STOMPING GROUND COMMISSION CALL OUT 2025/26

Stomping Groundis a commissioning group comprised ofFABRIC, FESTIVAL.ORG, The Place, Strike A Light, and Sismògraf Festivalin Olot,Catalonia. This year, the partners are delighted to welcomeAppetite to the group, which is a Creative People and Places programme with a mission to get more people in Stoke-on-Trent and Newcastle-under-Lyme to experience and be inspired by the arts.

The chosen project will receive a £22,000 commission towards an original work to be presented from summer 2025 and beyond.

The commissioning group is interested to hear from artists developing ambitious, high-quality work created for outdoor spaces that can grab the attention and imagination of audiences, demonstrate how they relate in a conscious and responsible way to the landscape in which they are made and performed, and elevate and explore ideas about social and environmental sustainability for the public. This commissioning focus is led by our partner, Sismograf Festival in Olot, Catalonia, and their specific approach to conscious programming.

A broad range of outdoor practices and presentation formats is welcomed, and creative ambition is prioritised over scale. The goal is to support compelling ideas originally conceived for the outdoors that have a strong impact and engage across a broad audience base, and which integrate access for audiences in imaginative ways.

Works may be showcased in diverse contexts, including but not limited to urban, rural, festival, or high street settings.

Stomping Ground has previously commissioned works by Robby Graham, Requardt & Rosenberg, Joseph Toonga, Pagrav Dance, AndroidX + MHz, Jessica Walker.

We encourage applications from artists with a range of lived experiences and from a range of backgrounds, and we particularly welcome applications from those who are underrepresented in the dance sector, including artists from Global Majority backgrounds, artists who identify as LGBTQIA2S+, deaf, disabled and neurodivergent artists and artists from lower socio-economic backgrounds.

Applicants are invited to respond with an expression of interest

Deadline for applications: Monday 13 May, 11.59pm

Shortlisted applicants will be notified by Monday 17 June

More information about the commissioning offer, eligibility and how to apply can be found here.