Unlimited Partner Awards

Unlimited Partner Awards is sponsored by Unlimited. Supports the creation of new work by disabled artists.

Unlimited Partner Awards for disabled artists now open Tamm Reynolds, Midgitte Bardot’s Shooting From Below. Photo: Holly Revell Download the press release Applications are open for Unlimited’s Partner Awards. There are 11 awards.

Together they total £280,000. They’re available to disabled artists across England, Scotland, and Wales. Each award is delivered through a partnership with an organisation based in the UK.

Disabled artists remain significantly under-represented in arts funding, programming, and audiences. Partner Awards invest directly in disabled artists’ work to close that gap. This investment is made possible with the support of Arts Council England , Arts Council of Wales , and the National Lottery through Creative Scotland .

Ranging from £15,000 to £40,000, the awards support the creation of extraordinary new work. This spans theatre, performance, digital media, music, visual arts, and more. It covers everything from research and development through to presentation and touring.

Each award is jointly funded by us and a partner organisation. This means direct investment from the arts industry from the start. Partners co-fund the work.

They provide showcasing platforms and champion the artists they commission alongside us. This gives artists the opportunity to realise ambitious ideas while building meaningful sector relationships. This helps us get more funding to disabled artists.

It also helps us reach audiences and communities where their work is under-represented. These awards mean 11 disabled artists can make ambitious new work with a partner invested in them from day one. Not just funding, but a real relationship with a venue or festival that will champion what they create.

At a time when arts organisations are stretched thinner than ever, we’re testing whether this partnership model gets money, and more meaningful opportunities directly to disabled artists. Cat Sheridan, Senior Producer, Unlimited Martha by Stephanie Bailey-Scott.

Photo: Kirsten McTernan Meet this round’s partners England: Apples and Snakes , Creative Folkestone , Norfolk & Norwich Festival , Plymouth Culture , Sainsbury Centre , Storyhouse , Turner Sims and Without Walls Scotland: Cryptic and Scottish Sculpture Workshop What’s different this round This round totals £280,000, across 11 UK awards, the same number of awards we offered in 2024/25.

We’re taking a different approach to international work this time. Rather than delivering international awards as part of this round, we’re continuing to work with the British Council to build new routes to support UK artists with international commissions and work. More on this soon.

The commissioning landscape is tough right now. Local authority cuts, the rising cost of living, and the ongoing impact of the pandemic continue to reshape what’s possible across the arts sector. We weren’t able to secure the larger partner funding needed for bigger commissions this round.

Previous rounds included awards of up to £80,000. The largest this round is £40,000. Everything you need to apply is here .

This includes full award details, eligibility, criteria, and application guidance. Applications close on Monday 28 September 2026. Information is available in audio, British Sign Language, Easy Read, and large print formats.

Awards for artists based in Scotland are also available in Scottish Gaelic, and awards for artists based in Wales are also available in Welsh. If you need access support to apply, or a format we have not listed here, we can help. Email us on commissions@weareunlimited.

org. uk or call or text 07506 679968. If you know a disabled artist who might be interested, please share this with your networks and peers.

Good luck to everyone who applies . These options can change the way this website looks, which may help you to use it more easily. You can find out more about accessibility here .