Kudos acknowledges and pays respect to the Gadigal and Bidjigal people of the Eora nation. They are the traditional custodians of the land Kudos operates on. We create, design, share, and exchange our work and knowledge on this important meeting place. We pay our respects to elders past and present and extend that respect to any First Nations people who engage with Kudos. This is and always will be Aboriginal land.
Kudos 2026 Exhibition Program Applications Open!
DEADLINE: TUESDAY 30 SEPTEMBER 11:59PM
What is Kudos?
Since 1998, Kudos supported by Arc Creative has provided a platform for the next generation of artists, designers and curators to execute experimental project ideas through exhibitions, public programs and our digial space.
Kudos hosts curated exhibitions and public programs in unique spaces in Sydney. The program gives emerging artists, designers and curators the opportunity to execute an ambitious gallery-centered project over a fixed period. You tell us your vision, we find you a space.
What are we looking for in 2026?
Kudos is an agile arts initiative without a fixed space, staging exhibitions, public programs, and creative projects across diverse sites in Sydney. The program gives emerging artists and curators the opportunity to execute an ambitious project over a fixed period.
This mobility prompts us to ask: how does art respond to site and place?
We invite proposals for our 2026 program that take up this question in thoughtful and inventive ways. We are looking for exhibitions and public programs that engage deeply with the dynamics, histories, and atmospheres of their surroundings.
How could your project respond to the bustling energy of Haymarket or the rich history of Black Power in Redfern, or the gentrification of The Golden Mile, or the hyper-modern urban renewal of Green Square, Zetland and Alexandria? How could it respond to unusual exhibition spaces like offices, heritage buildings, sheds, churches, power stations, warehouses, or Sydney's terraces?
When will my exhibition happen?
Your exhibition will happen in 2026.
What do I get out of it?
Each project will have rent and venue hire fees paid for by Arc Creative and will be no cost to the applicants. You will also be supported by Kudos and Arc Creative with basic install, AV resources and negotiated materials budget to make your creative vision come to life. 💸 We also know that as a student, you might be new to the game. We aim to provide an experience where you can learn, receive mentorship and be guided through your first experience as an exhibiting artist, designer and curator 🐣
Do I have to be a UNSW student?
Kudos is dedicated to fostering the professional practices of emerging artists, designers and curators at UNSW. Your proposal must have a signifgicant tie to our student community. As a general rule, this means at least 50% of the partipants of your project being current students or recent alumni of UNSW OR the key organisers/curators being current UNSW students.
What makes a strong application?
- When filling out your application, giving us a strong indication of what your project will look like is very important. Supply lots of good photos in the documentation section.
- This isn’t a thesis-- write in simple, easy to read language (dot points are totally okay).
- If you are the curator or organiser of a project, make sure everyone you have included in your application has agreed to being a part of it. This is as simple as a DM that says “hey, I am proposing an exhibition to Kudos, would you like to be in it?”
- Kudos looks favourably upon exhibitions that have an associated public program. These can be artist-led workshops, artist/curator talks, panel discussions, walking tours, performances, lectures, readings, community meals etc.
What if I want to put on an exhibition but I haven’t made the art yet?
If an artist or designer is going to make new work, that is totally okay. Tell us in your application and supply documentation of what they have made before. Provide an outline of the install requirements and sketches/images that give a clear indication of what that project will look like once complete.
Have a question?
Shoot an email to creative@arc.unsw.edu.au with KUDOS EXHIBITION 2026 in the subject line.