Creative Futures is offering 4 early-career artists a £500 commission & a 3-month residency each to develop new art, music, sound &/or performance works. Creative Youth Network will provide commissioned artists with a structure of support, mentoring, artist-to-artist creative exchange & workshops to develop their creative practices, producing skills, professional networks, and artistic community – ending with a public showcase of the commissioned artist’s works at The Courts in Bristol’s city center. 

The Creative Futures Commission runs from Tues 21^st April 2026 – Tues 28^th July 2026. Early career artists aged 16 – 25 from all creative disciplines are encouraged to apply. 2 x spaces on the Creative Futures Commission will go to musicians/sound artists. 

Creative Futures commissioned artists will receive: 

• A £500 commission to create a new piece of work 

• A 3-month residency at The Station, Bristol – including access to creative, dance & recording studio space 

• A showcase at The Courts, Bristol 

• Mentoring personalised to their creative practice 

• Creative workshops 

• 1-2-1 producing professional development sessions from CYN’s Creative team 

• A structure of facilitated artist-to-artist creative exchange 

• Support broadening their network 

• Opportunities to form a creative community with fellow Creative Futures artists

Throughout April – July 2026, artists on the Creative Futures commission will receive In The Station’s Creative Studio. Commissioned artists will meet most Tuesdays throughout their residency. 

An important part of Creative Futures is artists actively building a creative community together. Because of this, we ask artists who are considering applying to ensure they are available for the majority of Tuesdays throughout April, May, June and July 2026, so they can be on site in the Creative Studio making their work and investing in connections with the other artists.   

We welcome applications from early-career artists and musicians aged 16 – 25 facing barriers to forging a way forward with their creative career. We are looking to commission artists who: 

• Demonstrate a clear need for the commission to overcome specific barriers blocking them from developing their practice 

• Demonstrate creative excellence 

• Demonstrate innovative ways of thinking  

• Demonstrate a commitment to making a new piece of work 

• Demonstrate a drive to develop their practice, skills, and network within Bristol 

• Demonstrate a commitment to developing an artistic community with the other Creative Futures artists  

• Are aged 16 -25 

• Are based in Bristol, North Somerset, Bath or South Gloucestershire and are prepared to commute weekly into central Bristol 

• Are not currently taking part in university education 

• Are eligible to work in the UK 

• Can commit their Tuesdays throughout April, May, June and July 

We’re especially eager to receive applications from artists whose voices are currently underrepresented in the creative sector, including people who identify as any of the following: 

• Black, Asian, Arabic, from the Global South (countries located in Africa, Latin America, Asia & Oceania) &/or Romany / Gypsy / Irish Traveler 

• Disabled & / or neurodivergent 

• LGBTQIA+ 

• Unemployed, from low socio-economic background, & / or receiving income support 

• Homeless & / or in temporary accommodation 

• Out of education or training 

• Care leavers  

Application Link: Click here 

Application Deadline: Mon 23^rd Feb 2026, 9am 

There are 5 application questions and for each question you can choose to give a written answer OR share a link to a Youtube video of you answering the question. Here are the questions: 

1. Tell us about your creativity – what artform do you work in? 

2. Tell us about the project you would like to develop during Creative Futures. 

3. Why would you like to be part of the Creative Futures Commission programme? 

4. What specific barriers are you facing to progressing in your creative career / practice? 

5. Tell us how you would use your £500 commission to support the creation of your work? 

We ask applying artists to upload an example of their creative work (this could be a portfolio, your Soundcloud page, footage or photos of your previous creative work) and we also ask applying artists to answer a couple of short questions about you, your work status, your availability and any access requirements. 

The Creative Futures team will measure applications against the following criteria: 

• Whether the artist demonstrates a clear need for the commission to overcome specific barriers blocking them from developing their practice 

• Whether the artist demonstrates creative excellence 

• Whether the artist demonstrates innovative ways of thinking / has exciting new ideas 

• Whether the artist demonstrates a want to develop their practice, skills, and network within Bristol 

A longlist of artists will be invited to an interview day, which will consist of a 1.5 hour workshop and a 30 min interview.  

Interview day: Tues 24^th March 

Please keep the entire day free. Further details on invitation to interview. 

Please contact Creative Futures Producer, Eli Lewis if you have any questions or want to start a conversation about how we can adapt this application process to support your access needs: elinor.lewis@creativeyouthnetwork.org.uk