Call for submissions

Established in 2023, Art Beats is an international festival jointly organised by Lancaster University (United Kingdom) and Sunway University (Malaysia). Since its launch, the festival has alternated annually between Sunway University and Lancaster University, creating a dynamic platform for international artistic exchange, collaboration, and dialogue across cultures and disciplines.

Art Beats celebrates interdisciplinary artistic practice across visual art, film, music, theatre, sound, and immersive media, bringing together emerging, mid-career, and established artists from around the world. Through exhibitions, screenings, talks, the festival promotes creative encounters between artists, researchers, students, and communities.

As part of the 20th anniversary celebrations of the Lancaster University–Sunway University partnership, the 2026 edition reflects on global collaboration, movement, memory, and future imaginaries through contemporary artistic practice. We are looking for multi-disciplinary works in form or content, from visual arts, painting, and photography to multimedia, film and video art, immersive and interactive media, experimental sound, and music.

This year’s festival focuses on the themes of The Power of Two, Crossings, and Future Memories.

Festival Dates: 3-6 September, 2026

Location: Lancaster, UK

Call for Submission Info