Apply for Design & Technology Residency

Apply for a brand new design and technology residency exploring the potential of cinematic languages and projection for theatrical storytelling.

As part of a new programme of focused residencies, we are partnering with New Diorama Theatre (London) to invite artists to take part in a technical residency for projects sitting at the intersection of theatre design and cinematography.

Two projects exploring the potential of cinematic languages, moving image, and projection as design tools for theatrical storytelling will be selected for this residency.

The Offer

• One week of residency space in HOME Arches in February 2027 
• £1,000 seed funding for your R&D
• Access to technical equipment tailored to your project
• Specialist technician support during your residency
• Mentorship and networking with your host organisation and the wider artist residency cohort
• Potential work-in-progress performance opportunity at New Diorama Theatre in March 2027, backed by a guaranteed fee and production support

Who can apply?

You must be based in Greater Manchester or the North West of England to apply for HOME's residency. If you are outside of the region, you may be eligible to apply with the other two partners (New Diorama and PTEQ).

Open to independent theatre companies, ensembles, or collectives developing new projects in which design and technology are a core part of the intended theatrical form and are critical to the R&D process. You will be expected to have specific guiding questions or enquiries around design and the use of technology that will drive your experiments during your residency week.

We are particularly interested in supporting companies using devised, collaborative, or non-traditional making processes for whom access to space and equipment is critical for testing ideas. We're also interested in approaches from collaborations in which designers are the lead artists and/or the makers approach devising from a multidisciplinary, design-driven perspective.

The programme will best suit projects at earlier stages of development (including brand new ideas), and is not intended as an opportunity to finish work that is near completion.

We will reserve 50% of the residency spaces for companies that are led by Black, Asian, and/or Global Majority artists, Disabled or Deaf artists, Working Class artists, and/or trans artists.

In order to maximise the impact of this resource, NPOs and commercial entities are not eligible to apply.

Selection Process

Applications will be shortlisted by the artistic team at New Diorama Theatre, with final selections made in collaboration with the Artist Development team at HOME.

The selection process will focus on:

• The necessity of the technical infrastructure to the project idea
• The rigour of the project's R&D question or questions
• The suitability of the project to the host organisation's artistic remit and expertise
• The variety and balance of projects within the chosen cohort

Key Dates

Deadline to apply: Thursday 8 October, 11pm
Applicants notified of outcome: Friday 13 November
Residency dates: From 1 February 2027 or from 8 February 2027

Apply Now

If you would like to view the application questions in advance of filling out the form, you can download them below:

Application Questions

Application Questions (Large Print PDF) 

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More information

If you have any questions about the programme or the application process, you can get in touch with us at artistdevelopment@homemcr.org.

Partners

New Diorama Theatre, HOME and The Centre for Performance, Technology and Equity (PTEQ) at the Royal Central School of Speech and Drama.