About the Opportunity

Tender Ground invites socially engaged artists working in performance to apply for a short residency focused on experimenting in co-creation with the public, communities or individuals who aren’t usually engaged in theatre making. There are three residencies available. 

To apply, artists should propose their initial ideas or starting points, and give an indication of the group/demographic/type of community, or individual(s) they wish to work with. They may have previous relationships with these, suggested collaborators, or they may wish to meet them for the first time, as part of their residency.  Participants may exist as a formal or identifiable group, or a group may be brought together especially, as part of the residency.   

Tender Ground invites the beginnings of ideas or approaches, rather than proposals for completed ideas.  It is designed to support the discovery of unexpected outcomes, through a process of co-creation.  

The residency will cover 4 weeks of the artist’s time to the value of £2770.72, inclusive of all meetings, planning, and collaborative work. In addition, a supplementary budget of £1000 per artist is available to support the needs of their exploration (for example to employ another artistic collaborator, to purchase materials or to cover travel/research costs). The residency will also include in-kind producing support, as well as access to space, technical facilities, and dramaturgical support, subject to capacity and availability.  

The residency timeline is flexible to support the needs of the project, but must be completed by March 2027 at the latest.  The residency will end with an informal sharing of ideas and process.

Who is it For?

This opportunity is for artists who live and work in Scotland, with a demonstrable track record in co-creating socially engaged performance projects. We cannot accept applications from those under 18, or in full-time education.

How to Apply

To apply, please upload a cover letter and either a CV OR detailed biography, as PDF or Word files, no later than Monday 8 June 2026. You are also invited to include a link to a website and/or showreel if available.  

Across your CV and cover letter you should demonstrate your experience in creating socially engaged, co-created performance work in community contexts. Please provide examples of your experience in this field. You can also tell us about yourself and your approach to your artistic work more generally. Do make sure you tell us everything you wish to share about you/your work in your application. 

In your cover letter please provide the following information:

• Tell us about yourself
• Tell us about your idea and the people you want to explore it with
• Explain why you are particularly interested in the above
• Tell us about the proposed/ideal timelines and scheduling of your residency

In your CV/biography please list the experience and knowledge you have developed in the fields of socially engaged performance making.

Your CV and biography should be no longer than two pages, and your cover letter should be at least one page long and no more than two (at 11-point font size).

Once you have submitted your application you will be automatically redirected to our anonymous Diversity Monitoring Form.  This should only take 5 minutes to fill out and is the final part of the application process. This is to help us understand who responds to our opportunities and to analyse and improve their accessibility, reach and appeal. 

You will be informed of the outcome of your application later than the 12 Jun 2026.

As per the Scottish legal requirement, successful recipients will be requested to undergo a criminal record check through the PVG Scheme, and to provide two, additional character references.