Applications are open for the fourth year of Emergent - a hybrid residency opportunity and £5k bursary for disabled artists in the first five years of their career, delivered by Shape Arts and Baltic.
Baltic and Shape Arts invite disabled artists and creative practitioners in the first five years of their career to take part in a three-month residency programme. Emergent combines digital and physical elements of delivery, supported by both organisations.
Receiving an award of £5,000, the selected artist will take part in a residency where, in addition to receiving expert support and mentoring to inform their practice, they can use facilities and curatorial input to develop new or existing artwork. A showcasing or broadcast opportunity will be provided as part of the programme.
A package of support will also be offered to a small number of shortlisted artists.
We strongly recommend reading, watching, or listening to our FAQs before submitting an application.
Eligibility
- You must self-identify as disabled (download the information pack to find out more about the Social Model of Disability and what we mean by 'disabled') and have experienced barriers to progression in your career
- You are within the first five years of your career*
- You are not in full-time education
- Your arts practice is socially-engaged
- You are UK-based and usually live in the UK
- You are over 18
- You are available October 2025 to mid-January 2026 inclusive, to take part in the residency
- You were not shortlisted or selected in 2022, 2023, or 2024's programmes
*We recognise that the term 'emerging artist' can mean different things for different people. You may have recently graduated, but you might also be changing career, or returning to an artistic practice after taking some time away. Whatever stage you are at, so long as you feel confident that you are within the first five years of your artistic career, even if this has been paused and resumed, you are welcome to submit an application. We will prioritise applicants who have not previously received significant funding, awards, or formal opportunities as part of their artistic career.
How to Apply
As part of the application we will ask for:
- A covering statement telling us about your work and how this residency opportunity will benefit you
- A description of the barriers you have faced in starting your artistic career
- A recent or updated CV or biography
- Examples of your work, this can be attached as files (up to six images of your work or a video/audio extract no longer than two minutes) or an online portfolio/website
- You will need to self-identify as disabled
- We strongly recommend you read the Emergent FAQs document before applying
- You can apply via Submittable which accepts text, audio and visual media. This means you can use the format most accessible to you.
If you need support with your application, please contact us via [email protected]. It will be helpful if you could let us know what support you need when doing so.
While we have publicised this opportunity, please note that: (i) the application and selection process is managed by the advertising company/organisation; and (ii) we rely on them to: provide accurate, up-to-date details about themselves and the opportunity; ensure that opportunities are ethical and paid fairly. To report a listing, please email [email protected].
