IDEAS Lab: Paid Opportunity for Learning Disabled Artists

• Support with Goal Setting
• 2 paid days of idea development with the Spectra team, alongside the other IDEAS Lab artists, at a Birmingham venue in January/February 2026
• 2 paid one to one sessions with Spectra Mentor
• £300 for project materials, space, artist time
• Travel costs
• Peer support (meet and work with new people)
• Opportunity to share work
• Support towards access costs/support worker costs

This programme has a performance focus, however we are very open to exploring what ‘performance’ can look/feel/sound like! 

This programme is to develop an idea with support from Spectra’s team of artists. In an application we will be looking for artists to explain their idea clearly, giving us an idea of how they would like to develop it over the time working with us.

This opportunity is for Learning Disabled Artists from Sandwell or surrounding boroughs (Dudley, Birmingham, Walsall, Wolverhampton), to support the development of a performance based creative idea or project.

There is no need for a formal diagnosis to apply to be part of this development program. We will particularly welcome applications from those who have experienced significant barriers to access work, funding and opportunities for development in their creative careers, due to a learning disability.  

Closing date for applications: 1st December at 9am. Informal interview meetings week beginning 8th December. Successful applicants notified by Tuesday 16th December.

This is a laying out of what the programme might look like:

Week beginning 12th January – Mentoring session

Week beginning 19th January – 1 in person artist development day (10.30am – 4.30pm)

Week beginning 26th January – Check in with Spectra team

Week beginning 2nd February – 1 in person artist development day including gentle sharing and feedback/goal setting (10.30am – 4.30pm)

Week beginning 23rd February – Mentoring session

There is flexibility in this programme to allow us to tailor schedules to meet the needs of the artist.

You will be paid a total of £390 based on a rate of £130 per day to cover two artist development days and two mentoring sessions.

You will have a £300 pot of money to spend on materials, space, artistic skills or anything else you need for the development of your idea.

You can claim for support towards your travel and access costs.

• The beginning of a creative idea. It could be in your head, on paper, something that you’ve been dreaming about for a while, or something that you are currently curious about exploring. 
• To fill out the questions on this google form: https://forms.gle/iVpGwUA2QEeZAjRH9

OR you can answer these questions by recording yourself on film, or on an audio file and sending that over to us. You are welcome to invite someone to support you to do your application, but the idea must come from you.

• To be based in Sandwell, Dudley, Birmingham, Walsall or Wolverhampton
• To be available in January/February 2026 for idea development sessions and mentoring, including time to work on your idea outside of these sessions.

Spectra’s mission is to lift the capacity of learning disabled people to make change, in their lives, their communities and in the world around them. This project sits at the core of what we do, offering support and opportunities for growth to enable learning disabled artists to create the artistic careers they want.

The aim of this programme is to support you to develop your idea and to identify clear next steps to make your idea into a reality. This programme focuses on developing creative ideas, not producing or creating finished work. Once the programme has finished, Spectra can continue to support you and your idea by offering help and guidance with finding funding and sharing work, and artists are welcome to join our peer network.