Trading Zone 2027

Talbot Rice Gallery’s pioneering interdisciplinary student exhibition is back.

What is Trading Zone? 

Trading Zone 2027 is part of a series of exhibitions propelled by contemporary ideas, celebrating the blurring of boundaries and showcasing exciting creative practices from across Edinburgh College of Art and beyond.

All students, at any stage of their studies (undergrad and postgrad) are encouraged to apply. 

Those selected will have the opportunity to exhibit in a world-class gallery, have their work reach thousands of people and benefit from the professional support of the TRG team. 

Trading Zone 2027 will open to the public on Saturday 13 March 2027.

Can I apply?

To be eligible you must:

• Be a student at the University of Edinburgh
• Make work that can be shown in a public exhibition context

Application

• The Open Call is now open from starting Monday 14 September 2026.
• All the information you require is in the Application Form available here. 
• The application will require you to describe your practice (150 words) work in progress (150 words) and provide supporting materials to convey your visual practice.

Deadline

• Applications must be completed and submitted by Friday 23 October 2026.
• Any applications submitted after this time will not be considered.
• Applications will be submitted via email - details following.

Other considerations

• Your participation in Trading Zone 2027 must not affect your studies and we recommend you speak with your tutor(s) about the commitment of time and benefits to you.
• Participation in Trading Zone 2027 is not directly assessed and will not automatically count towards your grade. However, you may be able to include images of artworks made for Trading Zone in your portfolio. Again, this should be discussed with your tutor(s) in advance.
• This exhibition is part of the main programme at Talbot Rice Gallery and we recommend you familiarise yourself with the work we do before applying

FAQs

Is Talbot Rice Gallery looking for existing works, or proposals for new ones? 

Our application form is designed to give us a good sense of what you do, where you are coming from and where you want to go. The curator will develop conversations with successful applicants to decide what works best for the exhibition and what is feasible given the nature of the work, production time and other factors.  

Is there a limit of one application per person? 

We are considering artists and their practice as a whole and therefore expect just one application per person. An exception would be if you produce work in a collaboration that is distinct from your solo practice, in which case you might submit on your own behalf and additionally with your collaborator.  

Are performance pieces accepted as submissions? 

Yes, all art forms are welcome. Please make sure performance is clearly described and that documentation from previous performances is shared where possible. 

Are there any restrictions on the mediums for submissions? 

We are a contemporary art gallery and open to all artistic media. The only restrictions would be on materials that posed health and safety risks.  

Can I be an alumni, but not a registered student? 

No – this is an opportunity for enrolled students. 

Will Trading Zone 2027 include any kind of material grant or help to students to produce their artwork? 

Trading Zone 2027 can support the cost of materials and production for participating artists where agreed with the curator in advance. This will be decided based on demands across the exhibition, sustainability considerations and achieving the best results for public audiences. In some cases TRG may agree to outsourcing or producing in-house where that represents a better or more economical option.

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