Cultivate Commissions 2026–2027 will support individual creative practitioners to collaborate with communities across County Durham.
The project aims to strengthen local creativity and nurture a sense of pride within the county’s diverse communities.
There are 20 commission opportunities available, to each facilitate a creative project working with an identified community group.
Cultivate Commissions provide space for creative practitioners, across any discipline, to work closely with a community or group(s), taking time to listen, build relationships, and understand local needs. We want to support artists in developing their own experience and skills, working alongside communities.
The commissions encourage practitioners to explore how creativity can support people to express their ideas, develop confidence, and shape the conditions that allow creativity to thrive.
Each commission offers £3,900 alongside a programme of activity to support awarded practitioners to implement, document and celebrate their project.
We recognise that creativity takes many forms and we’re keen to welcome applications from practitioners across any discipline – including visual art, music, performance, writing, design, and more.
CULTIVATE COMMISSIONS 2026
APPLICATIONS OPEN
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The 2026-2027 Cultivate Commissions are open to individual creative practitioners living and/or working in County Durham (who have not previously received a Cultivate Commission).
Alongside the Cultivate Commissions, there will be opportunities to connect with other strands of Into The Light, such as the Skills Hub hosted by Beamish Museum, and Light Years delivered by Durham University.
There will also be opportunities for practitioners to come together, share ideas and consider how they might apply learning to enhance their own creative practice.
KEY INFO
Who can apply?
Both emerging and experienced creative practitioners living and/or working in County Durham are eligible to apply.
Practitioners who received a Cultivate Commission in the 2024/25 round are not eligible to apply.
HOW TO APPLY
DEADLINE FOR APPLICATIONS
Monday 29 June 12.00 (noon)
Please submit your application to: Info@northernheartlands.org
CULTIVATE IDEA EVENTS
The Northern Heartlands team are hosting a series of FREE online and in-person Cultivate Ideas sessions, open to anyone interested in applying. There will be a chance to network with other creative practitioners and find out more about the project. The events will also include activities designed to facilitate conversations about creativity and community engagement.
If you’d like to attend, please book onto one of the events via Eventbrite below by clicking through:
Monday 11 May 2026 (online)- 14.00 - 15.30
Wednesday 13 May 2026 (in-person), The Witham, Barnard Castle - 14:30 - 16:30
Friday 12 June 2026 (online)- 14.00 -15.30
Wednesday 17 June 2026 (in-person), The Dead Dog Gallery, Durham - 14.30-16.30
TIMELINE FOR COMMISSIONS
A selection panel will meet in July 2026
Successful applicants will be informed by 24th July 2026
Agreements will be issued soon after this date so planning can begin early August 2026
Activity will take place between August 2026 and December 2026
Successful applicants will be required monitor and evaluate the process and attend a number of networking and sharing sessions throughout the timeline of the project, including a celebration event in February 2027.
Previous Cultivate Commission stories
Get inspired by the previous Cultivate Commission programme which ran in 2025 with a cohort of fantastic artists - more info can be found here.
Cultivate Commissions Films
PREVIOUS Artist’s EXPERIENCES
