CALL FOR APPLICATIONS: TÊTE-À-TÊTE | ARTISTS TO PRODUCERS
After two years of successful TÊTE-À-TÊTE sessions, SO | The Academy for the Less Good Idea is excited to announce that we are expanding this programme in 2026.
This year, TÊTE-À-TÊTE, our series of one-on-one creative consultations aimed at practising artists across the disciplines of visual art, performance, literature and more, develops into a year-long programme for professional artists, TÊTE-À-TÊTE | ARTISTS TO PRODUCERS.
TÊTE-À-TÊTE | ARTISTS TO PRODUCERS is a year-long programme designed to assist independent artists in becoming producers of their own work.
Photographer | Zivanai Matangi
Building on TÊTE-À-TÊTE’s original premise of connecting industry professionals with artists, offering advice and guidance, TÊTE-À-TÊTE | ARTISTS TO PRODUCERS is a dedicated programme for a cohort of 10 professional, independent artists looking to produce and identify platforms for their existing work.
Curated by Momenteur of the SO Academy, Athena Mazarakis, the programme is designed to assist independent artists in becoming producers of their own work. TÊTE-À-TÊTE | ARTISTS TO PRODUCERS will follow a trimester format, with monthly engagements. Each trimester will focus on specific components, including how to represent and package one’s work, networking and forging relationships with key individuals, festivals, and institutions, how to form working collectives and how to create alternative models as a way of increasing the staging and exhibition opportunities for a work.
TÊTE-À-TÊTE | ARTISTS TO PRODUCERS will be comprised of artist-led workshops, peer meet-ups, presentations, and case studies by guest artists and industry professionals. Guests and workshop facilitators will be a combination of members of The Centre team, alongside national and international artists, curators, and producers sourced from The Centre’s growing global network of partners and collaborators.
A total of ten artists will make up the cohort for the year. We will be accepting six applications from artists who have previously incubated work at The Centre for the Less Good Idea, and four applications from independent practitioners with existing work across the disciplines of theatre, visual art, or music.
A selection of guest artists, curators, and producers sourced from The Centre’s growing global network of partners and collaborators will share their work with the cohort.
Photographer | Zivanai Matangi
WHO SHOULD APPLY:
We are looking for artists across the disciplines of theatre, dance, music and visual arts with existing works or exhibitions.
Applying artists MUST be available for ALL of these times:
Tuesday 24 February to Thursday 26 February.
Thursday 12 March
Thursday 23 April
Tuesday 5 May to Thursday 7 May
Thursday 18 June
Thursday 16 July
Thursday 27 August
Tuesday 15 September to Thursday 17 September
Thursday 15 October
Thursday 19 November
Participants will receive an honorarium for participation in the mentorship.
HOW TO APPLY FOR TÊTE-À-TÊTE | ARTISTS TO PRODUCERS:
Please send an expression of interest to: lessgoodidea@gmail.com
Your expression of interest should be compiled as ONE PDF DOCUMENT that contains:
A letter of motivation as to why you should be part of this programme (250 words)
A summary of your professional practice (350 words)
A brief description of the existing work that you would like to promote (150 words)
Performers and musicians should send links to video material and/or additional evidence of their existing work that they are interested in promoting.
Visual artists should send links to photographic material and/or additional evidence of their existing work that they are interested in promoting.
Contact details (email and phone number)
PLEASE NOTE: IF YOUR APPLICATION IS NOT COMPILED AS ONE PDF DOCUMENT, YOUR APPLICATION WILL NOT BE CONSIDERED
The subject line of the email should read: APPLICATION | TÊTE-À-TÊTE 2026