OPEN GROUND
SCRATCH NIGHT
HOSTED BY BATH'S CREATIVE PLAYGROUND
OPEN GROUND is a curated Scratch Night for performance artists.
An evening of process, progress and emerging material shared in front of a live audience.
This is about momentum, placing work on its feet and discovering what it becomes on stage.
We invite work that is still forming and ready to be tested.
WHAT IS OPEN GROUND
OPEN GROUND is a platform for work in progress.
It is not a premiere or a final product. It is a public research space. It allows artists to test ideas, dramaturgy, performance choices, and audience reception before committing to full production.
Artists share 10-15 minutes of unfinished material in front of a live audience.
Audience feedback is gathered to support further development.
IMPORTANT DATES & VENUE DETAILS
Application Deadline: 30th March 2026
Scratch Night will take place on 30th May 2026 at 8pm at Bath Spa University Theatre, a 100-seat seated theatre.
See photo below.
WHO IS THIS FOR
& WHAT WORK CAN BE SHOWN?
Open Ground is for both emerging and established artists, independent or collective makers. We welcome:
Dance
Theatre
Comedy
Spoken Word
Contemporary Circus
Music
Works must be between 10-15 minutes in length and it must be performance-based.
Scriptwriters are welcome if the script is staged with performers. Text alone will not be programmed.
Both early-stage concepts and near-finished sections are eligible.
FOR THOSE NOT APPLYING
If you are not sharing work this time, you are still invited.
Come as a witness. Come to see ideas before they solidify. Come to engage in dialogue.
Scratch depends on thoughtful audiences.
ABOUT THE HOSTS
Open Ground Scratch Night will be hosted by Bath’s Creative Playground and programmed as part of SparkFest, a performance festival based in Bath.
Bath’s Creative Playground is an interdisciplinary creative hub supporting collaborative and performance-led practices in Bath. It nurtures the artistic community through a weekly workshop for anyone curious about exploring physicality, storytelling, improvisation and collaboration.
To find out more about Bath's Creative Playground please visit our home page.
You can also check us on Instagram for regular updates. Give us a follow here.
HOW TO APPLY
A link to the application form is available below. You will be asked to provide:
Personal details;
Your artistic background;
A description of the project;
Discipline/genre of the work;
Running time;
The project's journey so far;
Photos for marketing (even if these are still at a beginning stage);
Rehearsal footage (up to 5 mins);
Basic technical requirements within the scratch night limits.
Application deadline: 30th March 2026
You will be notified of the application outcome within a few days after the deadline.
OTHER TECHNICAL & LOGISTIC INFO
Due to the Scratch format and limited rehearsal time, technical capacity is intentionally minimal:
Basic lighting rig; maximum of 2 lighting state changes; maximum of 2 soundtrack changes.
No artist fee is provided, as scratch events present unfinished work so audiences are not charged for entry.
READY TO APPLY? FILL IN THE FORM!
We would recommend having your answers saved on a separate document in case submission of this form fails.