects of history and of contemporary everyday life. As Himid has said, many of her paintings ‘try to show the tiny moments of huge significance which happen every day but which are almost so minuscule that you cannot pin them down.’
The winner will have their writing published in the Autumn 2022 issue of Tate Etc. and will receive a fee of £250. Runners-up will also have their text published on Tate’s website and will receive a goody bag from Tate Publishing.
How to submit
Please select one artwork to focus on and make sure to include the title of the work in your email. The writing should be non-fiction. Submit up to 500 words to us at collective@tate.org.uk. Please format the file name and subject line of your email as TateEtc_Last Name_First Name_Title of Piece. We won't be able to accept any mislabelled entries. Please submit your piece as a word doc. or a PDF.
In your email, please include:
- Your name
- Your date of birth
- Your Tate Collective membership number
- The title of the artwork your writing responds to
- Your contact email address (if different from the one you’re emailing from)
- Your social media handles (if you’d like us to use them!)
Deadline for email submissions: Monday 20 June at 23.59 GMT.
Important info
Submissions will only be accepted via email.
We will pay a fee of £250 to the writer whose work is featured in Tate Etc.
A panel of Tate Collective Producers, Tate Etc. editorial staff and Tate Modern curator Amrita Dhallu will choose one piece to be published in print.
The piece will feature in the Autumn 2022 edition of Tate Etc. that will be released in early September.
From the entries submitted Tate will, at its discretion, select one to be printed in Tate Etc. magazine, on the Tate website, and on any other of Tate’s approved partner platforms.
The open call for submission is aimed at all young people aged 16–25 who are signed up to Tate Collective.
Please don’t be rude. Anything defamatory or obscene won’t be accepted. Your submission must be suitable for under 18s.
Anything you submit must be your own original work. If your content contains others’ material e.g. quotes, phrases, personal information etc. you must have obtained the necessary permissions to use the material. Make sure you get someone’s recorded consent to be included in the material before showing an image of their face or otherwise using their personal data.
Tate won’t use your content for commercial purposes (eg. merchandise) but we may use your content to promote our platform or project, such as:
- On social media, eg Facebook, Instagram and Twitter
- On our websites
- In-gallery at Tate sites
- On printed materials eg leaflets promoting the open call and other projects for young people
By sharing and uploading any contribution for this open call, you will be sharing your content with Tate who will be able to use your material in the following ways:
You agree to grant to Tate, free of charge, permission to use the material in any way it wants, for Tate services in any existing or future media worldwide (including on Tate’s website accessed by international users) and in perpetuity. While we intend to credit you as the creator of the material, there may be some instances in which this is not possible (for example, due to formatting constraints). We therefore require as a condition of submission that you waive any moral rights in your contribution. You also permit Tate to edit the material, if necessary. You also grant to Tate the right to sub-license these rights to approved partners.
Copyright in your contribution will remain with you and this permission is not exclusive, so you can continue to use the material in any way including allowing others to use it, including licensing that material to other websites.
If you do not grant Tate the permission set out above on these terms please do not submit or share your contribution with us. By submitting your contribution with us, you are deemed to accept these Terms and Conditions.
Tate will hold and process your personal data for all purposes relating to the administration and award of this open call. Tate will not use your personal data for any other purpose except as necessary for the purposes of this open call. You can contact us (dpo@tate.org.uk) to amend or remove any information you submit to us, or ask us to remove all of your personal information. Our Privacy Policy provides further information on your legal rights and how to exercise these https://www.tate.org.uk/about-us/policies-and-procedures/tate-privacy-policy.
Before you submit your work, please read sections 4 and 7-11 of Tate’s website terms of use.
I can’t find my Tate Collective Number
Log into your Tate Collective account here. Your Tate Collective Number will come up straight away under My Account as your Customer Number.
Can I submit more than one piece of writing?
We can only accept one entry per person for this Open Call.
I’m over 25, can I still apply for this?
This opportunity is an open callout for 16–25s who are part of Tate Collective. Join Tate Collective for free to enter.
I will turn 26 during this open call. Can I still apply for this?
Sorry but we won’t be able to accept your submission :(
Do I have to be UK based to apply for this?
Not at all! We’re accepting applications from all around the world for this open call.
When will I hear back about my submission?
We want to get back to everyone with the outcome of their submission by 1 July. Look out for an email from collective@tate.org.uk.
Does it have to be a new piece?
Not at all! As long as it relates to the theme and within the word limit, you can submit anything you like – old or new.
Paintings to respond to
Scroll down to see the selection of paintings you can choose to write your response to.
Lubaina Himid
Stir Until Melted (The Fortune Teller) 2020
Acrylic paint on canvas
183 × 122 × 2 cm
© Lubaina Himid. Courtesy the artist and Hollybush Gardens, London. Photo: Gavin Renshaw
Lubaina Himid
Slice Ten Lemons 2015/2020
Acrylic and charcoal on canvas
Two parts: 152.4 × 152.4 × 2 cm
8 × 10.5 × 3.5 cm
© Lubaina Himid. Courtesy the artist and Hollybush Gardens, London. Photo: Andy Keate
Lubaina Himid
The Button Maker 2020
Acrylic paint and charcoal on canvas
243.8 × 182.8 × 2 cm
© Lubaina Himid. Courtesy the artist and Hollybush Gardens, London. Photo: Andy Keate
Lubaina Himid
The Operating Table 2019
Acrylic paint on canvas
152 × 152 × 2 cm
© Lubaina Himid. Courtesy the artist and Hollybush Gardens, London. Photo: Gavin Renshaw
