Hand & Lock Prize for Embroidery 2027

Registration for 2027 is now open! Register by January 31st for £10 off with our Early Bird Discount The 2027 Prize Brief: Embroidery Beyond the Algorithm We live in a world increasingly shaped by algorithms, automation and artificial intelligence. Images can be generated in seconds, patterns can be designed digitally and machines can reproduce intricate forms with extraordinary precision. Yet there remains something fundamentally different about an object that has passed through human hands. Embroidery has always existed at the intersection of skill, material and imagination. A needle and thread can transform a surface through thousands of individual decisions: a change in tension, an unexpected material, a change of colour or a moment of improvisation. All are evidence of the human hand. The 2027 Hand & Lock Prize for Embroidery asks you to explore what embroidery can become when we move beyond the expected. How can traditional techniques be disrupted, combined and reinvented? How can embroidery interact with other craft disciplines, materials and processes? How might we use both hand and machine to create something that could not have existed through either process alone? Look beyond thread and fabric. Consider ceramics, woven structures, wood, clay, beads, straw, paper, natural materials and other forms of making. Combine disciplines, borrow techniques and experiment with materials that might initially seem unrelated to embroidery. Let imperfections and accidents become part of the work. Explore the tension between the precise and the spontaneous, the handmade and the mechanical, the traditional and the experimental. At a time when technology can increasingly imitate the appearance of human creativity, what makes something unmistakably handmade? What can the hand do that the algorithm cannot? How can embroidery continue to evolve while retaining the sense of touch, time, skill and human decision-making at its heart? Reconnect with the human act of making. Push embroidery beyond its familiar boundaries and imagine what the craft could become next. Note: Registration fee is excluded from all promotions Sign up to the Prize Newsletter for live updates, key dates and guidance on this year’s brief. Testimonials “The Hand & Lock Prize challenges you to fully commit to a brief, while the mentorship gives you the confidence and support needed to take risks and push your practice forward.” - Lucy Newman, Finalist 2025 “In my opinion there is no greater opportunity for emerging embroiderers than the Hand and Lock Prize. It encourages and supports heritage craft, fosters incredible connections within the industry and ultimately rewards creativity and skill. I would encourage anyone considering entering to just go for it!” - Lucy May, Gold & Silver Wyre Drawers Runner Up & 2nd Place Student Textile Art Winner “Taking part in the Hand & Lock Prize is something I will always look back on as a huge accomplishment, it was a moment of recognition, celebrating embroidery, dedication and craft. Being part of the Prize, alongside so many other artists, felt like the ultimate appreciation of all the hours and effort spent on my embroidery. It truly felt like being part of a legacy” - Severina Seidl, 1st Place Student Textile Art Winner 2025 "There isn't a single piece here that doesn't make me feel something." Erica Kirsop, Chairman’s Choice Award & 3rd Place Open Textile Art Winner 2025 “"Wow" - I heard this word from at least one person every few minutes throughout the night. It was always someone new and then they would point out their favorite detail of whichever piece they were in front of to everyone nearby. It felt really special to know that so many people were there just being awed by the art and the work that went into it.” - Erica Kirsop, Chairman’s Choice Award & 3rd Place Open Textile Art Winner 2025 “Entering this prestigious competition and making it into the finals was a wonderful experience. It was also amazing to have my piece exhibited alongside so many talented artists. So grateful for the opportunity from Hand & Lock.” - Anne Waller, 3rd Place Open Textile Art Winner 2025 “I'd like to give heartfelt thanks to Hand and Lock London, the judges and the Prize for Embroidery team for coordinating the exhibition at Gallery Rosenfeld. It was an honour to be chosen as 1 of 24 finalists, to have the chance to exhibit my artwork internationally, then unexpectedly to receive first prize in my open textile art category.” - Melinda Piesse, 1st Place Open Textile Art Winner 2025 “Once you become a finalist of the Hand & Lock Prize you will automatically become part of the Hand & Lock family, the whole experience is like a magic box, full of wonderful surprises.” - Illaria Harris, 1st Place Open Fashion Winner 2025 “The Hand & Lock Prize offered not only recognition, but also a rare sense of care and professionalism that allowed me to fully focus on and enjoy my work as an artist.” - Chenyi Liu, The Worshipful Company of Gold and Silver Wyre Drawers Associate Award Winner 2025 "Thanks to the Hand & Lock team – as always they did great by bringing such a variety of works. I'm very grateful for the opportunity to be a part of the Prize 2025. In particular, I think that Madeleine did an amazing job – she was very responsive, quick to help throughout the submission process and in preparation for the exhibition." – Ruta Malik "I'd like to thank the whole team from the bottom of my heart. I always find your themes so inspiring. Year after year you are providing an invaluable service to embroidery in raising recognition as an art form, not just a fiddly craft for old ladies." – Anonymous