Summerhall Arts Studios are dedicated residencies for the early development of new theatre and cross-disciplinary live performance work.
The Studios are designed to give artists and collaborators time and space to test ideas, explore approaches, and begin shaping work intended for live audiences.
Studios are not about having a finished script or fully realised production. They are about experimentation, exploration and play. They are particularly interested in projects that benefit from working in real space: testing form, staging, sound, movement, liveness, audience relationship or collaborative process.
They welcome applications from artists working across theatre, movement, performance, interdisciplinary practice and other hybrid forms of live performance.
What the Studio includes:
• Up to £3,100 project budget, agreed between the Lead Artist and Summerhall Arts team
• Five days in a dedicated space: Tech Cube Zero, or (if more suitable) the Anatomy Lecture Theatre
• Technical support and access to simple lighting, sound and AV
• Advice and guidance from the Summerhall Arts team (creative, producing and technical)
• An informal end-of-week sharing with peers and/or invited industry colleagues (venue specifications available on request)
What they are looking for:
• Work at an early stage of development that benefits from practical, collaborative or technical exploration
• Projects ultimately intended for live audiences
• Clear and achievable plans for the five day residency
• Collaborative approaches that make active use of the studio environment and available resources
• Artists interested in experimentation, process and development rather than polished outcomes
They are less likely to support projects focused solely on desk-based script development or projects already substantially resourced through other major development funding.
Key 2026 dates:
Applications open: Mon 1 June (9am)
Applications close: Sun 21 June (11pm)
Outcome notification by Fri 3 July
Studio dates: 12-16 October 2026 (10am-5pm)
For application guidance, application questions and information on alternative ways to apply, please visit their website: https://www.summerhallarts.co.uk/2026/06/summerhall-arts-studio/
For further information, please contact imogen@summerhallarts.co.uk (Imogen Stirling) or visit https://www.summerhallarts.co.uk/2026/06/summerhall-arts-studio/.
