What Happens If

What happens If artists and academics come together to do something with ideas, rather than just discuss them? 

What Happens If is a new Lancaster Arts programme bringing together two artists with two academics to explore questions on the theme of dissent through making, testing, walking, observing, building, disrupting, and spending time together. 

What Happens If is a new process led approach to partnerships. We are looking for people who are open to working in uncertain, exploratory ways. 

About the programme 

The programme will run between June and September 2026. 

Participants will work in pairs and as a group, with time to build relationships, explore shared questions, and try things out in practice. Lancaster Arts will facilitate the programme and support the process throughout. 

Artists and academics will apply separately and will be paired as part of the programme. 

The programme will include: 

  • An initial in-person period in June (2 days) 

  • Further activity across July and August (3-4 in-person days, flexibly scheduled) 

  • A public encounter as part of the Festival of Dissent on 5 September 

This encounter is not a performance or a paper. It is an invitation to open up your process, questions, or provocations to others. We hope the relationships and ideas developed through the programme will continue beyond this point. 

“It gave me permission to work beyond the usual academic ways of doing things.” 
- Previous residency participant, academic 

“Paid time, being in one place, and encounters with academics and others made the work possible.” 
- Previous residency participant, artist 

Theme: Dissent 

This programme sits within our current annual theme of Dissent. You can find out more about how we are looking at this theme HERE.

We are interested in dissent as a way of questioning norms, shifting perspectives, and exploring alternatives, including within your own practice. 

Who it’s for 

We are inviting applications from: 

  • Artists based in the North of England who have been professionally active for at least five years 

  • Researchers from across Lancaster University who have been professionally active for at least five years 

Artists and academics working in any discipline are welcome. 

We are interested in openness, curiosity, and a willingness to work differently. 

Support 

Lancaster Arts will facilitate the programme and support participants throughout, creating the conditions for shared inquiry to develop. 

Participants will have: 

  • Dedicated time and space to work together 

  • Support from the Lancaster Arts team across the programme 

  • Access to campus and off-site spaces as needed 

  • A small materials budget, agreed during the process 

  • Artists will receive a fee of £1500, with accommodation and travel costs covered in addition (up to an agreed limit). 

Apply 

We are not selecting project proposals. We are selecting people. We will be looking for openness, curiosity, and a willingness to work in exploratory ways. Selection will also consider how participants might work together, including both points of connection and difference. We are interested in a range of perspectives and approaches, and encourage applications from across disciplines. 

Applications are open now. 

Deadline: 21 May 2026 

Apply HERE.

Shortlisted applicants will be invited to a short online conversation on 2 June (morning), or 3 or 5 June.  

Questions 

If you missed our information sessions, you can download the slides HERE. 

If you have any questions about the programme, or would like to apply in a different format or need support with your application, please get in touch: 
alice@lancasterarts.org 

Posted on 30th Apr, 2026