Push the Boat Out: Call for Commissions and Residencies at Little Sparta

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Push the Boat Out, Edinburgh’s International Poetry Festival is looking to support the creation of three new poetry-led performance pieces, responding to this year’s festival theme The Space Between. 

Who it’s for
We invite submissions from artists or groups of artists living and working in Scotland, working in poetry or a related art form. Applications are open to artists at any stage of their career. Submissions are welcome from artists working in any of Scotland’s indigenous languages or BSL, and from people under-represented in the literature sector.

What’s involved
This opportunity supports the creation of a new poetry-led performance piece of 15–20 minutes in length. Artists will develop their work over several months, with support from both Push the Boat Out and the National Theatre of Scotland.

We encourages divergence, exploration and experimentation when responding to The Space Between both in terms of theme and form. We’re using this theme to explore liminal and transitional spaces both physical and metaphorical: from borderlands to dream states to identities which defy categorisation. Environmentally, this theme will offer a lens to consider shorelines. Submissions should clearly outline how they see their relationship to the theme, however, we are happy to consider it as a point of broad inspiration. Artists are invited to form their ideas in a direction that feels in keeping with their practice and speaks to their current intentions for their work. 

Each commission will produce a new piece to be performed on Sunday 15 November at Edinburgh’s Pleasance as part of our 2026 festival (running 12 – 15 November 2026).

Fee & support
Artists will be paid £1,500 for their commission including presentation of their work at Push the Boat Out Festival and additional bespoke support to develop the work will be provided by NTS. Rehearsal space will be provided, thanks to in-kind support from Vanishing Point. In addition to this up to two lead artists per commission will receive an accompanying programme of coaching.

Key dates

– Application deadline: Monday 6 July
– Successful applicants notified: w/c 21 July
– Development period: August-November 2026
– Festival performance: Sunday 15 November 2026

Please download and read the full information pack and follow the instructions within it.

Proposals should be sent to Annie Rutherford, Creative Producer: annie.rutherford@pushtheboatout.org, and should include the words “NTS application” in the subject line.

Questions or requests for informal discussions should be sent to Emma Collins, Director: emma.collins@pushtheboatout.org

IMAGE: Iona Lee performs Sibyl, a collaboration with sound artist Nikki Kent inspired by the myth of the Sibyl of Cumae. Commissioned by Push the Boat Out and the National Theatre of Scotland as part of the 2026 Push the Boat Out festival. Photo credit: Kat Gollock