OpenWalls Spotlight – Homecoming 2026 is built for photographers who want their work to land somewhere real, not just in a folder. With an exhibition tied to Les Rencontres d’Arles and a theme that can be intimate or expansive, this edition asks what it means to return, to a place, a person, a memory, or a version of oneself. The submission deadline is 16 February 2026, and entries are handled through the OpenWalls submission portal, with paid options and free access routes for eligible applicants.
Homecoming is framed as both destination and transformation, leaving room for personal stories, community rituals, environmental recovery, and the uneasy overlap between past and present. The award includes a Stories (series) category and a Single Image category, with selected work exhibited at Galerie Huit Arles in July 2026. Alongside the exhibition outcome, the prize list includes press sharing, features on 1854.photography, and a Stories-category grant of £1,000. For photographers mapping out where to participate in photography challenges across the year, OpenWalls Spotlight is one of the clearer exhibition-led calls currently open.
Entry costs depend on how many images are submitted, with early-entry discounts available for a limited period and standard pricing applying later. 1854 Access members can submit ten images for free, and there is also a free-application route for photographers based in non-high-income locations who meet the stated eligibility.
Contents
Prizes
OpenWalls Spotlight – Homecoming focuses on public outcomes, with winning work exhibited at Galerie Huit Arles and shared through 1854 and partner channels. The prize list is split between the Single Image and Stories categories.
Stories Category winner (series)
- One winning body of work is exhibited at Galerie Huit Arles alongside Les Rencontres d’Arles.
- Travel support up to £500 and accommodation to attend the private view of the exhibition.
- A £1,000 grant.
- Work shared with a national and international press list.
- Feature in the June issue of British Journal of Photography and on 1854.photography.
Single Image Category winners
- Three winning images are exhibited in the Salon Matador at Galerie Huit Arles alongside Les Rencontres d’Arles.
- Work shared with a national and international press list.
- Feature on 1854.photography.
Additional exhibition selection
The award also indicates a broader exhibition selection beyond the top winners, including further winning images and a winning body of work shown as part of a group show, with international press coverage and an 1854.photography feature.
Related Photo Contests
Categories or Themes
OpenWalls Spotlight – Homecoming lists two entry categories. The Single Image category is for individual photographs submitted as single entries, while the Stories category is for a series of up to ten images submitted as one body of work. Both categories respond to the same theme, Homecoming, and the call leaves interpretation open, from personal reconnection to broader cultural and environmental return.
Dates and Entry Fees
OpenWalls Spotlight – Homecoming uses a single submission deadline, followed by a selection timeline that continues into spring, with exhibition plans tied to July.
Deadline for entries: 16 February 2026.
Applicants notified if their application was successful: Mid April.
Winners press announcement: Mid May.
Exhibition: July 2026 at Galerie Huit Arles, coinciding with Les Rencontres d’Arles.
Entry fees:
- Early entry discounts: from £5 for one image to £25 for ten images.
- Standard pricing:
- £7.50 for one image.
- £18 for three images.
- £35 for ten images.
- £35 for a series of up to ten images.
- Member entry: 1854 Access members can submit ten images for free (member eligibility rules apply)
- Free-application route: photographers in non-high-income locations can apply for approval and receive a discount code for free entry
How to Enter:
Entries are submitted via the OpenWalls portal. Applicants choose an entry type (one image, three images, ten images, or a series of up to ten images), complete the required fields, and upload JPEG files (each up to 10MB). After submitting, the system displays confirmation and sends a confirmation email. Paid entrants receive a personal upload URL after payment, and members must log in with the account linked to their membership to claim the included free entry.
About the Jury
OpenWalls Spotlight – Homecoming is judged by a panel of industry figures. The listed panel includes Julia de Bierre (Gallery Director, Galerie Huit Arles), Jamie Shaw (Art Director and Curator, 10 14 Gallery), Holly Fraser (Editor in chief, WePresent), Tami Aftab (Photographer), Lillian Wilkie (Director of Chateau International), Zoe Harrison (Head of Awards and Partnerships, British Journal of Photography), and Sinead Solomon (Creative Producer, British Journal of Photography).
Why Enter OpenWalls Spotlight – Homecoming?
The practical reason is simple. the selected work is designed to move from submission portal to public display, with an exhibition at Galerie Huit Arles during one of the busiest moments in the photography calendar. For photographers building bodies of work that sit between narrative and visual craft, the Stories category also adds a defined structure for series-based submissions.
There is also a clear split between single-image impact and long-form storytelling, which can help photographers decide how to edit their submission without forcing a narrow genre. Homecoming can be read through family, identity, and community, but also through place, movement, and return, which may resonate with photographers who regularly work in people photography and are looking for a theme that still allows subtlety. Those comparing options on Deartline can also use the wider list of best photography challenges online to place OpenWalls Spotlight alongside other deadlines and formats.
Rules and Copyright
This section about the rules and image rights of the OpenWalls Spotlight – Homecoming has been generated automatically. If you are interested in participating in this contest we suggest you review the complete rules provided by the contest.
Rules
Images can be made with any camera, including film, digital, and smartphones, and there is no stated time frame for when images must have been taken. Submissions must be JPEG files, with each file up to 10MB. Applicants may include short statements for each photograph (under 250 characters) and these must be written in English. Entrants can edit their entry after submission, but images must be resubmitted after changes.
Entry fees are stated as non-refundable, and purchases are final. Winners are expected to provide high-resolution files promptly for publication and production, and digital files of winning images may be created for press and publicity purposes. The organizers note that the gallery’s sustainability policies may affect how work is presented, including reuse of frames and reduced single-use prints where possible.
Copyright and Image Usage
Entrants warrant that they own the copyright to the work, or have permission from rights holders for the uses described in the competition terms. The rules state that no copyright is transferred to the organizers for any works entered or accepted. At the same time, the organizers reserve the right to display, reproduce, and publish entries in any media, without payment, for the purpose of OpenWalls Spotlight and its promotion and publicity, this year and in future. Some images may also be published across British Journal of Photography and WePresent print and digital channels.
For more information and to participate in the contest, visit: the official website.
