Programme Details For Applicants
Eligibility
This opportunity is open to emerging photographers who:
- were under 31 years of age before Jan 19, 2026
- live, work, and/or study in the UK;
- identify as part of the BLK or African/Caribbean, Palestinian/Middle Eastern, or South Asian diaspora and/or see themselves as diasporic;
- can provide 10-15 images from a portfolio demonstrating their commitment to visual storytelling and the ability to sustain a six-month project within a one-month group exhibition context.
For this year's Pilot project, we would like to clarify that "diasporic" means individuals and communities shaped by historical or ongoing displacement from their ancestral homelands or places of origin - including but not limited to African/Caribbean diaspora, Palestinian/Middle Eastern, South Asian, and other diasporas. This includes those who have experienced displacement, or forced/voluntary movement from ancestral homelands (recent or generations ago) who navigate relationships with multiple geographies, states of belonging and histories.
We welcome applications by artists from diverse backgrounds exploring themes of resistance, joy, and transformation within BLK and diasporic visual culture. As part of our commitment to social justice and uprooting hate in relation to wider experiences of diaspora, Youth X Mentoring will give priority to at least two Palestinian applicants in recognition of the present + historical displacement of a people for the purposes of economic, military, and political occupation.
Each selected photographer will receive an award of £1,000, paid upon successful completion of the programme, and £200 towards general expenses.
Participants will:
Take part in the full 6-month mentoring programme (six 1-hour sessions)
Attend an online introductory meeting
Attend and participate in the opening exhibition event, including a curatorial walking-talk on 21 October 2026.
Payment terms: £200 towards general expenses will be paid in June 2026. The £1000 award will be paid following the completion of the opening public exhibition event. Payment will be processed upon receipt of an invoice submitted between 23 October and 7 November 2026.
Group exhibition terms and conditions: Youth X Mentoring will be responsible for printing, framing and installation of exhibited work. All applicants will retain full copyright of their work. By submitting your application to this call, you grant Youth X Mentoring permission to reproduce and share images for promotional and non-commercial marketing purposes with full acknowledgements. All applicants have the option to collect prints and/or work/s between 16 November and 30 November 2026; work cannot be stored at Four Corners Gallery beyond 30 November 2026 and will therefore have to be recycled.
Key Dates
Application Opens: 19 January 2026
Application Closes: 5 April 2026 at midnight
Applicants Notified: by 10 April 2026
Introductory Meeting with Mentor and Mentee: 13 April-14 April 2026
Mentoring period: 15 April to 20 Sept 2026
Exhibition Dates (Four Corners Gallery): 21 October to 14 Nov 2026
Meeting with curator: Week beginning Mon 21 September 2026
Public Opening Event (Four Corners Gallery): 21 October 2026, including curatorial gallery ‘walking-talk' with artist-mentees and mentors.
Youth X Mentoring
Jacqueline Ennis-Cole is the initiator, founder, and creative director of Youth X Mentoring.
All applications will initially be reviewed by Jacqueline Ennis-Cole, who will identify 20-30 proposals that align with Youth X Mentoring's curatorial focus and the programme's resource capacity.
Youth X Curatorial Advisory Circle
Renée Mussai (Chair), Taous Dahmani and Adelaide Bannerman (curatorial advisory circle). Will be presented with 20-30 project proposals from the 'Cultivating Diasporic Futures: Uprooting Hate' pdf applications; with 5 proposed projects identified for further creative work with the 5 mentors.
To read the profile of each of the five mentors, the Chairperson, the curatorial advisory circle and the creative director, please navigate to the website menu.