Artist CALL OUT for Status Lab: An International Artist Development Programme

Status Lab is a new opportunity for socially engaged artists who are actively responding to the current societal landscape. The inaugural six participants, and venue partners, will be on a mission to uncover new strategies within the creative process, develop responsive platforms and create new artworks to seed new creative ideas.

Status Lab will support the work of two artists from Ireland, two artists from Switzerland and two from the UK, to take part in a collective residency process across all three countries together.

These 6 artists will consider important questions, whilst developing both individually and collectively.

Total fee – UK-based artists: £4,725

Artists will work remotely with each other and within specific communities over 11 months, punctuated by three 1-week residencies in each location – meeting locally with activists, artists, policy makers, teachers and community members.

Participants will grow their own arts practice while activating local conversations about issues such as healthcare, housing, poverty, climate, human rights and more.

At the end of the six months, all artists will share their work in progress, or the beginning of their ideas as part of SICK! Festival in Manchester.

The programme will run from May 2026 to March 2027.

Interviews: w/c 4 May 2026. Held online.

Online First Gatherings: 25 – 27 May 2026 (2 x half days)

Overseas Residencies: 3 one-week residencies:

LAB week Zurich @ Gessnerallee 23 – 29 August 2026
LAB week Manchester @ Lowry 8 – 14 November 2026 (Including a public Sharing as part of SICK! Festival November Beat)
LAB week Dublin @ Project Arts Centre 7 – 13 February 2027
Online Workshops: 7 monthly 2-hour online workshops within non-residency months; June, July, September, October, December, January and March.

Mid-point sharing as part of SICK! Festival 2026: November 2026.

Evaluation Session: March 2027