SAMĀNATĀ: South Asian Queer Performance Seed Commission

Jaivant Patel Company (Wolverhampton) Bradford Arts Centre (Bradford) and South East Dance (Brighton) are once again offering a seed commission to a South Asian LGBTQIA+ identifying artist/creative to support the development of innovative new performance-based work. Samānatā translates as equality.

Seed commission applications for this performance-based work will place South Asian Queerness at the forefront of its subject matter, to address current under-representation on the UK cultural landscape.

What we’re looking for:

New work: new ideas, or projects still at the early work-in-progress stage and performance-based in nature, created by South Asian LGBTQIA+ identifying artists/creatives. Work exploring lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer, intersex, asexual + (LGBTQIA+) themes.
Work that reflects current LGBTQIA+ social, political, or cultural concerns.
Bold, unconventional, and innovative work, that takes performance artforms in new directions. Applications involving cross-artforms are welcome.
Devised, self-made and/or solo work.

What we’re offering:

£2800 seed commission.
An opportunity to test and develop ideas in early stages that is free of any expectation or finished end product.
5 days R&D space in Wolverhampton, Bradford or Brighton in Autumn 2026 (Sept-Dec). Note this is subject to availability.
2 days mentoring from Jaivant Patel, Artistic Director of Jaivant Patel Company.
Additional access, counselling, or coaching costs up to £200.

Applicants must commit to:

A sharing in Autumn 2026 or Spring 2027 in Wolverhampton, Bradford or Brighton (to be mutually agreed)
An evaluation of the process including documentation i.e. social media, blogs etc.

Supporting evidence:

Please provide links to video(s) that best demonstrate your work/ practice. This could be a short extract from a performance or sharing or it could be from the rehearsal room.

Additionally, you can include a letter of support or critical review of your work to help us learn more about you.

This opportunity is for:

Emerging and early career artists with a minimum of 2 years experience of developing independent work (This will need to be demonstrated in the application).
Ideally artists will have some experience of sharing their own independent work (please demonstrate this in the application).

This opportunity is not for:

Artists with established practices and careers who have extensive experience of making and touring work.
Ideas that are at a late stage of development and/or ready for touring.

This seed commission can used for match-funding. This seed commission can use cross-artform as part of the idea.

Applications open Tuesday 19th May 2026 with a deadline of 9am on Tuesday 30th June 2026
We aim to notify applicants by 31st July 2026.

Apply Here