Applications are now open for Sprint Festival 2027.

FESTIVAL OVERVIEW:

The most intense hit you’ll find, anywhere in the UK, of ambitious new performance: CPT’s annual SPRINT festival is back! Every Spring, we throw open our doors to artists at the very start of their careers making bold and brand new work. (And "early career" hasn't got anything to do with age - whether you're 18 or 108, we want to hear from you). For four weeks, that work populates our stage, twisting theatre into new shapes and fashioning fantastic experiences for audiences.

In years gone by, SPRINT has showcased early work by artists including Sh!t Theatre, Vijay Patel, Liv Ello, Frankie Thompson, Nina Bowers and more. If you’ve got a current, compelling and cutting-edge performance project brewing, one that needs support or a showcase to be its best self, let us know. We’d love to hear from you.

CALLOUT FOR ARTISTS:

The majority of programming slots will be for work that is finished and performance-ready by March 2026. We will also consider works-in-progress and ‘scratch’ performances.

We welcome and encourage applications from artists from a socio-economic background under-represented in the arts; and/or who identify as:

• D/deaf and/or disabled
• Neurodiverse
• Global majority* and/or migrant
• LGBTQ+

*This includes people of Black Caribbean, Black African, South Asian, East Asian, South East Asian, Middle Eastern, Arab, Latinx, Jewish, Romany and Irish Traveller heritage.

WHAT WE ARE AND AREN'T LOOKING FOR:

We want: Performance the likes of which we’ve never seen before. New shows, new ways of making theatre, new experiences for audiences.

We don’t want: Revivals of classic plays; academic projects; dance (as opposed to dance-theatre). Much as we love all that stuff, it’s not what Sprint exists to support and stage.

WHAT WE PROVIDE:

The CPT arrangement with SPRINT artists is flexible according to the needs of each show, but our default offer in 2027 is:

• A 60/40 box-office split in artists’ favour (Usual ticket price £18, concs £15, students £12. Works-in-progress all seats £10. Seating capacity 63)
• Scratch performances will receive a £75 honorarium
• Venue-specific marketing guidance and inclusion in festival-wide promotional materials
• Technical, marketing and other professional skills training sessions for participating artists
• Technician to support get-in, get-out and to operate shows
• Networking opportunities with other festival artists
• Discounted tickets to other events in SPRINT festival & discount at the CPT bar

DEADLINE: Midday 23 September

For more information and to apply, click the Opportunity Info link below!