ForM Sculpture Exhibition 2026 - Application Form

Closes 2 Mar 2026

Opened 24 Sep 2025

Contact

Ards Arts Centre

(+44) 028 9181 0803

arts@ardsandnorthdown.gov.uk

Overview

Image: Examples of sculptures from past ForM Sculpture Exhibitions

ForM Sculpture Exhibition

ForM Sculpture Exhibition is an annual outdoor exhibition hosted by the Arts Service of Ards and North Down Borough Council.

Artists living in the Island of Ireland are invited to make submissions* for this open air exhibition in the beautiful surroundings of Bangor Castle Walled Garden, Co. Down.

The outdoor exhibition will take place from 1 - 30 June 2026

Participation in the exhibition is through a selection process, or invitation. 

*NB: Due to continued reburbishment works, the fountain is not available as a location.

DEADLINE
Monday 2 March 2026, 11:59pm (sharp) 

Please Note: Application form will shut precisely on the deadline and incomplete applications will be lost, and therefore not received or accepted.

You are encouraged to complete your application at your earliest convenience and not on the date of the deadline in case you encounter internet or connection issues. Please allow plenty of time to submit your application. 

If you encounter any issues, please read the 'FAQ's / Technical Troubleshooting' below:

FAQ's / Technical Troubleshooting

It is recommended that applicants save their progress as they work through their application, and BEFORE submitting the application by clicking the 'save and come back later' button at the bottom of each page. By clicking this button you will be sent a link to access your application and will prevent your progress from being lost. 

Here is a list of our most commonly asked questions or technical issues that could be experienced by some users:

If you are still having issues after carrying out the troubleshooting below, or your question is not listed here, then please email arts@ardsandnorthdown.gov.uk – please ensure to contact us well before the deadline. Please be advised that emails are not monitored outside of office hours, at weekends, or on Bank Holidays.

  • Files not uploading – Possible Issue No 1: Please ensure to only upload documents in the format requested, and ensure they are under the maximum file size as stated. (For example: Please only upload Word documents or PDF documents, Images should be Jpeg or Png files ONLY and less than 25MB, video or audio files should be less than 60 seconds in length and less than 25MB.)
  • Files not uploading – Possible Issue No 2: Another reason that a file might not upload will be because of internet speeds. Please check your internet is working correctly and has a good bandwidth. It is recommended that you do not use public WIFI (eg: at a cafe) as they would have limited bandwidth.
  • Files not uploading – Possible Issue No 3: A final reason that a file might not upload is that you do not have Cookies enabled on your device, or you need to clear the Cache and Cookies on your device. Citizen Space uses essential cookies in some places to allow the site to function. It is required that you have cookies enabled on your device. It is also recommended that you clear your cache and cookies regularly, and before completing your application, as this can slow down your device. You may need to wait a couple of hours after clearing your cache and cookies before trying again as it can take a while to clear depending on your device.  You can find out more about cookies on Citizen Space by clicking here
  • I am unable to continue typing in a text box: Some answers will have a maximum character limit. Please ensure that your answer is under the character limit.
  • I’ve lost my progress/application, can you send me my application?: Unfortunately we do not have access to incomplete applications, and we cannot see who has started an application. Please ensure to save your progress as you work. You will be emailed a unique link from Citizen Space to continue your application at a later date if required. (Check your spam/junk folders)
  • The form is not letting me continue to the next page: Some questions require an answer. Please ensure to respond to any questions on each page marked ‘(required)’ so that you can save your progress and continue.
  • I was working on my application, and I have received a message ‘Activity is now closed’ and I am unable to continue: The application form will close precisely and automatically on the date and time stated. If you have not submitted the application before the time of deadline, the form will shut automatically, and your application will be lost.

If your question has not been resolved after referring to the Troubleshooting, or if you require special assistance with your application, please contact us at arts@ardsandnorthdown.gov.uk no later than Monday 23 February at 4pm and a member of staff will get back to you. 

SELECTION CRITERIA

This exhibition is open to artists who live in Northern Ireland or the Republic of Ireland.

The selection panel will select work based on the following criteria:  

  • The quality and originality of the proposal  
  • How appropriate the proposed work is within the garden environment, e.g. content, material, display.  
  • Ability to deliver the proposed work based on previous experience and images of previous work.  

Please read the ForM Artist's Brief and Guidance Notes carefully for full details of the selection process, and other conditions. Please read this even if you have applied or exhibited at ForM in the past, as conditions may have recently changed.

SUPPORT MATERIALS

Please have the following essential information/documents ready BEFORE you complete this application:

  • Proposal of work (200 Words / 800 characters MAX per artwork) - to be entered into the question field on the online application form
  • An Artist Statement - (PDF or Word format ONLY) - to be uploaded as one individual document, no more than 1 page in length
  • An Artists CV (PDF or Word format ONLY) – to be uploaded as one individual document, no more than 3 pages in length
  • 1-3 images* max (or sketches) of each of the proposed sculptures/artworks (JPEG or PNG format ONLY) – to be uploaded as individual images
  • 3-6 images* max of previous similar work (JPEG or PNG format ONLY) – to be uploaded as individual images

NB: Failure to submit the essential information and supporting documentation, and in the formats as stated above will make the application invalid, and the proposal will not be considered. Failure to supply the information in the appropriate question fields as requested on the online application form will make the application invalid, and will also not be considered.

Artists are encouraged to visit the Walled Garden to draw inspiration from the surroundings. The garden is currently open to the public from 10am - 3pm. To check the opening hours, please CLICK HERE

IMPORTANT

  • This is an outdoor sculpture exhibition and all works must be suitable for all weather conditions.
  • Please read the ForM Artist's Brief and Guidance Notes carefully before submitting your application (bottom of this page).
  • It is recommended that applicants save their work before submitting the application by clicking the 'save and come back later' button at the bottom of each page. By clicking this button you will be sent a link to access your application and will prevent your progress from being lost. 

Once applicants have successfully submitted their proposal on the system, they will receive an automated acknowledgement email with their unique reference number from the address no-reply@mail1.citizenspace.com. Please check your junk folder. If you do not receive this email, then your application has not been submitted.

FAQ's / Technical Troubleshooting

It is recommended that applicants save their progress as they work through their application, and BEFORE submitting the application by clicking the 'save and come back later' button at the bottom of each page. By clicking this button you will be sent a link to access your application and will prevent your progress from being lost. 

Here is a list of our most commonly asked questions or technical issues that could be experienced by some users:

If you are still having issues after carrying out the troubleshooting below, or your question is not listed here, then please email arts@ardsandnorthdown.gov.uk – please ensure to contact us well before the deadline. Please be advised that emails are not monitored outside of office hours, at weekends, or on Bank Holidays.

  • Files not uploading – Possible Issue No 1: Please ensure to only upload documents in the format requested, and ensure they are under the maximum file size as stated. (For example: Please only upload Word documents or PDF documents, Images should be Jpeg or Png files ONLY and less than 25MB, video or audio files should be less than 60 seconds in length and less than 25MB.)
  • Files not uploading – Possible Issue No 2: Another reason that a file might not upload will be because of internet speeds. Please check your internet is working correctly and has a good bandwidth. It is recommended that you do not use public WIFI (eg: at a cafe) as they would have limited bandwidth.
  • Files not uploading – Possible Issue No 3: A final reason that a file might not upload is that you do not have Cookies enabled on your device, or you need to clear the Cache and Cookies on your device. Citizen Space uses essential cookies in some places to allow the site to function. It is required that you have cookies enabled on your device. It is also recommended that you clear your cache and cookies regularly, and before completing your application, as this can slow down your device. You may need to wait a couple of hours after clearing your cache and cookies before trying again as it can take a while to clear depending on your device. You can find out more about cookies on Citizen Space by clicking here
  • I am unable to continue typing in a text box: Some answers will have a maximum character limit. Please ensure that your answer is under the character limit.
  • I’ve lost my progress/application, can you send me my application?: Unfortunately we do not have access to incomplete applications, and we cannot see who has started an application. Please ensure to save your progress as you work. You will be emailed a unique link from Citizen Space to continue your application at a later date if required. (Check your spam/junk folders)
  • The form is not letting me continue to the next page: Some questions require an answer. Please ensure to respond to any questions on each page marked ‘(required)’ so that you can save your progress and continue.
  • I was working on my application, and I have received a message ‘Activity is now closed’ and I am unable to continue: The application form will close precisely and automatically on the date and time stated. If you have not submitted the application before the time of deadline, the form will shut automatically, and your application will be lost.

If your question has not been resolved after referring to the Troubleshooting, or if you require special assistance with your application, please contact us at arts@ardsandnorthdown.gov.uk no later than Monday 23 February at 4pm and a member of staff will get back to you. 

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Apply to ForM Sculpture Exhibition 2026

Click here to apply

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