Lincolnshire Artists – listen up! The Vital Spark 2023-2024 cohort applications are now open, and Lincoln Arts Centre are supporting the scheme. What does that mean for you? Well, it means that we ensured there is a Lincolnshire artist for both the Ideas Fund and the Relationship Programme. So get applying now! More details below:

The Vital Spark Artist Relationship Programme  

The Spark Arts for Children and Baboró International Arts Festival for Children are working together to host a transformational, international artist relationship programme.  

It is for artists who are interested in developing their artistic practice and processes to make, create and invent exciting new work for children.  

We will work with 4 artists from England and 4 artists from Ireland.  You will be paid for your time to take part in : 

• A ‘Go and See’ trip to Baboró International Arts Festival for Children, Galway, Ireland in October 

• An Artist residential of masterclasses & coaching in Leicester, England, in November 
• Online coaching sessions 
• A 2-day Vital Spark Symposium in March 2024 

You’ll receive training, workshops, coaching and masterclasses at no cost. All travel, airfares and transfers, accommodation, theatre tickets, food and drink will be paid for.  The programme is worth €10.000/£8,500 for each participating artist.  

To apply please click the link either at the bottom or the right hand side of this page, and you will be redirected to the Spark Arts for Children website.

To apply for both the relationship programme and the ideas fund please click the ‘joint application’ and follow the instructions. 

The Ideas Fund 

The Ideas Fund is an opportunity for artists to receive financial support and expertise at the early stages of development of a new piece of work created for children and young people (0-13),  

These ideas will be bold, exciting, and original, and will help us to achieve our ambition of a PYA sector that is relevant to and representative of all children and young people.  

We accept applications from Artists based in England and Ireland.   

• English artists will work with The Spark Arts for Children and national Vital Spark partners. 
•  Irish artists will work in partnership with The Spark Arts for Children (England) and Baboró International Arts Festival for Children (Ireland).   

Support will include 

• Financial support to the sum of £2,000 minimum 

• Brokerage of match funding 
• Dramaturgy, producer and production support throughout R&D phases  
• A presentation of a work in progress at a future Spark event. 
• Potential future programming at Spark Festival and Vital Spark partner venues/festivals 
• Advocating for the artist/company and their work at national and international networks 

• Sharing The Spark’s and Vital Spark partners’ wealth of expertise around making work with and for children and young people. 

To apply please click the link either at the bottom or the right hand side of this page, and you will be redirected to the Spark Arts for Children website.

To apply for both the relationship programme and the ideas fund please click the ‘joint application’ and follow the instructions. 

This was all made possible by the important partnership work that we are doing across the region. There are even more exciting announcements to come, so watch that space and sign up for our newsletter to be the first in the know!