KORO LAB

Koro Lab supports migrant and Global Majority creatives to develop bold immersive, interactive and site-specific work through artist development and R&D commissions.

Taking place in spring-summer 2026, the programme includes training, mentoring, production support and seed funding, delivered in partnership with arts and heritage venues.

It will culminate in Koro Festival, a new biennial festival of socially engaged immersive and site-specific performance in May 2027.

The offer

Between April and October 2026, nine artists or companies will receive:
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• Training: A two-day programme of workshops on immersive and site-specific theatre-making on 7-8 May
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• Space: One week of free R&D space at Shoreditch Town Hall, Theatre Deli or Wellcome Collection
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• Seed funding: A £2,500 bursary
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• Showcasing opportunities: A public sharing with professional filming and photography
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• Production support: Mentoring, production and fundraising support from the Koro team and collaboration with an access consultant

Audience members looking at a brightly lit museum case containing everyday objects

Types of bursaries

Open Spaces bursaries: For four artists creating new immersive or interactive performances responding to current social, political, economic, or climate challenges, culminating in a joint sharing at Shoreditch Town Hall on 30th September.

Wellcome Collection bursary: For an artist developing a new immersive or interactive piece exploring questions of health, inspired by Wellcome Collection’s archives or collections, with a sharing at Wellcome Collection's studio space.

Marketplace bursaries: For three migrant artists creating new interactive work for high streets, marketplaces, and outdoor public spaces, leading to a weekend of short public performances at Leadenhall Market on 18-19th September.

Site-specific bursary: For an artist developing work for a particular place, e.g. public libraries, cafés, museum galleries or green spaces, with a site-specific sharing in September.

A woman holding a cut out book containing a map inside a library

How to apply

More info: Before submitting your application, please read the Information for applicants, for full details about the opportunity and eligibility criteria.

Application form: Apply here

Application questions: This Word document can be used to prepare your application offline.

Closing date: 15th March 2026

Questions and access support: If you have any questions about your application - including personal access costs or submitting in an alternative format - please contact programme@koro.org.uk

A middle-aged man holding a sign "F the rules" staring at the camera

Koro Festival

Koro Festival will be a biennial celebration of immersive, interactive, and site-specific theatre, launched across London in spring 2027.

The ambition of the festival is to:

• Create powerful immersive experiences that connect people and place the audience at the heart of contemporary stories, inviting reflection on complex topics through play.

• Champion emerging immersive and interactive theatre-makers, with a particular focus on migrant and Global Majority creatives, who remain underrepresented in the immersive theatre industry.

• Increase the inclusivity of immersive theatre by creating accessible and affordable experiences in spaces where people already gather – including public spaces, schools, libraries, heritage and community venues.

Do you want to be part of the festival programme, as an artist or a venue? Drop us a line at programme@koro.org.uk

A performer dressed in a red suit addressing the audience sitting around tables, in a glass conservatory

Project partners

Koro Lab is funded by Arts Council England, The City of London Corporation’s Community Inspiring London Through Culture Fund and Unity Theatre Trust, and is developed in partnership with: