Applications are now open for four early-career artists aged 16–25 to join Creative Futures and develop a new piece of creative work with support from Creative Youth Network.
Creative Futures offers emerging artists the time, space and support to develop their practice through a three-month residency, a £500 commission and a programme of mentoring, workshops and creative exchange.
The Creative Futures residency programme at a glance
The residency runs from Tues 6th Oct 2026 – Tues 26th Jan 2027.Commissioned artists will received:
- 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 artist
We are looking for artists working across all creative disciplines, with two of the four places will be reserved for musicians and sound artists.
Applications close: Monday 31 August 2026, 9am.
Who is this opportunity for?
Creative Futures is for early-career artists aged 16–25 who are looking for support to develop their creative practice and progress their career.
We welcome artists from all creative disciplines, including art, music, sound &/or performance works. You do not need to have a professional creative career already—this opportunity is designed for artists who are developing their work and looking for the time, support and connections to take their next step.
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
Artists will also need to be available for most Tuesdays, 10am–8pm, from Oct 26 to Jan 27. The residency is not just about making new work—it is also about building relationships, sharing ideas and developing a creative community with the other selected artists. However, the programme will break over the Christmas period!
Who are we especially encouraging to apply?
We particularly welcome applications from artists who are currently underrepresented in the creative sector, including people who identify as:
- Black, Asian, Arabic, Global Majority and/or Romany, Gypsy or Irish Traveller
- Disabled and/or neurodivergent
- LGBTQIA+
- From low-income backgrounds, unemployed or receiving income support
- Homeless or living in temporary accommodation
- Out of education or training
- Care leavers
At Creative Youth Network, we recognise that barriers can affect access to creative careers, and we want Creative Futures to support artists who would benefit from dedicated time, resources and professional development. You can find out more about the wider Creative Futures programme below.
How to apply
Applications close on Monday 31 August 2026 at 9am.
The application process includes two stages, an application form and an interview.
The application form includes five questions about your creative practice, your proposed project, your ambitions and the barriers you are facing. You can answer the questions through writing or by submitting video responses via a link to Youtube. The applications will be measured against the criteria above.
The questions are:
- Tell us about your creativity – what artform do you work in?
- Tell us about the project you would like to develop during Creative Futures.
- Why would you like to be part of the Creative Futures Commission programme?
- What specific barriers are you facing to progressing in your creative career / practice?
- Tell us how you would use your £500 commission to support the creation of your work?
We also 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.
A long list of artists will be invited to an interview day, which will consist of a 1 hour workshop and a 30 min individual interview. The interview day will be Tues 15th Sep 2026, 10am – 5:30pm.
Please keep the entire day free. Further details on invitation to interview.
Need support with your application?
If you have questions or would like to discuss access requirements or adjustments to the application process, please contact Creative Futures Producer Eli Lewis:
elinor.lewis@creativeyouthnetwork.org.uk
With thanks to our funders
Programmes like Creative Futures are only possible with support. We are incredibly grateful to the following funders.
