East Bank SEEDED Application Guidance

See the full guidance for completing your application to East Bank SEEDED Residency below!

What is East Bank SEEDED?

East Bank SEEDED is a part-time, funded residency programme for east London artists and creative practitioners to explore and grow ideas relating to their socially engaged practice, in partnership with an East Bank host organisation. The residency programme first launched in 2023 and now welcomes a third cohort for 2027, with residencies to be hosted by:

London College of Fashion, UAL

Sadler’s Wells East

UCL East

V&A East Museum and Storehouse

A total of four applicants will be appointed to be East Bank SEEDED Artist in Residence, one at each host institution. They will be immersed in a team made up of expert practitioners, academics and facilitators from January 2027 at their host institution. The East Bank SEEDED residency aims to offer a supportive, experimental and inspiring environment to foster mutual learning, collaboration and exchange of ideas. 

There is no set brief. Each East Bank partner is looking to support an idea or concept with scope for development relating to their institutional themes. During the residency each artist will develop their idea, leading to production of a tangible output for sharing at the end of the programme. The output will be different for each resident artist, and could take the form of: 

An event

A film or publication

A performance

An exhibition or installation

A community event or activity programme

The East Bank SEEDED offer will be slightly different for each host institution, given the varied nature of our programmes and audiences. However, across all host partners there are certain agreed criteria and values:

Application and shortlisting phase from October – December 2026 (details below)

All residencies start in January 2027

All residencies to be completed by June 2027 (but may take different time formats within that six-month period for each host institution)

The East Bank SEEDED programme aims to be a neuro-affirming and accessible opportunity. We will work with applicants to understand their support needs and access requirements.

The residency programme offers up to £10,000 for applicants to apply for (£15,000 for Sadler’s Wells East), with artist day rate to be paid at a minimum rate of £200 per full day – on a tiered rate dependent on experience. This will be agreed with your host prior to contract stage if you are selected.
We encourage applications from those less represented in the arts and higher education. This includes, but isn’t limited to disabled, d/Deaf, and neurodiverse people, LGBTQ+ people, people from Black, Asian and ethnic minority backgrounds, and those in receipt of benefits for living costs.

Who can apply?

East Bank SEEDED is open to creative practitioners and artists from almost any discipline. We are looking for individuals who bring creative thinking, a desire to explore themes connecting your discipline and your community, with a willingness to be inquisitive and to bring an open-minded approach to this opportunity.

Please note that applicants:

Must be able to evidence that they live or work within one of the four east London boroughs: Hackney, Newham, Tower Hamlets, Waltham Forest.

Must have a socially engaged practice, and their application should incorporate that within the proposal.

Can be of any age – there is no upper age limit.

Should be in the early – mid stages of their career – that means within the first seven years of full-time or total cumulative years of participation in chosen discipline (see individual host application forms for variations).

Do not need to have worked or studied at their chosen host institution to apply.

Must be able to demonstrate an interest in the themes of the residency in relation to their own practice within east London.

How to apply?

Please use the links below or on the main East Bank SEEDED page to the application forms for each East Bank partner.

You will be asked to fill in information about yourself and to answer questions about your practice and your interest in taking part in the programme.

Please note, that whilst the application does ask for written answers to short questions, it is possible to submit audio or video recordings for the long answer questions.

The long answer questions are: 

Tell us about you and your work, focusing on your experience of working in a socially engaged way. You can tell us about your creative practice, ambitions, and any projects or experiences you feel might be relevant to your application. 
Tell us how your work is relevant to the chosen host organisation. Please tell us why you would like to work with your chosen host, why the theme(s) is relevant to your work, and why you want an East Bank SEEDED residency. 
Tell us how you think an East Bank SEEDED residency would benefit you and your work.

Consider: 

What do you hope the East Bank SEEDED residency will help you to develop or achieve?

How would the fund would support your process, learning, development, collaboration, relationship building, research and/or ambition to test an idea?

What do you hope the legacy of the residency would be for you and what impact are you hoping the residency will have on your practice?

You will also be asked for a budget outline and how you plan to make use of the resources offered as part of the residency:

Which of the East Bank SEEDED offers do you intend to draw upon? (Funding, workspace, group and individual coaching, access to host and partner events). What will support you in your creative journey? Please outline how you currently imagine taking up the other support offered here.

Please provide a brief overview of how you would spend the budget (Please ensure you cost your own time and in addition, consider whether any of the following are relevant: Cost of collaborators / subcontractors)
Please provide a brief overview of how you would spend the budget

There is a word limit of 250 words for long answer questions if submitting a written answer, or two minutes per recording if you prefer to answer with an audio or video file. Recordings can be submitted by providing a link to a cloud folder containing individual recordings for each answer, within the answer fields of the application form.

We want to support access to this programme from those who may feel excluded from similar opportunities. If there is any way we can help make the process of applying more accessible for you, please contact us at culture@fashion.arts.ac.uk.

What is the application process?

There are two main stages to the application process:

Stage 1

Application, deadline Monday 16 November, 12pm

Written online application form where you tell us about yourself, your practice and community, and the idea you would like to propose.

Stage 2

a) Info session, Monday 30 November 1-3pm

Five applicants per institution will be selected to go through to stage 2, which kicks off with an online information session where you’ll meet the East Bank team and go into breakout groups to meet staff from your chosen host institution and ask them questions.

b) Interviews, Monday 14 - Wednesday 16 December

Successful applicants will be invited by their East Bank host institution to present their concept and answer questions about their proposal (exact time and format will be set by the institution).

How will applications be shortlisted?

Applications will be reviewed by a panel from each host institution. They will score evidence of the following essential criteria:

Postcode: home, place of work in Hackney, Newham, Tower Hamlets, Waltham Forest

A commitment to socially engaged practice

Demonstration of how your interests align with those of the host organisation

Scope for development of applicants’ practice and legacy of participation for artist and community

Demonstration of self-led investigation and practice and self-motivation

What the East Bank SEEDED residency offers

A part-time residency of up to six months with the title ‘East Bank Artist in Residence at…’

Funding to support part-time participation in the residency and development of your concept.

Individual / group coaching sessions and workshops and regular support meetings with your pastoral support person.

Access to your host’s campus / building, including a shared workspace and introductions to practitioners, researchers, academics and students whose areas of interest align with yours.

The option to attend community activities, and selected events of interest as a cohort, facilitated by a local cultural producer.

Space to host workshops, meetings or small events or studio space for rehearsal (dependent on your host).

A flexible approach to time and your other commitments (caring, work, parenting, community) - providing hosts can accommodate within their working schedules.

What we expect from the East Bank Artists in Residence 

Completion of a tangible creative project for sharing / showcasing at the end of the residency

Delivery of a mid-way presentation, sharing findings, direction of travel across remainder of the residency and proposal for showcasing / creative output