Rachel Gadsden stands painting in front of three large canvases, each of which have a human form urgently painted onto them.

Breakthrough 2026

A commission for disabled creatives or companies who are ready to break into the mainstream.

Breakthrough is about disabled artists succeeding in the mainstream. We’re looking for practicing creatives who’ve “done it all” in disability arts, who are mid-career and achieving success, and yet are still facing huge barriers to entering the mainstream. It’s about saying “we see your track record” and investing in you – to develop something tiny, perfect, and that truly showcases who you are and what you do. We want to support you in creating a calling card to mainstream recognition whatever that looks like for you.

2026 Breakthrough Artist

Tamm Reynolds

Tamm Reynolds is an artist and performer, working primarily within Live Art, cabaret and theatre over the last decade. They have a drag alter-ego, Midgitte Bardot, and regularly host and curate performance art nights such as Midgitte Bardot’s Personal Spot (produced by Willy Amott) and This is a Threat (with Chisenhale Dance), disgracing organisations such as, Royal Festival Hall, Royal Court, Duckie, Marlborough Productions, LADA, ArtsAdmin, Unlimited, etc.

Recently, Reynolds was awarded a DYCP to develop their visual arts practice and to meet people with dwarfism who are making work challenging expectations placed upon their community.

Their first full-length show (exploring dark and absurd treatment of people with dwarfism via the lens of a delusional drag queen), Shooting From Below (co-written with Nicol Parkinson) had a 3-night sold out debut at Southbank Centre’s Purcell Room in April 2026.

Their collaborator, Nicol Parkinson, is an artist and researcher, working with sound within performance art, and the performance of sound art through collaborative and solo practices. They are based in London, UK. In the last decade, they have collaborated extensively with artists including Tamm Reynolds, Jo Hauge, Liz Rosenfeld & An*dre Neely, Eirini Kartsaki, Anne Bean, Season Butler, Nando Messias, and Oozing Gloop, and are a researcher at CRiSAP, UAL.