Short Description
Baltic x Shape Emergent Residency 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.
Emergent is a project aimed at addressing and tackling the entrenched marginalisation and under-representation of disabled people in the arts sector and wider society. The main focus is creatives at an early stage in their career (including re-emerging artists) who need support in order to continue.
We know that emerging artists are often at a critical stage where the right opportunity, accompanied by the right kind of support, can make a huge and lasting difference to how their careers develop. We are also aware of the need for mentors who have similar lived experience as well as expertise in their practice area.
Emergent is designed as a hybrid programme. We believe this is important as we move away from the pandemic conditions to find that much has changed, and new ways of working and making art are happening. By ‘hybrid,’ we mean including both in-place and online ways of working, including the making of new artworks and the sharing of creative experiences with audiences.
Eligibility
- You self-identify as disabled* [see note below on 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
- Aged 18+
- You are available mid-October 2025 to mid-February 2026 inclusive, to take part in the residency. This is structured as:
- Mid-October to mid-November – remote residency
- Mid-November to mid-December – in-person residency at Baltic
- Mid-January to mid-February – remote residency
*What do we mean by disabled, or disability?
Because we recognise that people’s perspectives and experience of disability are very wide-ranging, we have a broad and inclusive approach to what disability means. Some people will meet with access barriers on a daily basis; others may have a mental or physical impairment or health condition which is invisible to others or which they prefer to keep to themselves; some people may not even have considered themselves to be disabled until something has happened to make them reflect on the issue.
If you consider yourself to be disabled under this broad definition, then please indicate so in the monitoring form and where applicable in your application.
The partners work to the social model of disability, and applications are not dependent on a medical diagnosis.
Submission Requirements
- 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
How to Apply
Online Application
Program Benefits & Awards
Baltic and Shape 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 technical 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.
Entry Fee
None
Location
United Kingdom
Timeline
- Application Deadline: 10 August 2025
Website Link: https://www.shapearts.org.uk/Blog/emergent-2025-call-out#FAQs
