Royal Society of Sculptorsaward
First Plinth: Public Art Award
- Who Can Apply: Artists of any age or nationality working in three dimensions who have not yet won a public-space commission worth more than £15,000; formally trained artists need at least three years of post-graduate experience.
- The Focus: A biennial award that mirrors public art commissioning: proposals answer the 2027 theme RENEWAL, and the winning sculpture is shown at Dora House, London, and then at a second site.
- The Funding: The winner receives £15,000 towards producing the sculpture, plus mentoring from engineers, consultants and artists. Each of the five finalists receives £500 to develop a maquette and proposal.
- Key Requirements: Apply on CuratorSpace by 5 pm, January 12, 2027 with a CV of up to two pages, a short description of your practice, up to 10 images of recent work, a statement on how winning would move your practice on, an outline of your idea for RENEWAL and up to 3 supporting images. Entry fee £17 early bird (to 12 pm Nov 10, 2026) or £34 after (members £12/£24). Finalists present a maquette in person in London on April 24, 2027.
Applications openOctober 23, 2026
DeadlineTuesday, January 12, 2027
AwardThe winner receives £15,000 towards producing a large-scale sculpture (a production budget, with mentoring from engineers, consultants and artists); each of the five shortlisted finalists receives £500 to develop a maquette and proposal.
Application fee£17
LocationLondon, England, United Kingdom
Open toArtists worldwide
ParticipationOn-site
Career stagesAll Stages
Disciplinessculpture, public art
Application notesSubmissions for the 2027 award open online via CuratorSpace from Friday 23 October 2026 and close 12 January 2027. A submission fee applies, with an Early Bird option for early submissions. The winner is mentored by engineers, consultants and artists during fabrication.
Contactinfo@sculptors.org.uk
Royal Society of Sculptors
All opportunities from Royal Society of SculptorsOrganization based in London