Science Gallery Network
Bringing science, art, technology and design together, Science Gallery delivers unique, transdisciplinary exhibitions, events and educational programmes that engage millions of inquiring minds every year in connective, participative, and surprising ways.
The Science Gallery Network is an international collaboration of leading universities dedicated to public engagement through interdisciplinary art-science initiatives. As a Network, we seek to change the world through youth-led perspectives, igniting conversations and collaborations, and support young people to find connection, hope and agency through curiosity and creativity. We will achieve this as a global platform with a critical mass of public venues and digital spaces engaging millions of people.
Open calls
Each open call runs for 5 - 6 weeks. Ready your submission at least a few days before the deadline to ensure you have no technical difficulties and can have any queries answered in advance. The submission form closes automatically on the last day, and late submissions will not be accepted.
Most open C lls are run by individual locations in the Network (Atlanta, Bengaluru, Berlin, Dublin, London, Melbourne and Monterrey). Be sure to reach out directly to the correct location that has launched the call for any queries about their process. If the call is run by multiple locations simultaneously, a specific contact will be provided on the call page. Contact information for questions can always be found on an individual Open Call page. Review process dates are clearly published, and results are communicated shortly thereafter.
Technical difficulties with the application forms should be addressed to Submittable directly.
Are you a budding science-fiction writer? Quantum ideas open up boundless opportunities for storytelling. From branching realities to quantum technology gone wrong, create your own quantum universe and have the chance to win a trophy from the prestigious Arthur C. Clarke award.
To enter, submit an original work of micro-fiction of 300-500 words in length. The competition will be overseen by judges nominated by Science Gallery London and the Arthur C. Clarke Award. The winner will be announced at a ‘Late’ event at Science Gallery London on 30 January 2026, where they will have the chance to read their story to a live audience.
Competition Guidelines
Word Limit: 300-500 words. Work must be original to the author and not have been previously published elsewhere.
Competition opens: Monday 22nd September
Closing date for submission: Sunday 16th November
Number of entries: Maximum of one entry per person
Genre: Science Fiction.
Prize: trophy
Eligibility:
- The competition is open to entries from people aged 16+ from anywhere in the world. Note that Science Gallery London cannot support travel costs to attend the prize giving.
- The prize is open to both published and unpublished writers at any stage of their education or career.
- The story must be the entrant’s own creation and not infringe upon the right or copyright of any person or entity.
- Staff at Science Gallery London and the Science Gallery international network are ineligible to enter.
Language: English
Rights: First world digital rights (text and audio), first print rights, non-exclusive anthology rights (for possible fanzine publication).
AI: We will not consider any submissions written, developed, translated or otherwise developed using AI tools such as ChatGPT. Entrants will be asked to confirm work is original to them on submitting.
Submissions:
- You will be asked to submit your story in our Submittable platform, alongside contact information. This should include the story and title but no name or other personal details. These should be entered into the submission portal and will be tagged to your story for reference.
- By entering the competition, you agree to be bound by its terms and conditions.
Judging: the competition will be overseen by judges nominated by Science Gallery London and the Arthur C. Clarke Award.
Writing prompts:
How do you define Science Fiction? The Clarke Award does not adhere to one single definition of Science Fiction, and neither should you. However, we will be looking for originality in the entries, so recommend avoiding tropes that are widely recognised in popular culture. Your word count is limited, so don’t waste words on someone else’s idea!
Does quantum need to feature in the story? Yes, but we are open to interpretations and indirect references. We advise looking for an original angle! There’s more to quantum than the multiverse, for example King's researchers are deploying quantum technology in healthcare, life sciences, climate forecasting, drug discovery, autonomous vehicles, molecular integration, and the development of new materials. As Sir Arthur once said, "The only way of discovering the limits of the possible is to venture a little way past them into the impossible."
How can I fit a story into such a short word count?
- Micro or Flash fiction is a very popular format, especially online, and if you haven’t written in that mode yourself, we recommend starting with some research.
- All writing rules can be broken (at the right time) but we recommend thinking about avoiding long paragraphs and non-standard formatting (imagine how the story works on your phone or read out loud), thinking about style, tone of voice, and a sense of completeness for the reader even if short rather than a scene from a larger story.
- Keep it simple and put the reader first. This is the time to try something original and fun, not to squeeze the plot of your epic space opera trilogy into a 300 word synopsis or info-dump. The reader doesn’t need to know everything but take some time to think through whether the story can work for them with just what’s on the page, not what’s also in your head.
- You can set your story anywhere and when you like, but when every single word counts, remember a setting that readers might have some familiarity with or understanding of already will help them fill the gaps you leave with their imagination rather than scratching their heads.
About:
A calorie is a measure of energy. It flickers in the heat of a kitchen, moves through the hands that knead and stir, in the sweat of labour across fields. It hums through the rhythm of cooking, the glow of a ripe fruit and the satisfaction of a shared meal—the everyday moments when energy becomes memory. You can sense it in the smell of your grandmother’s curry winding through your home, in the clang of vessels, the murmur of a market, the gleam of oil catching light in a hot pan—all traces of energy, held and released.
At its simplest, a calorie is nourishment. It represents the energy our bodies need to grow, move and think. Behind every ingredient and every meal lies a story of nutrition; of how food sustains us and how access, culture and choice shape what we eat.
CALORIE: Through Your Eyes invites young photographers (between the age of 18-30) from around the world to tell the story of food through their lens—the way it grows, moves through hands and kitchens, fills plates and sometimes goes to waste. Selected participants will be mentored by an established photographer and their works will be featured in our upcoming food festival, Namma Oota.
Prompts:
Burn
Crunch
Ferment
Hunger
Meal
Rotten
Timeline:
Call goes live: 17 October 2025
Call closes: 16 November 2025
Mentorship session: 22 November 2025
Showcase: 06-07 December 2025
Participant Guidelines:
- Submit your response by 11.59 pm IST on 16 November 2025.
- You can submit upto five responses per person.
- Your submission must be photographs.
- The minimum resolution of the photographs should be 300 dpi.
- The photo has to be made by the person making the submission.
- Your submission should not have won or placed in other competitions, or have been published in an official capacity in other magazines, exhibitions, etc.
- Your submission must have a text-based description/caption of between 50-150 words in English. If you’re submitting in any other language apart from English, please add a translation in English. Photographs without supporting texts will not be selected.
- Your submission must have a brief bio of yourself between 50-150 words in any language along with a translation in English.
- Any copyright violations or issues with permission will disqualify your entry.
- By submitting photos/clips of children, you expressly agree that you have secured permission from the child’s parent or guardian.
- Any conflicts/ issues/violations arising out of the sharing of the photo will be the liability of the photographer and the subject. The organisers are not liable for any dispute arising out of the submission.
- Photos must not contain any nudity or any derogatory, racist commentary or visuals. Such entries will not be considered.
- You retain all the rights to your work. By submitting your work, you will grant Science Gallery Bengaluru the right to use it during CALORIE. Your submission will be archived on the Science Gallery Bengaluru’s website.