Current opportunities

To learn more about Commissioning and how it works, please see our Frequently Asked Questions. Please also see below for information on paid opportunities to help decide which applications get funded, ensuring fairness and transparency is applied.

If you would like to discuss the open commissions before applying, please email louisehalliday@swindonculturecollective.org.uk

All previous (now closed) commissions are listed at the bottom of this page.

Magical Lantern Forest art installation lantern sculpture commissions

Swindon Culture Collective CIC invites proposals from artists, makers and creative practitioners to create a giant lantern sculpture to contribute to collaborative art installation as part of Swindon Winter Fest 2026 – a celebration of culture, creativity, and community in the town centre.

A vacant town-centre retail unit will be transformed into an ethereal lantern forest, created with the help of community groups, school children and visitors.

Participating artists will populate this enchanting display with whimsical woodland creatures, each crafted to evoke the wonder of fable, folklore and the collective stories that connect us, spark wonder, and warm the darkest days of the year.

Artists can apply to make more than one lantern sculpture, provided they have the capacity to complete these within the timeframe.

Download the Commission Brief here – including details of how to apply

Fee: £400 per sculpture, most materials provided
Deadline: Midnight Tuesday 27 October 2026

Community lantern-making workshop facilitators

We’re looking for artists, makers and creative practitioners to facilitate lantern-making workshops with community groups, schools and the public on various dates during November, as part of Swindon Winter Fest 2026.

You’ll support workshop participants to make simple willow lanterns which will be added to a collaborative magical Lantern Forest art installation, as part of a wider programme of activities and events taking place around Swindon town centre throughout the winter season.

No previous experience in working with willow is necessary, as full lantern-making training will be offered. This is a perfect opportunity for artists who would like to expand their practice and build experience of socially-engaged art.

Download the Commission Brief here – including details of how to apply

Fee: £40 per hour for workshop leaders, £25 per hour for assistants
Deadline: Midnight Tuesday 27 October 2026

‘WRITTEN IN THE TREES’ SCULPTURE COMMISSIONS

South Swindon Parish Council and Swindon Culture Collective are inviting artists and makers to create a series of five outdoor sculptures as part of Written in the Trees, a community storytelling project led by local children’s author Kate Claxton, which will form part of Christmas in the Town Gardens 2026.

The project celebrates the trees of the Town Gardens, the stories and folklore associated with them, and the diverse communities and cultures present in Swindon who are represented by the trees themselves.

The sculptures will form part of a family-friendly story trail through the Town Gardens, introducing five characters who will help the story’s main character on their journey.

We are looking for artists who can create imaginative, engaging and durable sculptures that will appeal particularly to children and families, while also having sufficient artistic quality to contribute to the wider heritage and cultural environment of the Town Gardens.

Five commissions are available, with one sculpture commissioned for each character.

Download the Commission Brief here – including details of how to apply

Amount: £1500 per sculpture, including all materials, costs and installation

Deadline: Midnight on Sunday 18 October 2026

‘WRITTEN IN THE TREES’ WORKSHOP COMMISSION

South Swindon Parish Council and Swindon Culture Collective are inviting an artist, maker or creative practitioner to deliver four public craft workshops as part of Written in the Trees, a community storytelling project forming part of Christmas in the Town Gardens 2026.

Written in the Trees celebrates the trees of the Town Gardens and explores the stories, folklore, cultures, communities and natural environments connected to them.

The successful practitioner will design and deliver four accessible, hands-on creative workshops that respond to the themes of the story, encouraging children and families to engage with the characters, trees, nature and journey within the project.

The workshop activities should be playful, welcoming and easy to join, with participants able to create something relatively quickly and take it away with them.

Download the Commission Brief here – including details of how to apply

Amount: £1500 total fee including all materials 

Deadline: Midnight on Sunday 18 October 2026

PAID PANEL OPPORTUNITIES – HELP DECIDE OUR CREATIVE COMMISSIONS

We’re on the lookout for local voices, creatives, and community members to join our Commissioning Panels.

Over the coming months, we will be releasing a range of exciting new artists’ commissions (funding opportunities) as part of Swindon’s Cultural Place Partnership programme, thanks to the support of Arts Council England, Swindon Borough Council, South Swindon Parish Council and our other partners.

If you are passionate about local talent, grassroots art, and connecting Swindon’s communities through creativity and culture, we want your help to decide which applications get funded.

In return you’ll receive a £150 fee to thank you for your time and contribution.

Click here to find out more and apply