CREATIVE COMMISSION for BPOC in Scotland

DEADLINE 11am monday 20 APRIL 2026

Reimagining Scotland's creative landscape: transformation and possibility

Creative Balance is a forward-thinking research initiative exploring mental health and wellbeing for Black People and People of Colour (BPOC) in Scotland's creative industries.

We're commissioning four artists to create new work responding to our research themes, to be exhibited at the Creative Balance Wellbeing Festival on taking place in June in Glasgow.

The brief

We invite you to respond creatively to the prompt: Reimagining Scotland's creative landscape: transformation and possibility.

Your work might explore experiences of wellbeing, envision new spaces built by and for our communities, imagine what support and connection could look like, or take the prompt somewhere we haven't anticipated. We're looking for work that is hopeful and speaks to what could be.

What we're looking for

• Work in any art form: visual, audio, material, written, or other

• If your work is performative, please consider submitting a video recording that can be played on loop at the exhibition

• If your work is audio-based, we can provide headphones for visitors

Fee

£1,000 artist fee plus up to £200 for materials if needed. This is broken down as just over 26 hours @ £37.10 (SAU rates 3+ years experience)

Timeline

• Application deadline: Sunday 20 April 2026

• Selected artists notified: w/c 28 April 2026

• Work to be completed by: Friday 22 May 2026

• Festival: June 2026 (date announced publicly w/c 13 April 2026)

Who can apply

• You must identify as racialised (We define racialised as people with Black African, North African, Caribbean, Asian, West Asian, Pacific Island, Indigenous and/or Latin American heritage who experience racism due to the colour of their skin, ethnicity, or heritage. Please do not apply if you identify as white, regardless of nationality or migration history.)

• You must be based in Scotland or have strong ties to Scotland's creative sector

How to apply

Please complete the form or download the word document version. If you would prefer another format, please get in contact. We also welcome audio and video applications.