Emerging Artist Residency and Commission
Illuminate Adelaide Emerging Artist Residency and Commission
The Illuminate Adelaide Emerging Artist Residency and Commission, generously supported by the James & Diana Ramsay Foundation, provides a unique opportunity and platform for the next generation of South Australian artists working across art, design, light, and technology.
Building on the success of Illuminate Adelaide’s Graduate Pathway Program, the residency expands the opportunity beyond recent graduates to support emerging practitioners at a pivotal stage of their careers. It provides the financial support, mentorship, and production expertise to develop an ambitious new work for public presentation.
Through an open, year-round Expression of Interest process, one artist will be selected annually by Illuminate Adelaide Co-Founders and Creative Directors Lee Cumberlidge and Rachael Azzopardi, in conjunction with a panel of Illuminate Adelaide leadership staff including; Associate Director - Christie Anthoney, Technical Director - Paul Lim, Production Manager, City Lights - Simon Greer and Program Producer - King Wong. The selected candidate will develop an original large-scale work for potential presentation within City Lights - Illuminate Adelaide’s beating heart and free city-wide program.
Each year, City Lights transforms Adelaide’s streets, parklands, and iconic spaces into a vibrant playground of light, sound, and interactive art. It invites everyone to explore the city after dark and experience a free celebration of creativity, technology, and imagination.
The selected artist will work alongside Illuminate’s creative and production teams, an experienced industry mentor and technical specialists throughout the development of their project, gaining practical experience, building professional networks, and taking their practice to the next stage.
Presenting Partners
Image: 'VOICES' by Pulsing Heart, presented in City Lights, Illuminate Adelaide 2025
The Opportunity
The residency offers a fully supported career and project development opportunity, including the potential presentation of the completed work within Illuminate Adelaide’s free City Lights program.
The program takes place across three stages:
Artists are invited to submit an EOI outlining their creative practice, relevant experience, and an initial proposal for a new work via the link below.
One artist will be selected to develop their proposal with support from Illuminate Adelaide.
The selected artist will receive:
A paid artist commission
Pairing with an experienced industry mentor
Curatorial guidance from Illuminate Adelaide’s Creative Directors
Concept development and prototyping support
Technical and production guidance
Access to Illuminate Adelaide’s creative and production networks
Following the development process, the completed work will be presented as part of City Lights, providing the artist with a significant public platform and the opportunity to share their work with large and diverse audiences.
Who Is It For?
The residency is for emerging South Australian artists in the early stages of their professional careers who are ready to develop ambitious new work at a larger scale.
We welcome artists working across art, design, light, technology, and related creative disciplines, including interdisciplinary practices.
Emerging artists may have developed their practice through tertiary study, independent projects, exhibitions, commissions, or other professional experience, and are accessed on a case-by-case basis. Applicants do not need to be recent graduates.
Applicants will be within the first ten years of professional practice since graduation
Currently developing a distinct professional artistic practice
Seeking opportunities to strengthen skills, experience, artistic development, mentorship, and career pathways
Proposed project must be new and original, never been commissioned or presented
We welcome emerging artists from all mediums and art forms
Selected candidates need to be a current resident of South Australia and able to remain based in South Australia throughout the residency and project development period.
What Are We Looking For?
We are looking for artists with ambitious, original ideas, and the potential to create engaging large-scale public work.
Proposed projects must be new and original and suitable for development and potential presentation within City Lights and not have been previously commissioned or presented.
Projects will be considered against:
Artistic ambition and originality
Strength of concept and creative practice
Potential to engage audiences
Suitability for large-scale outdoor presentation
Technical and production feasibility
Potential to contribute to the artist’s ongoing professional development
Proposed installations should also consider durability, safety, and accessibility, including the ability to withstand Adelaide’s winter weather conditions and high levels of audience visitation.
Installations should also be designed to accommodate large audiences. In 2026, City Lights attracted more than 1.6 million attendances.
Expressions of Interest are now open and accepted year-round.
Your EOI will be required to outline:
Your creative practice and relevant experience
Examples of previous work
Your initial concept for a new work
How you would approach developing the idea for large-scale public presentation
What you hope to explore or achieve through the residency