The Football Art Prize 2022
To coincide with the 2022 FIFA World Cup, Touchstones, with generous support from Arts Council England, has created The Football Art Prize to celebrate arguably the world’s most popular sport.
We invited artists from around the world to submit their work to The Football Art Prize via an open submission, and our judging panel have selected a wide range of painting, photography, film and collage, representing the spectrum of experiences of the beautiful game.
From the riches and idolatry of the upper echelons of the sport, to the muddy grit of grassroots clubs, the works to be found at The Football Art Prize show how football has come to reflect the entirety of the human experience. Visual tales of glory and defeat live alongside deeply personal pieces and recognisable scenes of wintery night matches and foggy fields.
The judging panel selected 69 artworks by 50 artists, with three artists being awarded cash prizes, including a top prize of £5,000. Additionally, visitors to the exhibition can vote for an ‘Audience Choice’ award winner.
The judging panel includes:
Sacha Craddock – writer, critic & broadcaster
Jo Cunningham – curator
Mark Doyle – curator
David James – footballer, coach & pundit
Kirstie Hamilton – curator
Mark Wallinger – artist
Gordon Taylor OBE – former footballer and former chief executive of the Professional Footballers’ Association
As part of the exhibition, artists Neville Gabie and Alan Ward are creating an archive of 100 Objects and Memories of Rochdale AFC, comprised of items and stories submitted by Rochdale fans as well as pieces from Touchstones’ collection.
Gabie and Ward are also producing a recording and film featuring six local groups performing Gracie Fields’ Pass Shoot Goal, the first song about football to be committed to Bakelite record. The participating groups are a Ukrainian choir, a Hindi group, a d/Deaf football team, a Nigerian group and a retired choir, alongside Rochdale AFC supporters. Each has translated the song into their own languages, dialects or interpretation, with a final performance filmed at Rochdale’s Spotland Stadium.
The Football Art Prize will tour to The Millennium Gallery, Sheffield from July and Sunderland Museum & Winter Gardens from November.
