TULCA 2026: Open Call
TULCA Festival of Visual Arts is pleased to announce the Open Call for the 2026 festival, curated by Sinéad Keogh.
2026 marks fifty years since the inception of Punk as we know it. A movement sparked from a need for change, born of the underground, Punk would go on to alter culture and society forever. An ideology of reform gave people a choice to say “no”, to push back, and to adopt a DIY approach. These acts of rebellion became a catalyst for more progressive modes of expression, opening the doors for new diverse approaches to music, art, and a command for equitability more expansively.
The 24th edition of TULCA Festival of Visual Arts, entitled Veruca Salt, considers what it means to know who you are and know what you want. The selected artists and community partners engage with practices that operate at the periphery of the mainstream, dismantle gender roles, and challenge dominant norms within an ambitious and inclusive programme. Veruca Salt is a punk and women-led proposition that seeks to disrupt through transgressive agency and a strong sense of conviction.
“I want a party with roomfuls of laughter
Ten thousand tons of ice cream
And if I don't get the things I am after
I'm going to scream!”
TULCA Festival of Visual Arts invites proposals from artists working in any medium. For the 2026 edition, there is a particular focus on artists based in the West of Ireland. Proposals may include new commissions or existing works that respond to the themes of Veruca Salt. Submissions that engage with the ethos of Punk, as well as the ecological and cultural landscape of the West of Ireland, are especially encouraged.
TULCA is curated through direct invitation and an Open Call process. The final selection of artworks will be based on thematic connection, artistic quality, and feasibility. Selections are made by the curator in consultation with the TULCA producer.
Open Call Process & Guidelines can be found here.
Deadline: 30 April 2026, 5pm
Image: Rachel Garfield, Art Sex Work: Brixton Hill Punctum, video still, 2022