What's On - SouthWestFest

What’s On

This year’s festival will be on Saturday 4th of July 2026. Apply for commissions below.

Apply for SouthWestFest 2026 Commission and Performance Opportunities!

We are excited to announce that we have a number of commission opportunities, both paid and voluntary, for artists, performers, musicians and community groups to help us create this year’s festival.

This document discusses commission opportunities. If you are interested in performing on the Festival Stage, please apply here.

If you are interested in getting your community group involved as participants in some of the workshops and activities that will be happening pre-festival, please contact director@southwestfest.org.uk.

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Commissions to Animate the Festival

We are offering four (4) commissions (one large, one medium and two smaller) to help us design and animate St George’s Square in order to bring it to life creatively during the festival.

We are also offering three (3) special commissions for our festival highlight, ‘The Creative Community Banquet’ – an immersive experience in the Pimlico Hub, co-created with members of the community and our festival audience.

You can apply for commissions as an individual creative, a collective, or a community group. Commissions are open to professional, emerging and amateur artists, as well as creative community groups and charities.

Click here to download the application for commissions. Deadline to submit an application is the 17^th of April and the selected commissions will be announced on the 27^th of April. Please send completed applications to director@southwestfest.org.uk.

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Commissioned Opportunities

Animating and Activating the Festival Square

Interactive Installation(s) Commission

Fee: £1,800, Materials Budget: £1,000

Number of Commissions: 1

We envisage this project as some sort of structure/installation/pop-up that makes people go ‘WOW’ when they first walk into the square. It could be one thing, or a repeated tableau throughout the square, but it needs to be something that our festival-goers interact with and that transforms the square into something magical for the day. It would be ideal if you were able to co-create some of the commission with local community groups, but it is not mandatory.

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Animating the space Commissions

Fee: Ranging from £500 – £1,000 (including materials)

Number of Opportunities: 3 (one medium, two smaller)

We are looking for three interesting project ideas that will help to animate and activate the space during the festival. These projects could be anything from interactive visual installations to site-specific performances to surprise pop up or roaming activities. The projects should be appropriate for a range of audiences, although we are also happy to have child-specific projects. It would be ideal if you were able to co-create some of the commission with local community groups, but it is not mandatory.

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The Creative Community Banquet Commissions

The Creative Community Banquet is a highlight of the festival and will happen all day at the new Pimlico Community Hub. During most of the day, the space will offer engaging and accessible creative ‘making’ experiences, particularly for children and people with special needs and their carers. This will include quiet and low-stimulation environments and activities.

We want to transform the Hub into a space that feels like a magical Bedouin tent. During the day, visitors will help to create and decorate the tent and space. There will be gentle music and drama activities. By the end of the day we will have transformed the space into a magical banquet hall and will sit down to a feast, entertained by roaming performers.

We are looking for the following:

Artists/Maker/Workshop Leader to create Bedouin Tent Environment, co-creating with community members

Fee: £2,000 Materials Budget: £1,000

Number of Opportunities: 1

We are looking for an artist/maker with experience in co-creating installations with young people, seniors and people with special needs (assistance provided). Our initial thinking is to transform the area of the Pimlico Community Hub that we will be holding the feast into a Bedouin Tent-like environment. Aspects of the ‘tent’ will be created beforehand in workshops with community groups. On the day, we will want visitors and other members of the community to help us build/decorate the ‘tent’ / space. You will be experienced in co-creation with community groups, creating immersive/interactive environments and delivering site-specific projects.

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Sound Artist / DJ / Music Producer

Fee: £500

Number of Opportunities: 1

We are looking for a DJ/Sound Artist to create a soundscape for the event. This could be co-created with some of the community groups we are working with. The feel of the soundscape/DJ set will be tranquil, ethereal and soothing.

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Community Group To Make the Feast

Fee: £750 Food/Ingredients Budget: £1,000

Number of Opportunities: 1

Food brings people together, both in the joy of eating and in the joy of cooking and baking. We are lucky in South Westminster to have a diverse community that represents a range of different cuisines. We are looking for a community group that is interested in planning, preparing and serving (with help!) the feast for our community banquet. It can be made up of one specific cuisine, or be a mix of different things. We will provide chafing dishes, serving equipment, microwaves to heat-up food, and fridges to keep things cool. Dishes will have to be prepared ahead of time and brought to the venue. What would your group want to make if the neighbourhood was coming over for dinner? Or if you were sitting down to eat in a magic land far, far away? We can’t wait to find out.

Download Application for Commissions