How to read the rules of a open call

Verified as of 27 September 2026. If anything has changed, let me know and I will update it with the date of the change.

An open call for artists may be an award, a grant, a residency, an exhibition, or production support. The rules establish the requirements for participation and usually require applicants to accept them. Not all calls produce the same legal effects or are equivalent to a private contract, particularly when issued by a public administration. But ignoring them can get an application excluded or commit you to rights and costs you had not foreseen.

This guide proposes an orderly reading and highlights conditions that merit a second review. It is not legal or tax advice.

Verify which document is authoritative

Do not rely solely on the announcement or social media posts. Locate:

the regulatory framework (bases reguladoras);
the complete open call and its annexes;
the extract published in the official gazette, in the case of a public grant;
frequently asked questions and subsequent amendments;
the application form and the declaration of responsibility;
the cited legal framework.

For public grants, the gazette extract summarises the call and refers to the National Grant Database. The deadline may start from official publication, not on the date the announcement was viewed.

Retain a dated copy of all documents and the submitted version.

Read in this order

The issuing body

Verify the identity, nature, and contact details of the entity. If it is a public body, confirm the official publication and the competent authority. If it is a private entity, confirm that the call appears on its official website and identify who assumes the obligations.

The selection criteria

Distinguish whether the award is for a completed work, a future project, a career trajectory, or a proposal for production. Review disciplines, subject matter, the requirement for original work, availability, the schedule, and compatibility with other grants.

"Original" may signify not exhibited, not published, not awarded, or not commercialised. If the terms do not define this and it affects your work, submit a written enquiry.

Eligibility

Review age, residency, nationality, education, tax status, career history, incompatibilities, and individual or collective participation. Verify the date by which requirements must be met and which documents provide proof.

Submission requirements

Compile a list of documents, formats, file sizes, number of images, translations, signatures, and mandatory templates. Distinguish between items required for the application and those requested only from the selected individual. Check if corrections are permitted and which defects result in immediate exclusion.

When and how to submit

Note the date, time, time zone, submission channel, and the moment at which the application is considered registered. Do not rely on submitting during the final minutes. Retain the receipt.

Who decides

Identify the composition or appointment procedure of the jury, the criteria, their weighting, grounds for recusal, and the method for publishing the resolution. The absence of names is not always irregular, but it reduces the information available to assess the process.

What is offered

Separate the award, fees, production budget, residency, travel, accommodation, per diems, transport, insurance, and acquisition. Verify if the amounts include taxes, if they are subject to withholding, when they are paid, and which expenses must be justified.

Clauses that require careful scrutiny

Intellectual property rights

Identify:

which works are affected: all submitted, the selected ones, or only the winner;
which rights are authorised or assigned;
for which uses and media;
for what duration and in which territory;
whether exclusivity exists;
whether there is separate remuneration;
whether modifications, sub-licensing, or commercial uses are permitted.

An authorisation limited to announcing the call, exhibiting the work, and producing a catalogue may be appropriate for the project's purpose. You should be wary of an exclusive, free, worldwide, indefinite assignment for any use, particularly if it affects all submissions.

The Intellectual Property Act requires that the assignment be formalised in writing and limits it to the agreed rights, modalities, duration and territory. If duration and territory are not specified, the legal limits of five years and the country of assignment shall apply. The assignment of all future works is void and does not extend to modalities of use unknown at the time of contracting.

Acquisition prize

Verify whether the prize remunerates recognition or constitutes the purchase price of the work. If an acquisition is involved, the specific copy being transferred, delivery, ownership, expenses and any image authorisation must be clearly defined. Purchasing the physical medium does not in itself transfer exploitation rights.

Production, transport and insurance

Calculate who is responsible for materials, assembly, packaging, transport to and from the venue, customs, storage, installation, maintenance and dismantling. Review the period for which the work is insured, the insured value and any exclusions.

Return and abandonment

Identify the deadline and procedure for collecting or returning works. If the rules stipulate consequences for failure to collect, record the necessary communications and dates. A clause regarding acquisition, destruction or disposal due to silence warrants particularly careful review.

Data and images

Distinguish between the processing of personal data and the licence for photographs and works. Review who will retain the files, for how long, what will be published and whether images may be reused after the open call has closed.

Non-compliance and reimbursement

For public grants and aid, verify the obligations regarding justification, publicity of funding, project modification, compatibility with other income, repayment of amounts and potential interest. A prize and a subsidy do not necessarily share the same regulatory regime.

Warning signs

The organising entity cannot be identified or the announcement does not appear on its official channels.
The rules may be modified without publicity or clear rules.
The fee is high and its purpose is not explained.
A very broad assignment of rights over all submitted works is required.
All expenses and risks fall upon the artist without clear consideration.
Selection, schedule, return or insurance details are not provided.
The announced prize conflates acquisition, fees and production.
Disproportionate data or documents are requested without an explanation of their purpose.

No single sign proves that the call is illegal. Several together indicate that the risk is shifted onto the participants.

Best practices

Professional codes do not replace the law nor are they binding on those who have not adopted them, but they allow a call to be compared with sector standards. The code disseminated by the Associació d’Artistes Visuals de les Illes Balears addresses written contracts, copyright, insurance, taxes and remuneration. The Consell Insular de Menorca adopted the code in 2018 and in 2022 renewed the agreement for four years to apply it to its visual arts projects.

When an institution has adhered to a code, cite the specific commitment if you notice a deviation. Do not present a professional recommendation as if it were an automatic cause for nullity.

Before submitting

Download and date the terms, annexes and corrections.
Summarise requirements, documents, deadline and channel on a single page.
Calculate the maximum cost of participating and producing.
Copy the clauses regarding rights, insurance, return and reimbursement separately.
Formulate in writing any queries that may affect admission or your rights.
Verify that the dossier, budget and schedule reflect the same proposal.
Review the final form and save the receipt.

On the open conversation

This guide combines professional practice, intellectual property regulations and best practice criteria. Each call may also be subject to specific administrative, tax, labour or sectoral rules. If you manage open calls, have served on a jury or represent artists and identify a necessary clarification, the guide remains open.

Sources

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