The Dover Prize
The Dover Prize, awarded by Point North, is a significant opportunity for artists who are ready to take the next step in their practice.
What is The Dover Prize?
Awarded biennially, The Dover Prize supports one artist with a bursary of £10,000 to provide time to think, research, reflect and/or experiment with new ideas.
It’s open to artists, including individuals, partnerships or small collectives working in the visual arts fields, at any stage of their careers, who are committed to creating ambitious, exploratory new work.
Applications for The Dover Prize are now closed. Sign up to our mailing list to be notified when they reopen.
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Applications for The Dover Prize are now closed. Sign up to our mailing list to be notified when they reopen.
The Dover Prize encourages experimentation, collaboration and creative risk-taking. It provides time, space and financial support to develop new ideas, deepen practice and forge connections that can shape long-term careers.
The successful applicant becomes part of a vibrant artistic community, with access to mentoring, networks and public platforms to share their work. Past winners have gone on to exhibit nationally and internationally, and to develop projects that reach new audiences and communities.
If you’re excited by challenge, open to new ways of working, and ready to grow your practice in bold and meaningful directions, we’d love to hear from you.
FAQs
The Dover Prize is a biennial award that supports opportunity and experimentation in the arts. It is awarded by Point North, a charity and community foundation based in County Durham, England.
Open to UK-based individual artists or collectives, the Prize provides a £10,000 bursary paid across two years and is designed to support time for research, reflection, experimentation and developing ambitious new work.
The Dover Prize was started by art-lover and philanthropist Peggy Nonhebel (née Dover) in 1998 to promote art and the education of art in and around Darlington.
Entrusting Point North (previously named County Durham Community Foundation) with an endowment fund, The Dover Prize has gone from strength to strength.
Awarding over £85,000 and supporting more than 20 artists since 1998.
The Dover Prize is open to UK-based creative practitioners working in visual art, including but not limited to painting, sculpture, ceramics, printmaking, photography, digital art, filmmaking, performance, and installation.
We welcome applications from individuals, partnerships and small collectives, as well as previous applicants.
Applicants must meet at least three of the following:
- Regularly make and exhibit work
- Have received professional grants or awards
- Run artist-led studios or projects
- Hold a degree in visual/applied arts
- Have been publicly commissioned
- Have work held in a public collection
- Have had work reviewed or featured in curated media
- Be represented by a gallery
- Have taken part in an artist residency or placement
Applications are currently closed.
Applications open every two years via an open call.
You’ll be asked to submit an artist statement, examples of your work, and a proposal outlining what you’d like to explore during the award period.
You can find full details, including eligibility criteria and key dates by visiting the Criteria page.
When applications reopen you’ll need to complete the online application form and provide examples of your work via JPEG, audio files, or links to websites/films.
PDFs and Word documents are not accepted.
You’ll also be asked to describe how you would use the bursary to develop your work or practice.
Yes. Previous applicants are welcome to reapply.
Yes. The winning artist or collective is expected to premiere a final show in Darlington at the end of their award period.
You don’t need to specify the venue in your application, support will be available to help you identify the right setting.
Point North (formerly County Durham Community Foundation) is a grant making charity and community foundation that works to fight poverty and enrich lives.
With this award we aim to support creative opportunities for artists at any stage of their career and to enrich arts and culture in Darlington.
Each judging panel for The Dover Prize is made up of a small group of artists, curators, and cultural professionals who bring a range of perspectives and experience. The panel is carefully selected to ensure a fair and thoughtful review of all applications.
Judges vary each cycle, for 2025 our judges are:
- Phil Gatenby
- Vicky Holbrough
- Matthew Jarratt
- Helen Marriage
- Dr. Alistair Robinson
- Vicky Sturrs
- Stephen Wiper
