What this opportunity offers
Creative Futures is offering four early-career artists aged 16 to 25 a £500 commission and a three-month residency in Bristol to develop new art, music, sound or performance work. This opportunity is designed for artists who are looking to develop their creative practice, overcome barriers to progression and take the next step in their creative career.
Residency dates: 6 October 2026 to 26 January 2027
Application deadline: 31 August 2026 at 9am
Selected artists will receive:
- A £500 commission
- A three-month residency
- Access to creative, dance and recording studio space
- Creative mentoring
- Professional coaching and development support
- Workshops
- Artist-to-artist creative exchange
- A public showcase of their work in Bristol city centre
Who this opportunity is for
The opportunity is open to artists working across all creative disciplines, including art, music, sound and performance. Two of the four places are reserved for musicians and sound artists. You do not need to already have a professional creative career.
Creative Futures is looking for artists who:
- Need support to overcome barriers to developing their creative practice
- Demonstrate creativity, innovative thinking and a commitment to creating new work
- Want to develop their practice, skills and network within Bristol
- Are interested in being part of a creative community with other artists
- Are aged 16 to 25
- Are based in Bristol, Bath, North Somerset or South Gloucestershire and can travel to central Bristol each week
- Are not currently taking part in university education
- Are eligible to work in the UK
Artists will need to be available for most Tuesdays, 10am to 8pm, from October 2026 to January 2027.
What you’ll do
- Develop a new piece of creative work
- Take part in mentoring, workshops and creative exchange activities
- Work alongside other early-career artists
- Showcase your work to the public
Location
Where it’s held
Creative Youth Network
The Station
Silver St
Bristol
BS1 2AG
Contact details
Get in touch for help
Telephone:
0117 947 7948