Apply for Artsadmin and Unlimited’s £60,000 co-commission opportunity for a disabled artist or company

Since 2013, Artsadmin has co-delivered Unlimited, the world’s largest disability arts commissioning programme, in partnership with Shape Arts, and we’ve enjoyed and been challenged by every bit of this 7-year collaborative journey of learning how to better support disabled artists and companies.  

Unlimited has already given over £3 million and supported 330 artists in the past 7 years, and this October, Unlimited’s latest commissioning round is offering over £500,000 to disabled artists and companies based across the UK to create exceptional work in any art form. 

“In addition to the work we do co-delivering the programme, Artsadmin is excited to be one of the 11 co-commissioning partners for the Unlimited Partner Awards. It makes perfect sense that, as Unlimited transitions towards an independent future, the legacy of the partnership exists for us in working with disabled artists to produce unique, excellent projects.

With this commission, we are partnering with Unlimited to produce a work of significant scale and ambition in the public realm. We are eager to platform the perspectives and ideas of disabled artists in the movement for climate justice, which have been underrepresented to date. The pandemic heightened the lack of access to public space for many disabled people who were required to shield, and so too has it emphasised the need for public spaces, green spaces, shared spaces. As the conversation about a green recovery gathers momentum, we are keen to think about disabled perspectives on imagining what that recovery might be and look forward to engagement with artists through this process.”

Róise Goan, Artistic Director of Artsadmin

More details about this commission opportunity

Artsadmin is supporting a Main Commission.

Who is it for?
Applicants should be:

• professionally-established disabled artists or companies that support disabled-led work.
• working across any art forms
• based in England or Wales (unfortunately artists based in Scotland cannot apply for this award).

Unlimited’s criteria
All Main Commission awards must be disability-led and demonstrate:

• quality, innovation and ambition
• a strong track record of creating work and reaching audiences
• existing collaborations and partnerships (these can include those with non-disabled led companies/artists/producers) – or plans to develop these through the R&D

Artsadmin’s criteria
We are looking for work that:

• approaches environmental discourse, climate change and/or climate justice from intersectional/disabled perspectives.
• is interdisciplinary, with an element of live performance or interaction at its core.
• is sited/outdoor/public realm work, which is currently underrepresented within Unlimited’s portfolio.

How much can you apply for?
For Artsadmin’s award, applicants can apply for up to £60,000 for this commission.

Who produces the project? 
Artsadmin will be the producer of the selected project. 

How to apply
You can read the application information and questions online. On 1 October, the application portal for the Expression of Interest stage opens and closes on 27 October. Shortlisted applicants will then be invited to submit a full application. 
Find out more about the application process and access support available

We look forward to reading your applications and ideas. If you want to discuss a potential project, please get in touch via phone or email. If you have any questions about eligibility, please contact Unlimited.