Liverpool Biennial x SEVENSTORE Artist Bursaries

Liverpool Biennial is the UK’s largest and longest running free festival of contemporary visual art in the UK. For our next festival in 2027 we will work locally and internationally to co-commission work with young people, explore development opportunities in the creative sector, and commission artists from around the world to make and show work in Liverpool. Though the festival will be made with, by and for children and young people, our intention – as with each edition – is to create a Biennial for Everyone.   

As part of our work in the lead up to our 14th edition, we will collaborate with SEVENSTORE to offer three bursaries of £3,000 to locally-based artists and creative practitioners. These bursaries are open to artists and creatives whose practice is informed by the experiences of children and young people. This may mean, but is not limited to, artists or creatives reflecting on their own lived experiences as young people (in the past or present); artists or creatives interested in exploring the civic rights of children and young people; artists or creatives who are parents, carers, or guardians; and artists or creatives interested in exploring wider, global understandings of family and community.    

The Biennial will support the recipient artists to develop their practice through self-determined professional development activity that responds to their own unique needs. Artists will benefit from dedicated time with the Liverpool Biennial programme team, plus assistance from the wider Biennial team to support their research and development, help make connections, and to work with SEVENSTORE to create opportunities for the sharing or showcasing of their work or practices.

INFORMATION 

Who can apply?  

Liverpool Biennial x SEVENSTORE Bursaries are open to artists and creative practitioners who are specifically informed by the experiences of children and young people. This may mean, but is not limited to:  

• artists or creatives reflecting on their own lived experiences as young people (in the past or present)  

• artists or creatives interested in exploring the civic rights of children and young people  

• artists or creatives who are parents, carers, or guardians  

• artists or creatives interested in exploring wider, global understandings of family and community.    

We welcome applications from artists that meet the following criteria:  

• Living and working in Liverpool, Knowsley, St Helens, Sefton, Wirral or Halton.  

• Consider themselves emerging in their professional art career (We invite artists to define this for themselves – it may be helpful to consider things like:  

• If you have limited / inconsistent Exhibition history   

• If you are in the early stages of developing your creative practice / have a smaller body of work  

• If you are in the early stages of building public awareness of your practice   

• If you have had gaps / barriers in your artistic career that have prevented you from advancing your professional status   

• If you have had limited professional opportunities  

• No formal education or qualifications are necessary   

• Any form of visual art medium is welcome to apply, including (but not limited to) sculpture, painting, printmaking, audio, film, live art, illustration or photography  

• Are able to demonstrate a clear rationale for why they’d benefit from the bursary   

Unfortunately, we are not able to accept applications from:  

• Organisations or companies  

• Full-time students   

• Artists living outside of the UK  

• Individuals who have received any Liverpool Biennial bursary since 2021  

Artist collectives are welcome to apply, but please note that only one bursary will be allocated per successful application. We cannot accept multiple applications from the same collective or project. 

How much can be applied for?   

There are three bursaries available at £3,000 per recipient.  

What activity can be supported?  

Liverpool Biennial x SEVENSTORE Bursaries are intended to support the professional development of your artistic career. This bursary seeks to support the development of new skills, knowledge and networks that will benefit your career and professional development in the short and long term.   

We ask that each artist recipient uses part of their bursary and/or time to share their work or work in progress with the public, which should take place during the bursary period. This activity can be anything from an informal sharing or discussion, an online screening or blog post and can take place either digitally or in person.   

This activity should be self-directed and self-produced, however the Liverpool Biennial team will support all recipients to develop and create a showcasing opportunity that is responsive, appropriate and comfortable for you and your practice. This support may include help with finding a temporary activity space and in-kind digital marketing of your activity, as well as connecting with other Liverpool-based organisations and events if appropriate.   

Please note that any artist who is proposing to work with children and young people as part of their bursary will be asked to undertake a Safeguarding Risk Assessment to ensure appropriate measures are put in place.   

There is no expectation to complete a finished piece or body of work as part of this bursary. Bursary activity might include, but is not limited to:  

• Making and sharing work with audiences  

• Research and development costs for a new way of working or collaboration  

• Learning new skills through professional training, courses, peer-to-peer learning with visual arts or non-arts experts  

• Mentoring, coaching or curatorial feedback  

• Networking with artists, galleries, organisations or other groups of interest  

• Visiting national or international conferences, biennials, exhibitions, organisations, cities or any other specific location or event relevant to your practice  

Alongside the activity itself, the £3,000 bursary can also be used to support:  

• Fees to cover for your own time  

• Materials (should not be more than 50% of the total)  

• Associated national or international travel costs, accommodation and subsistence  

• Contribution to caring costs and any access needs  

Examples of activity that can’t be supported include:  

• Applications made only for the purchase of materials or equipment, however this could be included as part of a broader application where learning through making is vital and clearly beneficial in the long-term. Material or making costs should not be more than 50% of the total amount asked for  

• Applications made only for goods or services e.g. paying a contractor for a website to be built, unless this is part of a broader application where other learning or skills building for the artist is included  

• Applications that fund the making of new or unfinished work or projects for exhibition, art fair or sale, however this could be one element of a broader application  

• Applications that are dependent on other unsecured funding  

What is the selection process?  

Applications will be reviewed by a selection panel including Liverpool Biennial and SEVENSTORE. Bursaries will be awarded at their discretion.   

All applicants will be notified of the outcome by 31st March 2026  

Other requirements  

Bursary recipients will be asked to:  

• Provide information including an artist’s bio and media of past work and participate in marketing and communications activity where necessary  

• Produce a blog or social media post about their activity for use on the Liverpool Biennial website or social media channels. These can be completed by text, video, audio and/or images  

• Contribute to an evaluation of the programme.  

HOW TO APPLY

Applications should be submitted via online application form no later than midnight on 15th February 2026. 

If for access reasons, you prefer to submit by video (no longer than 3-5 minutes) please send as an email attachment or file transfer service to bursaryapp@biennial.com. Emails should include the subject line ‘SEVENSTORE BURSARY APPLICATION’.  

The application form or any alternative format submission should cover the following:  

• Provide a short overview of your proposed bursary activity (up to 40 words)  

• Please provide an outline of your artistic practice (up to 100 words)  

• Provide an explanation of how your proposal relates to practice that is informed by the experiences of children and young people (up to 100 words)  

• Provide a full description of your proposed bursary activity (up to 150 words)  

• Outline your budget (up to 100 words)  

• Why is the opportunity crucial to your professional development at this time? (up to 150 words)  

• Additional Links / Website  

Please also complete our Equal Opportunities Monitoring Form which is anonymous and will not be used in the selection process.  

For more in-depth guidance on how to answer these questions, please refer to the FAQ section in the information pack.  

Unfortunately, we are not able to provide guidance on individual applications, however if you have any questions that aren’t covered in the guidance in the information pack or if you require the application form in an alternative format you can contact us by email via bursaryapp@biennial.com.