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SHINE is led by Light Up The North (LUTN) a network of light festivals across the North of England.
For 2026, a group of LUTN festivals will work together to commission two new artworks. These works will tour to multiple festivals, giving artists the opportunity to create new light art and present their work to large and diverse audiences across the region.
SHINE is designed to support artists to:
We will commission two artists or collectives to create new light-based artworks.
Commission fee: up to £15,000 (to cover all artist fees and fabrication costs)
Touring costs: Covered separately up to £2,500 (to attend up to 4 festivals)
Additional support: Production, mentoring and training
Selected artists will receive:
SHINE is aimed at artists in the early stages of developing their practice and profile.
We define an emerging artist as someone who may:
You do not need extensive experience in light art specifically. We are interested in strong ideas, creative potential, and your readiness to develop work with support.
If you are unsure whether this opportunity is right for you, we encourage you to get in touch via shine@lightupthenorth.com
We particularly welcome applications from artists currently underrepresented in the light art sector, including people of colour and artists who identify as d/Deaf, disabled or neurodivergent.
We are looking for ambitious, engaging and high-quality ideas that use light creatively.
Your artwork will need to be:
You should also consider:
What makes a strong application?
We’re particularly interested in proposals that:
Please complete the online application form below The application form includes applicant info, contact details and a short summary of your idea (500 words max). You will also need to attach the following documents:
We want to make this process as accessible and supportive as possible.
FAQs – A list of frequently asked questions is available below
Please get in touch with any specific access requirements/queries.
Commissioned artworks will tour to a number of LUTN festivals which may include:
Each festival offers different settings – from urban centres to parks and waterfronts – so adaptability is important.
Applications will be assessed by a panel of LUTN partners.
By applying, you agree that:
SHINE is about supporting artists to grow.
We are not just commissioning finished work – we are investing in your development, your ideas, and your potential.
If you have an idea you’re excited about and are ready to take the next step, we’d love to hear from you.
| Friday 10 April | Call out opens | ||
| Monday 11 May, 9am | Deadline for submissions | ||
| w/c 25 May | Shortlist interviews | ||
| Early June | SHINE induction day | ||
| June – September | Development period for commission(s) | ||
| Friday 26 September | Deadline for Production | ||
| 21-31 October | Lightpool, Blackpool | ||
| 28–29 October | Light Night Leeds | ||
| 5-7 November | Light Up Lancaster | ||
| 20–21 November | Barnsley Bright Nights | ||
| 20–22 November | Light Night Wigan | ||
| tbc December 2026 | Lightwaves, Salford Quays | ||
| tbc February 2027 | Illuminate, Oldham | ||
| Dec 2026 – March 2027 | Evaluation |
Each commissioned artwork will typically tour to three festivals across the Light Up The North network.
This will be confirmed during the development process.
Festival selection depends on a range of factors, including:
We will work with you to identify the most suitable festivals for your piece.
Locations vary across the network and may include:
You should consider what kind of setting would best suit your work, but flexibility is important.
We know this can feel unclear, so don’t worry if you’re unsure. You might be an emerging artist if you:
You don’t need to tick every box—if you feel this opportunity would support your development, we encourage you to apply.
Not necessarily. We welcome applications from artists who are:
What matters most is the strength of your idea and your willingness to develop it.
Yes—applications from collectives or collaborative teams are welcome.
No, but you must be UK-based.
The £15,000 artist fee should cover:
Touring costs are covered separately.
Yes. Please complete and submit the budget template provided as part of your application.
The selection panel needs to understand that your proposal is realistic and achievable within the available budget, so your costs should be clearly thought through and reflect the full scope of the project.
We are not able to increase the budget after selection, so it’s important that your proposal is deliverable within the £15,000 fee.
Each festival will provide basic technical and on-site support, which may include:
No.
We don’t expect fully resolved technical plans at application stage. We’re more interested in:
We will work with you to develop the project in detail if you are selected.
You should have some experience of delivering creative work, but you don’t need to have worked at this scale before.
SHINE is designed to support you in developing your production skills.
Your proposal should clearly explain:
It doesn’t need to be overly technical or polished—clarity is more important.
Your budget should be realistic, clearly structured and carefully considered.
We’re not expecting absolute precision at this stage, but it should demonstrate:
We recommend submitting one strong, well-developed proposal rather than multiple ideas.
Yes.
We are offering a limited number of 1:1 support sessions for artists who would like:
These sessions are not for detailed feedback on specific ideas, but are designed to help you feel confident in preparing your application.
To book contact us at shine@lightupthenorth.com
We are committed to supporting artists’ access needs.
Please include your access rider in your application so we can understand how best to support you throughout the programme.
You will take part in:
Due to the volume of applications, we may not be able to provide detailed feedback to all applicants. However, we aim to support artists where possible and may offer feedback to shortlisted candidates.
If your question isn’t answered here, feel free to get in touch: shine@lightupthenorth.com
Please note: This is not for detailed feedback on specific ideas, but are designed to help you feel confident in preparing your application.
Page Header image ARTIST: Tom Lambert @hologonart