We are looking for 5 artists, companies, or collectives to join our Innovate Artist cohort. A Lincoln Arts Centre Innovate Artist is an artist, company or collective either early in their career or at a critical juncture in their career. They work with Lincoln Arts Centre to develop new ideas, or support existing projects.  

Ben Anderson, Lincoln Arts Centre’s Creative and Executive Director, said: 

“Now in its third year, our Innovate programme has proven fertile ground to kickstart and test new ideas. We’ll be joined by 5 new artists this year, taking the total to 16. Particularly this year we see opportunities for growth in new musical development, creative health, and technology, these areas connect to work our students are doing or growth areas in our programme. In addition to this a real demand for family work. so keen to hear from artists working in any of these areas.” 

Successful applicants will receive: 

• A £2300 seed commission for their idea   

• A paid opportunity to present work-in-progress at one of our DEMOs; an evening of new work and facilitated feedback, with technical support and professional documentation  

• Business support including a template business plan and set of template budgets and a fundraising strategy  

• Opportunity to connect with other Innovate Artists and Lincoln Arts Centre’s Associate Artists: our three-year programme for established artists with National and International reputations 

So far, we’ve worked with eleven artists and companies who have developed new ideas, built sets for their shows, developed funding bids for ideas, gone on international go-see trips and research and developed a new idea which have been tested in front of audiences. 

Applications are open now and will close on Monday 24th February at 11.59pm. We are particularly seeking artists interested in the following: 

• Those that have a choreographic practice, with a focus on embedding technology into live performance  

• New musicals or musical theatre  

• Creating new popular works in any discipline specifically designed for families  

• Creative health or social prescribing, with a focus on artistic practices that are already engaged in social prescribing 

For more information, please find the information for applicants pack linked on the right hand side and at the bottom of this page.

The University of Lincoln is one of 12 universities to be included in Arts Council England’s National Portfolio of Organisations. This recognition, from the foremost agency for creativity and culture, means that the University of Lincoln can now be considered one of the premier venues for arts and cultural provision in the UK. As part of Arts Council England’s National Portfolio of Organisations, the University deliver projects and activities through the Lincoln Arts Centre and Barbican Creative Hub.