Trades Hall Art Prize 2026 "A Living Monument"
For more than 165 years, Victorian Trades Hall has stood as a place of organising, resistance, celebration, creativity and solidarity. Built by workers, and sustained by generations of workers, activists and community members, it remains the heart of the union movement in Victoria and the oldest continuously operating trade union buildings in the world.
Now nominated for UNESCO World Heritage listing, the building is being recognised not only for its history, but for what it continues to represent: collective action, democracy, culture and the enduring fight for justice at work and beyond.
The 2026 Trades Hall Art Prize invites artists to respond to the building in all its forms.
We want to see works that depict the building itself, draw inspiration from its architecture and history, reflect on the movements and people who pass through its halls, or explore what Trades Hall means to workers, activists and communities across Victoria and the world.
This could include:
- Portraits or interpretations of the building
- Works inspired by union struggles, meetings, marches and campaigns in or outside the building
- Reflections on solidarity, labour, community and collective power
- Responses to the history held within the building’s walls
- Contemporary visions of what Trades Hall represents today and into the future
All mediums are welcome.
Whether your work is deeply personal, political, historical, experimental or celebratory, we encourage artists to engage with the idea of Trades Hall as both a physical place and a living symbol.
Selected pieces will be part of the Trades Hall Art Prize exhibition held in Paddy's Gallery at Trades Hall throughout Melbourne Fringe Festival and into November (1 October - 27 November).
The winning work will be awarded $5,000. The piece will be aquired by Trades Hall and become part of the permanent collection.
The remaining selected artists will be paid a $750 fee for the production of your work and loaning the piece to for the duration of the exhibition.
Timeline:
1 September - Applications Close
4 September - Successful artists notified
25 September - Final Day to have your work delivered to the hall
1 October - Exhibition opening night
27 November - Final day of exhibition
30 November to 11 December - collect your works from Trades Hall.
How to enter:
Please enter through the typeform in this link.
Please read the terms and conditions on this page before entering.
Trades Hall Art Prize 2026 — Terms & Conditions:
1. Eligibility
1.1 Entry is open to artists aged 18 years and over residing in Australia.
1.2 Employees of Victorian Trades Hall Council and immediate family members may enter but are not eligible for judging prizes.
1.3 Collaborative works are permitted, provided all collaborators are listed in the entry.
2. Artwork Requirements
2.1 Entries must respond to the 2026 theme: A Living Monument.
2.2 All entries must be original works created by the entrant/s.
2.3 Works must not infringe copyright, moral rights or intellectual property rights of any third party.
2.4 Entries may include painting, drawing, printmaking, photography, sculpture, textile, video, installation, digital media or other contemporary art forms. This is an aquisitional prize, so keep that in mind when creating your work.
2.5 Works must have been completed within the past two years.
2.6 AI-generated works must clearly disclose the use of AI tools in the creation process. The organisers reserve the right to determine eligibility of AI-assisted works.
3. Submission Process
3.1 Artists must submit:
Completed entry form available here
Up to 3 images of the artwork (if submitting more than 1 image, please combine them in 1 pdf)
Artist statement (maximum 300 words)
Artwork details including title, dimensions, medium and year completed
Installation requirements where applicable
3.2 Entries must be submitted by the advertised closing date (1 September).
3.3 Late submissions may not be accepted.
4. Selection & Judging
4.1 A selection panel appointed by the organisers will determine finalists.
4.2 Judges’ decisions are final and no correspondence will be entered into.
4.3 The organisers reserve the right not to award prizes if works are deemed unsuitable.
5. Exhibition
5.1 Selected finalists agree to have their work exhibited as part of the Trades Hall Art Prize exhibition.
5.2 All exhibited works must arrive ready to install, including hanging hardware where required.
5.3 Freight and delivery costs are the responsibility of the artist unless otherwise agreed.
5.4 The organisers reserve the right to refuse works that differ substantially from submitted images or are unsafe to install.
6. Sale of Works
6.1 Artists may nominate works as for sale or not for sale (the winning work will not be for sale and will be aquired by Trades Hall).
6.2 The organisers may retain a commission of 25% on sales.
6.3 Artists are responsible for declaring sales income for taxation purposes.
7. Copyright & Reproduction
7.1 Copyright in the artwork remains with the artist.
7.2 By entering, artists grant the organisers permission to reproduce submitted images for promotional, educational, archival and publicity purposes relating to the Art Prize.
7.3 Artists will be credited wherever practical.
8. Liability & Insurance
8.1 Reasonable care will be taken in handling artworks; however, all works are submitted at the artist’s risk.
8.2 Artists are responsible for arranging insurance if desired.
8.3 The organisers will not be liable for loss or damage except where required by law.
9. Payment
9.1 If selected please submit an invoice for $750 when delivering your work to trades hall, this will be paid the week after the annoucement of the winner.
9.2 The winner will be asked to reissue their invoice for a revised amount of $5,000.
9.3 If you do not have an ABN please submit your invoice with a hobby form.
10. Acceptance of Terms
10.1 Submission of an entry constitutes acceptance of these Terms & Conditions.
10.2 The organisers reserve the right to amend these Terms & Conditions where necessary.