Creative Development
BAC is a space to experiment, develop and make extraordinary art happen.
We intend to work with artists to challenge what performance can be, who it can reach, and how it is created.
The Creative Development programme is focused on supporting artists at all stages of their careers to make work through the following channels:
Making Space
BAC offers artists:
- Free space at BAC to use as they need
- Regular bookable open days with the producing team
- Opportunities for artists that have developed work at BAC to present their work with us
- Additional creative and professional development workshops for artists we have connected with (from Autumn 2025)
As an artist you can access this:
- By contacting the producing team
- By attending an open day with our team
Making Work
BAC offers artists:
- Bespoke packages of support to nurture artistic journeys from the very earliest idea
- Commissions to create work for BAC
- A network of partnerships and collaborative commissioning projects to find space, make work, and tour
- Scaling up to work on larger stages and tour to partners
As an artist you can access this:
- By inviting us to your work
- Through Making Space
- Via advertised open calls
Making Global
BAC offers artists:
- Connection with other artists across borders to support creative dialogue
- Pro-actively forming national and international networks to sustain and elevate artists’ work
- Showcasing work to international programmers
As an artist you can access this:
- By invitation from BAC for artists we have worked with
How You Can Work With BAC
Making Work with BAC starts with building a relationship with us.
The best way to do this is to contact us via the form below where all year round you can:
- Invite us to your shows
- Enquire about free Making Space at BAC
We curate our public programme of Spring and Autumn seasons of shows through seeing work on tour and commissioned artists, rather than programming from the producing inbox.
From summer 2025 we will also begin hosting quarterly Open Days with a member of the BAC producing team to introduce yourself and hear about how we work with artists. Upcoming open days will be announced via our social media and bookable via our website.
Invite us to your show
When inviting us to your show, consider whether BAC is the best venue for your work.
At BAC, we look to develop and present work that is:
- Groundbreaking and unexpected in its ideas and aesthetics
- Pioneering in its commitment to access and inclusion
- Bold in its exploration of otherwise hidden perspectives
- Playful in its approach to traditional forms
- Critically Rigorous in its investigations of subject matter
- Socially Impactful in its invitation to audiences
Enquire About Free Making Space
We review space enquiries three times a year and contact selected artists according to the timeline below.
| Round | Residency Period | Artists Notified By |
| 1 | February – April | by 1 December |
| 2 | May – July | by 1 March |
| 3 | September – November | by 1 July |
Making Space is for all artists and ideas but we’re particularly interested to hear from artists who are:
- New to BAC
- In an early stage of their professional development
- Doing a project in an early stage of creative development
- Creating work that requires an unconventional presentation model
Invite us to your show
Contact Us - Producing
If you want to enquire about Making Space in the venue, please fill out this form.
- Due to the high volume of enquiries, we’re unfortunately unable to offer individual feedback.
- We ask that you don’t resubmit the same proposal across multiple rounds unless the project has significantly developed or changed.
- Due to technical capacity, we don’t offer technical support for Making Space.
What Happens Next?
- You’ll receive an auto-reply confirming we’ve received your enquiry.
- If your project is a good fit, we’ll be in touch to discuss dates and space availability.
- If we’re unable to offer space this time, you can still invite us to your show in another form or submit next round with revised project proposal.
BAC Creative Development programme is currently supported by an Arts Council Project Grant, Cockayne 10th Anniversary Grants for the Arts and our national and international partners.