The Royal Albert Hall invites visual artists from around the world to design the official artwork for Christmas at the Royal Albert Hall.

In collaboration with artist network Talenthouse, this competition will draw on artists of any visual style to submit works that capture both the magic of Christmas and the excitement of the Royal Albert Hall.

The selected artwork will be used on posters, websites, brochures, and all other online and offline channels for the 2018 Christmas season.

Lucy Noble, Artistic and Commercial Director at the Hall, said: “We have a rich history of nurturing talent and sponsoring arts at the Hall, and see this competition as a chance to extend this history into a global artwork call.”

“For the Hall, the artwork will capture the excitement of the venue’s Christmas season, and for the artist, it gives a chance to work with one of the world’s leading arts organizations.”

The selected artist will join a nearly 150 year history of artistic commissions, acquisitions, and exhibitions at the Hall, from Dutch masters to British graffiti artists, via Pablo Picasso, Sir Peter Blake, Miles Davis, and artwork from 1960s psychedelia to interwar nationalism.

In 1937, Pablo Picasso designed the programme cover for a mass rally in opposition to General Franco and the Nationalist Army, while in 2014, the ‘Godfather of British Pop Art’ Sir Peter Blake unveiled a specially-commissioned mural entitled Appearing at the Royal Albert Hall.

Two of the Hall’s most iconic artistic features were created through commissions that involved technical and artistic innovation – the 5,200 square foot mosaic frieze The Triumph of Arts and Letters, and the Loading Bay graffiti collage LOAD.

While the frieze was created in 1867 by seven distinguished members of the Royal Academy of the Arts, LOAD was a 2009 project by some of the UK’s best young graffiti artists. Both works embody the Hall’s remit of sponsoring and leading modern arts and science.

The global artist community of Talenthouse will now allow the Hall to extend this legacy of pioneering artwork, by opening its doors to submissions from any artists around the world.

This competition affirms the Royal Albert Hall’s status as an inclusive, global venue that seeks out, sponsors, and inspires up-and-coming artists from any discipline.

Submissions for the competition are due by 13 September 2017, with a chosen artist and two finalists selected in October 2017.

Please visit the website for more details.