2026 Programme Open Call Snapshot

Between May – October last year, we delivered our 2026 Programme Open Call for artists and companies to submit new project proposals for the Without Walls annual programme.

As a network that works collaboratively to commission new bold and exciting works, we wanted to share more about the process with everyone. In support of the 2026 programme, we have put together a snapshot that shares more details on the proposals we received.

The selection process involves many, many people with multiple meetings across an extended period of time. The timeline for this spans 3-4 months.

• Tuesday 8 July – deadline for all submissions
• July – September – Artistic Directorate, Without Walls and Independent Assessors read all applications
• September – Artistic Directorate, Without Walls and Independent Assessors meet for Subgroup’s 1, 2 & 3
• October – Artistic Directorate, Without Walls and Independent Assessors meet for final selection meeting
• Late October – Final decisions made, notifications sent to applicants

All the proposals that we receive go through a multi-stage selection process. In the first stage, Artistic Directorate partners come together in sub-groups to review proposals according to artform. Each sub-group comes up with a list of projects that they recommend should be shortlisted. Some proposals will not be taken forward beyond this first stage.

At the next stage the entire Artistic Directorate comes together as a single group to review the recommendations from each sub-group meeting. The Artistic Directorate then selects a programme that meets the priorities of both Without Walls and their individual festivals. To be selected for the final programme, each project will need to have booking interest from several of the partner festivals.

Without Walls also invites independent artistic assessors to take part in the initial stages of the selection process (they are not part of the final selection). This allows us to expand the range of knowledge and expertise in the group and to help ensure that a variety of perspectives and lived experiences are included. Independent assessors are only invited to take part if they are not involved in any of the projects under consideration. Likewise, all Artistic Directorate partners must declare if they have an interest in any of the projects being considered, either through financial relationships or personal connections.

The selection panel included:

• Bradley Hemmings MBE, Artistic Director – Festival.org
• Clive Lyttle, Artistic Director – Certain Blacks
• Dom Kippin, Festivals and Touring Producer – Activate Performing Arts
• Juliet Hardy, Creative Programmes Manager – Stockton International Riverside Festival
• Kate Wood, Executive and Artistic Director – Activate Performing Arts
• Mark Denbigh, Head of Production and Programme – Norfolk and Norwich Festival
• Matt Evans, Head of Festivals and Sites – Birmingham Weekender
• Parmjit Sagoo, Executive Producer – Inspirate
• Phil Hargreaves, Festival Director – Freedom Festival Arts Trust
• Polly Barker, Producer and Production Manager – Brighton Festival

Programme Advisors who took part in the selection panel included:

• Andrea Francis, Festival Director BCP Council – Touring Network Partner, Arts by the Sea
• Evie Ayres-Townshend, Associate – Without Walls
• Jason Singh, Artist Advisory Group – Without Walls
• Simon Chatterton, 101 Strategic Lead – 101 Outdoor Arts: National Centre for Arts in Public Space
• Sophie Akbar, Programme Advisor – Without Walls
  

Without Walls team managing the panel meetings included:

• Ralph Kennedy, Chief Executive Officer
• Grace Neville-Evans, Programme Manager
• Adam Cooper, Head of Finance

From the 16 shortlisted proposals, 10 projects were selected. Here’s how the 10 companies self described their main artform:

1. Circus, Physical Theatre
2. Puppetry, Carnival
3. Theatre, Physical Theatre
4. Theatre, Street Theatre
5. Theatre, Music/Sound
6. Installation, Digital
7. Dance, Music/Sound
8. Theatre, Dance
9. Puppetry, Street Theatre
10. Dance, Physical Theatre

In the coming months we will be announcing the next Programme Open Call. If you have submitted a proposal before or are looking to share one with us for 2027, we will be updating everyone on the criteria in the run up to the announcement. We are always listening and learning from your feedback to make our open calls as accessible as possible. We hope this helps to shed more light on what’s involved.