Community & Culture
Preview: MACFEST Muslim Arts Awards 2026 Art Exhibition
Join us in celebrating the Exhibition of the 3rd MACFEST Muslim Arts Awards!
Preview 5.30-7pm, 19th November 2026, ENTRY £10
MACFEST, Muslim Arts and Culture Festival, in partnership with the School of Arts, Media and Creative Technology at The University of Salford have initiated a new Arts Awards programme that celebrates and raises the visibility of Muslim artists through an exhibition and Award Ceremony.
"Our mission for the Arts Awards is to celebrate and provide a unique platform for Muslim artists to showcase their creativity and talent through an art exhibition in partnership with University of Salford and a chance to win an award in the four categories: Painting, Calligraphy, Drawing and Photography. And to network and share their expertise via our Muslim Artist Network. First year we celebrated the Northwest Muslim artists. Last year we have gone global national with participants from several cities around the UK. University of Salford remains our valuable partner indeed. Every year we celebrate a splendid Art Exhibition. Beautifully created and installed by the marvellous arts faculty team of Salford University, the exhibition is truly a feast for the senses, celebrating the best of of Islamic art creativity. All are winners in their own right." Qaisra Shahraz MBE JP FRSA, Founder and Director of MACFEST and Muslim Arts Awards
"It's such a pleasure to be working with MACFEST. We started back in March last year, after the MACFEST 2025 launch, calling out to artists across the UK. Last year we were North West based open call for artists, but this year we extended out across the UK and we were really pleased to see that people took us up on this. I think an open art exhibition is a very special kind of thing because you don't have to have gone through the traditional route of a university. You might come to art later on in life or however people find it. And going around and seeing how people can express themselves emotionally through art is really good and very evident in some of the work that came in. We had well over 100 entries coming through and we went from a digital submission process to opening up to probably about half of those to see the work in person, because it's always much easier if you've seen the work in person rather than digitally. And the final submissions, about 30 pieces, are now on the walls at New Adelphi, a wide range of artists from across all ages and from drawing, photography, calligraphy and painting. The artworks have been well received and as a University, we're really proud to be able to host it and shall continue doing so and shall get roped into more things in the future. That was a big piece of work to do and we're really pleased to be here." Sam Ingleson, Associate Dean; Enterprise & Engagement, School of Arts, Media & Creative Technology at University of Salford.
An artists open call was announced in March 2025 and over 65 UK Muslim artists submitted up to 2 artworks under the following categories, Calligraphy, Drawing, Painting and Photography. From this initial submission the best artworks have been selected and all Finalists will be featured in a curated exhibition at the University of Salford within the School of Arts, Media and Creative Technology, New Adelphi Atrium. You will have an opportunity to see all the works selected under 4 categories.
"This is such an incredible event and we're so pleased with the exhibition and I hope all of the artists that are here tonight are proud of that show because it's fantastic. In the age of AI we need drawing even more as artists. Drawing, we could say, in Muslim culture, teaches us that a simple line can hold both devotion and inquiry, both history and innovation. " Paul Vivian, Drawing Judge, Artist, Director of Art & Design, School of Arts, Media & Creative Technology, University of Salford
The first chance to see the works will be at the Private Viewing between 5:30 and 7pm on the 20th November in The New Adelphi Atrium exhibition space. Please join us for refreshments, view the selected artworks and meet the artists, judges and industry partners.
The exhibition runs from the 20th through to the 5th December 2026.
The Award evening celebrates all the artworks submitted and will announce the winners of the 4 categories. The evening will be an opportunity to celebrate the talent across the 4 artforms.
"We see a lot of creative students coming to us and it's really important to nurture that talent because the arts are a great way of communicating with each other and breaking down barriers. And as I've seen from touring the work that the artists are doing at Muslim Arts Awards, they're so proud of what they're achieving and the work can be very sad or full of joy and it's wonderful to see all of these different skills being used in so many different ways so I'm so excited to be here and I'm so thrilled that this is happening in Manchester. (...) What an honour and sacrifice that has been up on this stage, to be in the presence of not only such talent, but with people, who are going out of their way, to support that talent, because art speaks to us in a way that nothing else can (...) in a way that perhaps our world leaders and our politicians can't. So well done for all of the work that you're doing, putting your heart and soul into this work. You should all feel really proud of yourselves." Lucy Meacock, Chancellor of University of Salford, former ITV News Presenter
"We're a really close partner with the Muslim Arts and Culture Festival. And last week I was able to host the wonderful exhibition at the new Adelphi building in Salford. Today is really the celebratory part of that where we actually award the prizes to the winners and of course it's just a really special occasion (...) in fact I've never seen so many mayors in all my life. That's pretty impressive. But there's something much more special in this room this evening and that is the community of fantastic artists that I met last Thursday and the previous year. The way that you've managed to bring those communities together, the number of nationalities you mentioned earlier on was really amazing, and the friendship that has been shown to me just last week was wonderful and I must be invited again. This has become a must do event for me. So thank you very much." Professor Alan J. Walker, the Pro Vice Chancellor and Dean of the School of Arts, Media and Creative Technology from the University of Salford.
Award Evening 5-8:30pm, 30th November 2026, Manchester Hall, Manchester.
ENTRY FEE £50 pp - Ticket reservation via email.
EARLY BIRD £40 pp - Ticket reservation via email.
2 tickets pp max, places strictly limited
To join waiting list email: hello@macfest.org.uk
"(...) It's all about self discipline. It's all about developing yourself. It's all about keep working on self. Those who keep purifying themselves and look to be better and better and better, those are the ones who will do better, always. We will all make mistakes, but as long as you keep working hard at it, this is where you are, a winner. And with that I'll leave you." Lord Richard-Fou’ad MacLeod, Painting Judge, Artist, calligrapher and founder of Lord MacLeod Art Gallery, Newcastle
