Artist Development
Nurturing the practice and work of disabled creatives and leaders.
CRIPtic Arts is incredibly excited to announce the re-launch of our disabled-led artist development programmes for 2026.
Nurturing the practice and work of disabled creatives is integral to us. When we talk about disabled people, we mean“people who face disableist [including audist] barriers”, or “people who identify themselves as deaf or disabled – or are identified by others as deaf or disabled in society”. To find out more about what we mean by this, please see our FAQs.
In 2026, we’re once again running four artist development projects designed for emerging writers, fresh theatre makers, experienced creatives, and cultural leaders: Reach, Launchpad, Breakthrough and Incubate.
Our artistic vision for 2026 is to support disabled people to tell big stories, instead of just being asked to serve our trauma up to non-disabled audiences. We are excited by work that makes space for disabled people to go beyond just telling stories about our lives, diagnoses and struggles, and into the broad, the divergent, the fictional, the historical, the political, and the fantastical – work that deals with big themes, and big questions – whether or not it mentions disability at all.
Applications are open from now until Friday 13 March at 5pm. We can’t wait to connect, read your applications and find our 2026 cohort!
A guide to our friendly application process can be found here.
FAQs for all programmes can be found here.
Interested but not sure if these programmes are for you?
Join Artistic Director Jamie Hale for an online Q&A on Tuesday 24 February, 1-2pm, where they’ll chat you through the programmes and what they’re looking for in applications.
In 2026, we are intensifying our efforts to support disabled individuals who continue to face significant barriers in accessing opportunities in both mainstream and disability arts. We aim to dismantle disabling barriers and enable people to do their best work, instead of constantly fighting to have their needs met. Part of the expertise we have at CRIPtic includes:
- Sourcing venues with comprehensive wheelchair access, including facilities like Changing Places toilets
- Working with people who use 1:1 support
- Implementing robust infectious disease and illness protocols
- Designing remote-only or remote-priority work environments
- Providing BSL interpretation across the board in our work
We want to increase representation of specific groups of disabled people in the arts and are keen to support and encourage applications from:
- Wheelchair users who are unable to work in spaces that aren’t wheelchair accessible
- People of the Global Majority*
- People from working class backgrounds/working class people, and;
- People with parenting or caregiving responsibilities (including parents and guardians of young children)
This is because we recognise that disabled people from these groups will have typically had less access to opportunities in the arts.
In order to do so, we have a limited number of 1:1 sessions available with our team on the afternoon of Tuesday 24 March, reserved for people from these groups. Please book these below:
- Book 1:1 info sessions for wheelchair users between 2pm-3pm here: https://calendly.com/cripticarts/cp26-wu
- Book 1:1 info sessions for People of the Global Majority between 3pm-4pm here:https://calendly.com/cripticarts/cp26-gm
- Book 1:1 info sessions for working class people between 2pm-3pm here: https://calendar.app.google/RhkBQX5rVSnPDacD8
- Book 1:1 info sessions for people who have caregiving responsibilities (including parents and guardians to young children) between 3pm-4pm here: https://calendar.app.google/LRv5K7Th2vKRAhFNA
Note: the number of sessions for each group is limited by team capacity. Please only book into a 1:1 session if you identify as being part of the group described.
*People of the Global Majority includes people of Black Caribbean, Black African, South Asian, East Asian, South East Asian, Middle Eastern, Arab, Latinx, Jewish, Romany and Irish Traveller heritage.
Breakthrough
A commission for a UK creative or company who is ready to break into the mainstream.
Incubate
Facilitating emerging disabled arts leaders to build their practice or launch their organisations.
Launchpad
A development and staging scheme for theatre makers/groups to develop a 20-minute piece to be showcased as part of The Acts.
Reach
Supporting emerging writers to develop their first full-length solo show with online workshops, peer-facilitated sessions, residentials and an industry sharing.
CRIPtic Development Programme Alumni
Reach: 2023-2025
Breakthrough: 2023-2025
Launchpad: 2023-2025
Incubate: 2023-2025
Supported by
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Collaborate with us
Collaboration is at the heart of innovative and exciting work. We are always looking for partners to create with. If you have an idea for a project, show, workshop or beyond, please get in touch.
Funding application support
We offer 1:1 support for disabled people applying for funding. If you are disabled artist and would like support with a funding application get in touch.
Events
Our Events Programme, Connect Through Creativity, is a regular programme of practical arts workshops, writers’ salons, 1:1 advice, and networking sessions for disabled creatives.
