Open Call: 87a CRITS 2026-27
Deadline to Apply: 1st August 2026
First Crit Date: 8th September 2027
Contact: johepburnart@outlook.com
Click Here for the Application Form
87a CRITS is an artist-led critical platform run by Jo Hepburn and Evie Lucas from their shared studio in Cheltenham, UK. The initiative is open to all contemporary practitioners working across all art forms (including sculpture, performance, painting, writing, sound, moving image, and expanded practice, etc).
Founded by Jo Hepburn, the programme is built around discussion, experimentation, and collective critical exchange. Most importantly, it is built around the work.
The programme brings together a small cohort of artists committed to developing their practice through sustained dialogue, feedback, and in-person critique sessions. 87a CRITS is interested in work that is exploratory, ambitious, unresolved and engaged with contemporary questions and conditions.
Sessions will take place monthly in Cheltenham from September 2026–27. Participants are encouraged to actively contribute to discussions, curate/present work (with options to include work in progress), and support the development of the wider cohort.
Applications are open to emerging and established practitioners based in the UK. No formal qualifications are required.
What we ask for:
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Short bio
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Brief statement on your practice / why you want to join
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Examples of work
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Contact details / social links
Key Information:
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Applications close: 1st August 2026
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Notification of outcome: 21st August 2026
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First session: Tuesday 8th Sept 2026
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Location: Cheltenham, UK
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Duration: Sept 2026 - Feb 2027
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This is a FREE platform.
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Crits take place once a month in the evening to allow for work/other commitments.
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Dates will be decided after the selection process. (We can do this collectively).