ENABLING DISABLED ARTISTS IN THEIR CAREER DEVLOPMENT.
Applications open: Friday 17th July, 10am
Applications close: Monday 17th August, 10am.
Informal chats/interviews: w/c 17th August, by arrangement
Please note we will offer to have short, informal conversations with candidates whose applications we would like to know more about. You may be accepted onto the programme without a chat with the team, or we may invite you to talk to us about your idea if we feel we need further clarification.
Programme start date: 4th September 2026
What the Joy Artist Development Programme involves
The Joy Artist Development Programme is designed to support emerging disabled artists in developing their professional artistic career and practice. The programme will offer 4 artists a programme of 1:1 mentoring, networking, professional seminars with leading disability arts organisations, plus rehearsal time culminating in a performance slot during the Joy Festival Studio performance week. This will be an opportunity for artists to perform a work-in-progress extract of their work in front of an audience, of up to 15 minutes maximum.
This will be followed up with 6 months of informal mentoring with Turtle Key Arts, and you will be part of the Joy Festival Artist Network, where we will share opportunities in the sector and offer opportunities to meet up and attend Turtle Key Arts events.
Who we’re looking for
We are looking for emerging disabled artists who would like to take the next steps in developing their artistic career. By ‘emerging’, we mean people who are in the early professional stages of their career. This is someone who is serious about their artistic practice and wants to grow, but who has not yet had much professional experience or many opportunities. Professional experience usually means you have been paid. ‘Emerging’ does not mean somebody who is young in age - it could be someone who is older but is just starting out in their work.
The Joy Artist Development Programme is for artists who work in the performing arts. This could mean people who make theatre, dance, music, circus, spoken word – anything that would be performed live in front of an audience.
Because the programme involves a performance opportunity, we are looking for artists who have something they are currently working on.
Dates
Mentoring sessions:
Session 1: Friday 4th September – in person @ Lyric Hammersmith
Session 2: Week commencing 7th September
Session 3: Week commencing 14th September
Session 4: Week commencing 21st September
Session 5: Week commencing 28th September
Session 6: Week commencing 5th October
The specific day/time each week for sessions 2-6 will be arranged between artist & their mentor, and can be either online or in person.
Seminars:
Monday 7th September 3pm – 5pm
Monday 14th September 3pm – 5pm
Monday 21st September 3pm – 5pm
Monday 28th September 3pm – 5pm
Monday 5th October 3pm – 5pm
Rehearsals:
Monday 5th – Friday 9th October 10am – 6pm (please note each artist will only be required for one day)
Joy Studio Performances:
Tuesday 13th October (tech only, time tbc)
Wednesday 14th and Thursday 15th October from 6pm
We expect artists who successfully apply to the programme to be available for all the above dates. We will make exceptions for unavoidable absence of occasional dates.
Payment
Joy Artists will be paid a total of £1000 for commissioning of the work and their involvement in the programme, plus a performance fee of £250.
Selection criteria
We will select successful artists based on the criteria below.
The applicant is eligible for the scheme.
This means they are an emerging artist (someone at the early stages of their artistic career, who has limited, if any, professional experience).
It also means that they are somebody who identifies as D/deaf, disabled, neurodivergent and/or chronically ill.
The artist would benefit from development support at this moment.
Their proposed development feels clear, thoughtful or exciting.
The scheme can realistically support what they need at this stage of their career.
We are interested in building a balanced cohort across artforms and lived experiences.
Feedback
Feedback will be offered to unsuccessful applicants on request, subject to team capacity.
How to apply
To apply, we ask all applicants to answer some simple questions about themselves and the work they create. You can apply via an online application form, which also allows you to submit a video or recording for each question if you prefer. If Google Forms aren’t accessible to you, please email us a Word document or video file which contains your answers to the questions, which are written in full below.
If you need to apply a different way, please email
to let us know.
Please note, this programme is subject to confirmation of funding.
Application questions
Eligibility
Joy Festival is created to support disabled, D/deaf, neurodivergent and/or chronically ill artists. Please confirm you identify as disabled, D/deaf, neurodivergent and/or chronically ill.
About you and your practice
Tell us about yourself and your creative practice. This can include the kind of performance, theatre, live art, music, dance, cabaret, writing or interdisciplinary work you make.
Tell us about the idea or project you would like to develop.
What idea, skill, project or part of your practice would you like to develop through this scheme? Remember that as part of the programme, there will be a work-in-progress performance of your work.
Why now?
Why would this opportunity be useful to you at this point in your creative journey?
What support would help?
What kind of support would be most useful for you? For example: mentoring, producing advice, rehearsal space, access support, dramaturgy, peer exchange, technical advice, marketing, funding advice or help shaping a future performance.
Examples of your work
Please share up to 3 links, files, images, scripts, recordings or descriptions of previous work. We understand not everyone will have formal documentation, but we’d love to see it if you do!
Access requirements
What access support would help you take part in the application process, selection process and programme? This will be considered separately from artistic assessment.
