Our 2026 Hub Member Artist Commission Now Open!
Now open for applications!
Our Hub Members are looking to commission an artist with experience and a passion for working outdoors and with people, someone who can bring people together through a creative project.
Our Hub Members run through the very core of Back to Ours; after all, who knows more about how to engage Hull people in the Arts than the people living in the heart of Hull neighbourhoods? Our Hub members play a key role in the development of the Back to Ours programme, meeting regularly to discuss what, when and how arts and culture are delivered in their area.
We want you to work closely with our Hub Members to create a new piece of work in any art form. Our Hub Members are staging events in their streets and green spaces for all their neighbours, family, and friends to enjoy during our annual Christmas Parade, and your work would be displayed at these events.
They’re looking to commission a project which:
• Takes place in the streets and or green spaces of our Parade neighbourhoods;
• Engages with people who attend the events that run alongside the Parade;
• Celebrates (or relates to!) the theme of winter.
For more detailed info on the commission, please see our Hub Commission Brief here
Commission Duration: August – December 2026
Commission Budget: £4500 (including all materials, infrastructure and artist fees)
The Application Process:
Our three-step application process starts with you sending Back to Ours a 1-3 sentence brief of your idea with your portfolio and/ or CV (max three pages) showcasing your work with community-based projects. Please send your idea, portfolio or CV to [email protected].
Back to Ours will choose up to five artists to meet with Hub Members. At the Summer Gathering, Hub Members and artists can meet and discuss ideas. Following the meeting, artists will submit a detailed project proposal and budget which the Hub Members will use to choose their artist for 2026.
Application Timeline:
Fri 5 June: Deadline for artists to submit their ideas, CVs and Portfolios for consideration to [email protected]
Fri 19 June: Back to Ours to contact artists invited to meet our Hub Members.
Tue 7 July: Attend the Summer Hub Member Gathering.
Fri 24 July: Detailed Commission Project Proposal and Budget are due.
Fri 7 August: Chosen artist is selected and notified.
August – December: Artist has check-ins with Back to Ours and our Hub Members on the status of the work.
Mon 7 – Thu 10 Dec: Exhibition of the commissioned work.
Short project ideas, portfolios and/or CVs are due to [email protected] by the end of the day on Fri, 5 June.
For more detailed info on the commission, please see our Hub Commission Brief here
We look forward to seeing your applications!
Photo credit: Luke Hallet Photography
Photo subject: Our 20275 Hub Commissioned project, The Magic of Motion by Andrew Burton, Denise McCoid & Keith Holmes.
Our previous Hub commissions:
2025 – The Magic of Motion
https://backtoours.co.uk/introducing-our-2025-hub-commission/
2024 – Frozen Wonderland by Bluebeany (Anna Bean)
https://backtoours.co.uk/hub-commission-2024-frozen-wonderland-by-bluebeany/
2023 – A Very Gen Z Christmas by Holly Gibbs of Dance in Company
https://backtoours.co.uk/meet-our-2023-hub-commissioned-artist/
2022 – Maniuko (large-scale graffiti designs)