SpotLight Applications are now open!

Ignite’s major work in development program.

Applications close 11 Apr 2026

*

Applications close 11 Apr 2026 *

SpotLight is for works at an advanced stage of development.

SpotLight will support one well-developed performance project to realise a public showing and provide limited technical support.

This program is for artists with an established practice, strong concept and existing creative material at an advanced stage.

What does ‘advanced stage’ mean?

It might look like a well developed script or decent amount of already generated content.

This is for artists who want to focus deeply on honing one or several specific elements and share with Ballarat audiences via a public, ticketed season.

What’s Included

$7,500 fee*
3 weeks full-time (or equivalent) rehearsal space at The Rat Lab
3 days consecutive venue hire at a performance venue (a fully equipped blackbox venue)
2-night public season
Production and marketing
Ticketing, limited technical support and front of house for performance season
Dramaturgical consultation
All box office profit
Access to a community that celebrates research and development

*This cash can be used to cover production costs and/ or as an honorarium time spent on the project. If working with collaborators, we’d expect this fee to be shared equitably.

Who Should Apply

Artists with an established practice, advanced concept and demonstrated track record.

Your project should have clear artistic direction and be ready for intensive development toward public presentation.

What We're Looking For

Work that demonstrates creative clarity and impact. We want to understand your vision and what you'll achieve through this focused rehearsal period.

We want to understand why this work matters to you, and to audiences today. What is the story you want to tell? What about the work is new, honest and/or revealing about our lives today?

We also want to be confident that your project will provide a stimulating, engaging audience experience with only three weeks full-time (or equivalent) rehearsal time, and with the available budget.

Please email us and/or contact us before the due date if you have any questions about the application process, the venue/s, and / or to understand whether this program could be suitable for you.

Public Showing

SpotLight is still a development program. We understand that three weeks is a limited time. We are not expecting a fully polished, presentation ready work.

Even so, the public season should offer audiences a clear and impactful experience.

You should be focusing your rehearsal time on deepening specific elements —a performance technique, design integration, audience interaction, narrative structure— and be confident this will be realised in the work shared.

Spotlight is not a program for early career artists or early stage development - Pilotlight is. 🙂

Preferred dates - we can offer rehearsal space at the Rat Lab across May - July 2026.

You must be available for the performance season over 30 July - Sat 1 Aug 2026.

Performance venue

The performance venue for Spotlight will be the Gullan Auditorium, Ballarat Grammar, in Wendouree Ballarat.

The studio is a 70-seater (up to 100 seater with additional rows) and is a contemporary, well-equipped black box studio. It is available for the following performance season:

Thurs 30 July 2026 (Bump in and tech)

Fri 31 July 2026 (opening night) and

Sat 1 Aug 2026 (closing night)

See the video of the space ->

Email us for more detailed specifications.

Assessment Criteria

Applications will be assessed equally across three criteria:

Artistic Vision & Originality - The quality, originality, and ambition of your artistic concept - including the potential impact of the completed work - and demonstrated capability through past work
Project Maturity - Evidence that your concept is sufficiently developed and ready for focused refinement rather than broad exploration
Clarity of Focus and Feasibility - How well you can articulate what you'll refine during the residency, why this will create a compelling public outcome, and realistic approach to achieving your goals within the timeframe and budget.

We support diverse voices from today’s Ballarat.

This means we support all artists including culturally diverse, First Nations, LGBTQI+ artists and artists with disability. We strongly encourage applications from these artists and can offer alternative application processes to suit accessibility requirements on request.

Contact us for more information.

Application Requirements

Please address the following elements (essential):

Project Description (400-500 words or URL to video): What's the work? What's your artistic vision? What makes this project compelling and distinctive?
Current Development Stage (200-250 words, can be dot points): Where has this project been? What development has already occurred? What's been discovered so far?
Development Focus (250-300 words or URL to video): What specific element or aspect will you concentrate on during this residency? What are your concrete goals for the rehearsal period and public season?
Audience & Impact (150-200 words or URL to video): Who is this work for? What experience will audiences have?

Please also provide the following supporting materials (essential):

Artist CV highlighting relevant experience (2 pages max)
3-5 work samples demonstrating artistic excellence (links with time codes to 5-10 min sections)
Advanced project documentation: script excerpt (20-30 pages), score, choreographic notes, or equivalent materials that demonstrate concept development
Brief description of each work sample (2-3 sentences)
Key collaborator information and bios (2 paragraphs per artist max, with links to existing work/website)

How to Apply

Make sure you read “Application Requirements” before submitting.

Submit your application via our Spotlight Google Form by Sat 11 Apr 2026

Assessment process

Spotlight will be assessed via:

Initial screening for eligibility and completeness
Rat Lab review using assessment criteria - this panel may include additional members from the Rat Lab Committee of Management
If needed: Shortlisted applicants may be invited for final interview