Call for Performers for the National Arts and Cultural Education Awards 2026 Ceremony

The ceremony will bring together people who have been shortlisted for an award to celebrate.  We’ll be joined by the finest teachers, teaching artists and creative practitioners, youth and social workers, young arts activists, leaders and VIP guests  as we shine a spotlight on the nominees and their work, announce the winners and present their awards. 

You can read more about who the awards are for and why we hold them, here. 

Date & Location 

• 21st  October 2026, afternoon event
• Royal Northern College of Music, Manchester 

Performance 

We’re seeking performers to bring the awards ceremony to life and help us celebrate the incredible people who do this work. We’d like to invite lively and inclusive short performances that reflect the spirit of the awards and the power of participatory arts. Performances will take place on the stage between award presentations, as well as during the reception before the event. 

We aren’t expecting pieces to be created specifically for this, we’re envisioning existing pieces (or a well -chosen excerpt from something larger) which will showcase what excellent participatory practice can create.   

We’d like: 

• Live performance in any art form (or combination of art forms), any group size
• 3-5 minutes in length
• Pieces relevant and suitable for an audience of adult professionals and young people
• Pieces which reflect the tone of the event; inspiring, celebratory, uplifting, inclusive 

Key information: 

The Royal Northern College of Music Theatre has a large stage and can accommodate large groups. Basic sound and lighting will be available, and a projection screen will be at the back of the stage. We may be able to accommodate other tech needs, but these should be kept as simple as possible. 

Performers will need to be at the venue a few hours in advance of the event to run through tech. Performers will need to be comfortable to perform on a large stage, in front of a live audience of 300 – 500 people. 

The venue and stage are wheelchair accessible. Groups of young performers must be accompanied by adults who will remain responsible for safeguarding throughout. The event will be documented through film and photographs. 

If you’re excited by the idea of performing in front of a national audience who are passionate about creativity and the arts, at a great venue, we’d love to hear from you! 

Budget 

We can reimburse in the region of £1000 of costs for each act, which could include staff time, travel and any other expenses. Specific access needs can be met in addition to this, if required. 

Deadline

Midday on Monday 15th June 2026

We’ll be looking for a range of art forms, group sizes and representation from across the UK as we programme this event.  We’ll be in touch as soon as possible after the deadline and may contact you for a chat if we need more information. 

Expression of Interest 

We understand that the exact piece you perform might not exist yet - that’s reflected in the questions we’ve asked! If you have any questions for us, please contact helen.brady@curiousminds.org.uk 

To let us know you’re interested, please complete this short form below.

Submit your expression of interest