In partnership with the show’s official talks programme ‘Conversations at Clerkenwell’, Dulux Trade invites designers, creators, and visual thinkers to take part in our Light up the Rhythm of Blues Design Competition 2026.

Meeting of Minds is the essence of ‘Conversations at Clerkenwell’, the 3-day talks programme, hosted in the historic St Bartholomew’s Church, Spitalfields Market. The renowned talks programme is where the global design community converges - where ideas are exchanged and challenged. A place of dialogue, discovery, and creative momentum. It’s where the world’s most inspiring creatives come together to spark conversations that shape the future of our industry.

Dulux Trade collaborates with the show, bringing this energy to life through its Colours of the Year 2026: Rhythm of Blues, a trio that captures emotional depth, fluid movement, and contemporary expression.

This competition asks you to explore what happens when creativity meets colour—when minds meet to create something new.

Your challenge is to visually articulate this moment of connection using the Dulux Colours of the Year 2026: Rhythm of Blues—Slow swing, Free Groove and Mellow Flow. We would like you to explore how form, colour, rhythm, texture, motion, and composition can express collaboration, dialogue, and shared creative intelligence.

The Brief

The brief is to produce a piece of artwork inspired by the theme: ‘Meeting of Minds’. The winning entry will feature on 2 lightboxes which also provide the backdrop to the stage at ‘Conversations at Clerkenwell’ and also become a major creative feature of the wider show.

Your artwork must incorporate all three colours from the Rhythm of Blues trio, prominently.

You may use the colours subtly or boldly—layered, contrasted, blended, or structured—but they must be clearly present and intentionally integrated into the overall concept.

Technical Requirements

Submissions must include:

· Digital Artwork formatted to the vertical lightbox dimensions (specs provided on registration)

· A written design statement (150–250 words) explaining how the concept brings together:

Any style is welcome—illustration, abstract forms, geometric work, visual storytelling, typographic exploration—provided the design translates well through light.

Judges from Dulux Trade will assess entries on:

· Creative originality

· Emotional and visual interpretation of “Meeting of Minds”

· Effective and creative use of the Rhythm of Blues palette

· Impact and clarity when backlit

Bring these ideas to life. Show us what happens when creativity, colour, and culture meet. View the link here on how to enter.