A Vision with Artists Development Programme, supported by The Fenton Arts Trust, offers vital development opportunities for 26 emerging artists working across the UK in performance and live practices.
In June and September 2025, participants came together for an intensive weekend of activities in London. Central to this was a series of artist-led workshops at South London Gallery. Delivered by leading established practitioners Fatima Alaiwat, Harun Morrison, Nissa Nishikawa and Elle Reynolds, these sessions introduced participants to innovative approaches in performance, movement, and audience engagement. Activities ranged from Speculative Telepathic Movements to Sensitisation Studies and collaborative community-building exercises, each designed to expand the artists’ confidence in live practice, and to support them in exploring the relationship between body, space and audience.
The weekend also included presentations from curators at New Contemporaries, South London Gallery and MIMA, Middlesbrough, providing insight into curatorial practice and the current landscape for emerging artists. This was complemented by opportunities for each of the participating artists to present their own work and discuss their individual practices in a supportive and critically engaged environment.
To strengthen longer-term professional networks, we have programmed one-to-one mentoring sessions for each artist with curators, programmers and artists including Louise Ashcroft, Adelaide Bannerman, Emma Edmondson, Kim McAleese, Katie Simpson, Hannah Wallis and Sam Will. These sessions are tailored to the needs of individual participants and are designed to provide practical advice, critical feedback, and introductions to wider networks that can support their future development.
Looking ahead, we are working closely with South London Gallery to develop a series of public performance events during the gallery’s upcoming exhibition programme (January–April 2026). These events will provide participants with a valuable platform to test and present new work with audiences, ensuring that the learning and relationships developed through the programme are carried through into public-facing opportunities.
Through this combination of workshops, curatorial engagement, mentoring, and performance opportunities, A Vision with Artists is building a strong foundation of support for a diverse new generation of artists working in live and performance mediums. The investment of The Fenton Arts Trust is enabling these artists not only to develop their practices but also to establish the networks and confidence needed to sustain their careers in the years ahead.
