» Performing Arts «

Performing Arts is all about supporting the Welsh outdoor arts sector and uses Green Man’s international reach as a springboard for artists to develop new audiences and try out new ideas, supported by the extensive technical and production expertise of the Green Man team. It is now one of the key dates in the national Summer touring calendar. With an international strategy taking shape, we are connecting Welsh artists with new markets for touring and presenting international work never seen in Wales before.

We offer commissions, a test-space for new ideas and hands-on support, backing everything from emerging circus companies to renowned names like National Theatre Wales, Ballet Cymru and Hijinx Theatre as they experiment with form and reach. We champion ambition, production quality and creative risk.

Through long-term artist relationships, we provide:

• Specialist technical support and access to production infrastructure

• Mentoring and peer-learning opportunities

• Budget, location and significant audience reach

• An international exchange network

• An artist-led workshop & panel discussion

In 2022, we launched Green Man’s Global Exchange to draw on the international reach and reputation of the festival to:

• Promote Welsh artists and culture globally

• Establish co-commissioning and touring partnerships for Welsh artists;

• Invite international artists and networks to Wales

• Position Wales as a serious player in the international cultural landscape.

Green Man’s Global Exchange has been instrumental in elevating Welsh creativity and culture on the world stage. The programme has established connections for Welsh work to tour in countries including Ireland, Scotland, England, Spain, France and Australia.

The programme welcomes international arts organisations and practitioners to Wales, with a focus on the EU and regions that share Wales’ indigenous language heritage. Strong partnerships have been developed with cultural bodies in Ireland, Scotland, the Basque Country, Catalonia, and more recently Flanders and Brittany; connecting national and international networks such as Articulture, Outdoor Arts UK, Four Nations, ISACS, Surge, +Culture, FiraTàrrega, Catalan Arts, Circostrada, Zomer Van Antwerp, Circuscentrum among others

Four Nations Outdoor Arts Bursary

Application deadline: Midnight, Sunday 1st February 2026

The 4 Nations Bursary Project is offering bursaries for new outdoor work to emerging artists and companies interested in outdoor arts. Bursaries will be awarded to applicants from Scotland, England, Wales and Ireland. The project will allow early-career artists to be mentored through the creation of new outdoor arts pieces, which will be toured to festivals in all four nations during Summer 2026:

• Green Man Festival (Wales, in partnership with Green Man Trust)
• Surge Festival (Glasgow, in partnership with Articulation),
• BD Festival(Bradford, in partnership with Bradford Producing Hub) - Funding Dependent
• Spraoi Festival (Waterford, Ireland in partnership with ISACS)

The chosen artists/companies will be given a budget of £5000/€5500 for the creation of the piece and £150/€170 per day per person for performance days, professional mentoring from the festivals and each of the Partnership networks, plus a three-day residency in Brecon, Wales, in March 2026. Travel, accommodation and per diems (or equivalent) are provided for both the residency and the performance tour.

Requirements:

• Present an idea for a new small-scale outdoor arts piece, static or walkabout.

• The piece needs to be for a solo or a duo of touring artists (all artists must be confirmed by applicant before applying);

• The piece needs to be of a scale that is easily transportable.

• The piece needs to be suitable for performance or exhibition in both urban and green field spaces.

• The artists need to be available for the residency in Brecon between 8th and 11th March 2026

• Artists must also be available for a certain number of week-day mentoring dates between March and July 2026 (exact dates to be agreed)

• To be available for dates of all four festivals:

  • 23rd – 24th July 2026 (BD Festival, In Partnership with Bradford Producing Hub England TBC)

  • 25th – 26th July 2026 (Surge Festival, Scotland)

  • 31st July- 2nd August (Spraoi Festival, Ireland)

  • 19th – 23rd August 2026 (Green Man, Wales)

We will offer:

• A structured residency in Brecon plus professional mentoring from Surge, BD, Spraoi and Green Man in creation, producing, marketing and guerrilla filmmaking;

• Bursary of £5000/€5500

• Travel, accommodation, per diems, and £150/€170 per day fee per artist/ per performance day at all festivals

• Rehearsal and creation space where possible

4 Nations Bursary Project values diversity and promotes equality and inclusion. We encourage and welcome applications from people of all backgrounds and ability.

Please note that the scale and reach of this project is dependent on certain funding outcomes.

To apply:

Please email your proposal (max. 500 words) and one short bio for each performer/collaborator (max. 100 words each), in one document.

If based in Wales please contact Zoe Munn from Green Man zoe@greenman.net

If based in Scotland please contact Alan Richardson from Surge alan@surge.scot

If based in England please contact BPH hello@bdproducinghub.co.uk

If based in Ireland please contact Spraoi Festival nest@spraoi.com

The application deadline is midnight on Sunday 1st February 2026.

Decisions will be made by Monday 9th February 2026.

APPLICANTS IN SCOTLAND PLEASE NOTE

There is a complimentary opportunity available through Kelburn Garden Party (more information to follow). You may apply to both the 4 Nations Bursary and the Kelburn Garden Party commissions with the same project.

If you would like the two applications to be considered together, please indicate this in both applications and include up to 100 additional words explaining how the combined budget and opportunities would enhance your proposed work.