Experimentation Ground 2025

A Residency Programme for Experimental Performance

*SCAPE invites artists, creative practitioners, and collectives interested in creating experimental live performances to apply for the inaugural edition of Experimentation Ground. Running from August 2025 to January 2026, this residency supports emerging and established artists in developing new performance ideas and testing them in front of audiences.

The programme encourages artists to push the boundaries of their art forms and explore diverse ways of engaging the public, with proposals responding to the 2025 theme, Softer Systems. Interested applicants should submit a proposal outlining their artistic vision, project concept, relevance to the theme, budget sheet, and intended development process.

Up to two projects will be selected for each cycle, with each receiving up to SGD $10,000 in support. The residency will culminate in a live presentation of their work during *SCAPE COMMA 2026, a creative arts festival and as part of Singapore Art Week 2026. 

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Programme Timeline: 

*Programme timeline may be subjected to changes 

Residency Theme:  

“Softer  Systems”

At a time when technology shapes not only how we create, but how we connect, communicate, and dream, COMMA invites young artists to delve beneath the surface of our evolving relationship with tech and humanity.

Framed by the theme “Softer Systems”, this residency asks:

How do we hold onto the essence of what makes us human in an increasingly digitised world?

Can technology become not a barrier, but a bridge — to vulnerability, connection, and reflection?

In our open call, artists are invited to explore how systems — digital, emotional, organic, or social — can be reimagined through creative practice, and how technology can reveal, reshape, and even heal the human experience. Artists are encouraged to experiment with mediums both familiar and emerging — be it digital, sonic, choreographic, interactive — or through entirely new forms.

In “Softer Systems,” we recognise that creativity, like human experience, resists simple solutions. Inspired by ideas from systems thinking, this residency invites artists to navigate, sense, and reshape complexity — treating art itself as a living, adaptive process.

This is a space to pause at the crossroads of innovation and introspection — questioning, rewiring, and reimagining the systems that frame our lives, in search of what it means to be deeply, radically human.

What’s Offered

Selected participants will receive:

• Up to $10,000 in project funding
• Access to SCAPE’s rehearsal and meeting spaces
• Mentorship and consultation sessions with experienced industry practitioners
• A platform to premiere their work during *SCAPE COMMA 2026, a creative arts festival and as part of Singapore Art Week 2026

Who Can Apply

Individuals

• Aged 18–35
• Singaporean or Permanent Resident
• At least 2 years of arts experience
• Available for the full duration of the residency

Collectives

• Majority of members aged 18–35 and SG/PR
• Minimum 2 years of experience in relevant art forms
• Committed to attending sessions and delivering a final work

How to Apply

Submit your proposal by 21 July 2025, 23:59hrs, including:

• List of Participating Members: Include the names and roles of all collaborators involved in the project.
• Artistic Vision: Outline the overarching artistic intention and purpose of your project.
• Project Proposal: Provide a detailed description of the work you intend to develop during the residency.
• Experimental Aspect: Describe how your project explores new forms, methods, or concepts, and what makes it experimental.
• Estimated Budget Overview: Share a breakdown of projected expenses (e.g., materials, equipment, honorarium, etc.).
• Monthly Milestones: Present a timeline with key goals and deliverables for each month of the residency.

If you would like to discuss your proposals with us ahead of the submission deadline, please feel free to contact the *SCAPE team at creativearts@scape.sg.

Past Resident Testimonial:

Credit: @maybe.urakan

XUE Artist-in-residence 2024/25   “The *SCAPE Experimentation Ground programme provides artists with a rare and valuable opportunity to develop their work with a high degree autonomy and creativity, free from the usual constraints and considerations of institutional or industry settings.   It offers a dedicated space where artists like myself can fully invest in the creative process, take meaningful risks, and explore performance-making and performance art on our own terms.   The team at *SCAPE is incredibly supportive and deeply understanding of the nuances of artistic practice, allowing each artist to take full ownership of their work and continually challenge themselves.   Personally, I felt wholly supported throughout the process, which made the experience both empowering and transformative.”

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