British Glass Biennale & International Bead Biennale

There are presently no open calls for submissions.

Welcome to the British Glass Biennale and the International Bead Biennale

Since its inception in 2004 the International Festival of Glass has celebrated and showcased the skill and innovation of the glass industry and makers, historic and contemporary, local and international.

At the heart of the Festival is the British Glass Biennale, the foremost juried exhibition of excellence in contemporary glass by UK based artists, designers and craftspeople and British artists working abroad. The exhibition features the latest work from across the whole spectrum of glass techniques and uses an anonymous selection process, giving emerging artists an equal opportunity to be selected alongside the top names in British glass.

The International Bead Biennale returns for the second time and runs alongside the British Glass BIennale.

The International Bead Biennale is open to artists, designers, craftspeople and students of all nationalities worldwide who create beads where glass is the key design element.  We welcome all glassmaking techniques as long as the piece conforms to the concept of a bead.

For both of these prestigious exhibitions the emphasis is on new work demonstrating the highest level of excellence in design, creative imagination and technical skill. Each exhibition will be selected by separate expert juries in March 2024.

The exhibitions open on 22 August 2024.

Submissions close on Sunday 3 March 2024. Applications are accepted through the Submittable website. For guidance on how to set up an account and submit applications please follow this link.

https://submittable.help/submitters/making-new-submissions/how-do-i-submit

Thank you for your interest in the British Glass Biennale and the International Bead Biennale.

The International Festival of Glass is organised by the Ruskin Mill Land Trust. Charity number 1053705