Launchpad Creative Arts Incubation Program
At Salt Lake County Arts & Culture, we are committed to cultivating and supporting a vibrant and sustainable arts ecosystem by nurturing the next generation of artistic talent in Salt Lake County.
To further this mission, Arts & Culture (A&C) is pleased to announce the inauguration of Launchpad, our new creative arts incubation program. Launchpad empowers emerging to mid-career artists to create and perform new works by providing expanded access to (A&C) venues, services, and resources.
Launchpad Objectives
- Empower Artists by removing financial and logistical barriers at A&C venues, allowing artists the freedom to create and perform new works.
- Nurture Artists by sharing knowledge through mentorship, curated workshops, and production opportunities.
- Strengthen Artists by offering creative collaborations between Launchpad participants and seasoned professional artists.
Launchpad is a nine-month program (January-September 2027), pairing three artists or artist collectives (Artist Cohort) with a Fellow. Over the nine months, each artist/artist collective within the Artist Cohort will create, rehearse, and perform an original evening-length work under the mentorship of the Fellow and production support from A&C.
The Fellow will provide mentorship and skill-building opportunities for the Artist Cohort and will present two of their own original performances with production support from A&C. The Fellowship is a year-long contract, from September 2026 – September 2027.
Launchpad Creative Arts Incubation Program
Fellowship
The Launchpad Fellow is a paid, part-time position that will curate the nine-month program with the three-member Artist Cohort in collaboration with A&C staff. The fellowship runs from September 2026 – September 2027 and includes a stipend of $15,000.
The Fellow will provide mentorship to the Artist Cohort, plan and execute creative workshops, and support each Cohort member in the development and presentation of their culminating full-length evening performance.
The Artist Cohort will include three emerging to mid-career artists or artist collectives, looking to establish and solidify their professional practices. As the mentor, the Fellow will encourage, advise, and support the Cohort in creating a new work. By providing the rehearsal and performance spaces and production support, our program allows the Artist Cohort to focus specifically on the creation and performance of their work.
As part of the program, the Fellow will produce two evening-length performances of their own in A&C venues, including production support. All dates and performance locations will be pre-determined by A&C staff in accordance with venue availability. Dates are non-negotiable. Compensation for these performances is included in the Fellow stipend and A&C will provide a production budget for these performances.
The Fellowship application is open through June 1, 2026. Before applying, please review the information on this page and this Application Overview PDF.
Mentorship
The Fellow will provide support and feedback to each Artist Cohort member during the creative process and share knowledge and expertise throughout the duration of the program. The Fellow will advise on the creative development process only and will not provide any artistic training (singing, dance, etc.).
Workshop Creation & Facilitation
There will be six creative workshops throughout the program, and the Fellow is responsible for creating the curriculum and facilitating the workshops. A&C will provide support with venue spaces or virtual meeting platforms, depending on workshop needs.
Artist Cohort Program Curation
The Fellow will work with each Artist Cohort member and support them as they create their evening-length, culminating performance. The Fellow will curate a mid-program performance with the Artist Cohort, producing an evening-length show of the Cohorts’ works-in-progress. Curation responsibilities include participating in rehearsals to support their productions, individual and group mentorship, and advising on staging elements.
Fellow Performances
As part of the program, the Fellow will produce and present two evening-length performances of their own works in A&C venues with production support provided as part of the program. All dates and performance locations will be pre-determined by A&C staff in accordance with venue availability and are non-negotiable. Compensation for these performances is included in the program stipend. A&C staff will provide a production budget for these performances.
Responsibilities
- Provide program administration for Artist Cohort, including serving as the liaison for the Cohort with A&C on scheduling and other issues
- Fellowship contract begins in September 2026, with program planning meetings and review of the Artist Cohort applications
- Participate in the selection of the artists who will be part of the Artist Cohort and participate in onboarding meetings
- Develop and present curriculum for six Artist Cohort creative workshop
- Work collaboratively with A&C program staff to schedule regular check-ins throughout the program
- Artist Cohort Management
- Attend and observe Artist Cohort rehearsals at least once per month
- Monthly check-in with each Artist Cohort member
- Attend and participate in all Artist Cohort performances
- Curate Artist Cohort mid-program cabaret performance of works-in-progress
- Manage requests from Artist Cohort – rehearsal dates, etc
Benefits
- $15,000 stipend to support mentorship, program management, and workshop curriculum creation and facilitation
- Budget for performance expenses, including production elements (lighting, limited equipment rentals, staffing, ticketing
- No-cost rehearsal space at A&C venues for the duration of the program (January-September 2027)
- Opportunity to present two performances at an A&C venue, including production support and marketing and communications assistance
- Curate and execute creative workshops for the Artist Cohort
- Access to skill-building classes and workshops from A&C, ZAP, and other arts partner
Eligibility Requirements
- Must be an arts professional with extensive experience in producing artistic works and working across multiple disciplines
- Mandatory attendance at all workshops and performances
- Must reside in the state of Utah
- Must have a U.S. tax ID number
- Preferred Qualifications
- Experience in arts education or mentorship
- Experience in building and producing productions in theatrical spaces
Launchpad 2027 Schedule
- The Fellowship begins in September 2026 and concludes in September 2027
- The Artist Cohort program begins in January 2027 and concludes in September 2027
- All rehearsals and performances throughout the duration of the program are predetermined by A&C staff based on venue availability
Rehearsal Schedule
- Artists will receive between 2-4 hours of rehearsal space each week at the Rose Wagner Performing Arts Center (Salt Lake City) or Mid-Valley Performing Arts Center (Taylorsville)
- Upon program acceptance, Fellow and Artist Cohort will work with A&C staff to select rehearsal dates and times from the available options
- Rehearsals and workshops will be scheduled for Sunday-Thursday
- Sunday workshops will be scheduled from 10-12 pm with rehearsals between 12-4 pm
- Mon-Thurs workshops and rehearsals will be scheduled between 5-9 pm
Performance Schedule
Fellowship Performance Dates
Performance 1
- Wednesday, March 3, 2027, at Regent Street Black Box at Eccles Theater
- Tech dates – March 1 & 2
Performance 2
- Thursday, July 8, 2027, at Leona Wagner Black Box at Rose Wagner Performing Arts Center
- Tech dates – July 6 & 7
Artist Cohort Performance Dates
Mid-program cabaret-style performance
- Thursday, May 13, 2027, at Regent Street Black Box at Eccles Theater
- Tech dates – Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, May 10-12,
Capstone Performance
- Thursday through Saturday, Sept 23-25, 2027, Location TBC
- Tech dates – Sept 20-22
Fellow Application Information
- The application is open through June 1, 2026. Applications are due on June 1, at 5:00 p.m. Late submissions will not be accepted. Click here for application
- All candidates will be notified of their status by June 30, 2026, with selected applicants receiving an invitation for a second-round interview
- Applications will be submitted in Smartsheet. Please review this PDF before submitting your application! It includes more details on the application and all of the application questions. Since Smartsheet does not allow you to save your progress, we recommend drafting your responses in a separate document and pasting them into the form when you are ready to apply.
- Before submitting your application in Smartsheet, please ensure you have thoroughly reviewed your entries, as edits cannot be made once the form is sent. To finalize your application, enter the current date in the Form Submission Date field and click submit.
- Contact Lauren Curley with any questions about the application at lcurley@saltlakecountyarts.org
Launchpad Creative Arts Incubation Program
Artist Cohort
The Launchpad Artist Cohort is for emerging to mid-career artists who want to increase their knowledge and experience through in-depth capacity building, mentorship, and production experience by creating and producing their own a new, full-length multidisciplinary performance.
Applicants should have interest or experience in taking a multidisciplinary approach to their work but have a primary focus in the performing arts. 501c3 status is not required to be eligible for this program.
The program runs from January – September 2027, culminating in a final capstone production. Through this program, Arts & Culture provides venues, resources, and professional services necessary to develop and produce original new works.
Each Artist Cohort member will create their own evening-length performance and present two performances. The first performance will include excerpts of their incubated work. The final performance will be the completed work.
The Fellow will provide mentorship to the Artist Cohort, plan and execute creative workshops, and support each member of the Cohort in the development and presentation of their culminating full-length evening performance.
Applications for the Artist Cohort will be considered for both individuals and artist collectives.
- Individual Applicants are welcome and encouraged to include additional performers or collaborators in their work, however, only the applicant will receive program benefits, including workshops and one-on-one mentorship with the Fellow.
- Artist Collectives can apply as a group, but all members must commit to the full program, including all workshops and meetings. Each artist collective must name one primary point of contact for their application, and that person must meet all eligibility requirements. Artist collectives should only include the artists who are creating the work together. Performers or collaborators who are not involved in creating the work, or who cannot commit to the full duration of the program, should not be listed on the application.
Responsibilities
- All participants must commit to the full duration of the program, and new participants cannot be added after the application has been accepted
- Create and produce an evening length (45-60 minutes) work that will be presented in a capstone performance in A&C venues
- Artist Cohort members will participate in the Fellow’s performances as part of the production crew. Training will be provided by A&C staff
Benefits
- No Cost performance rental at A&C venues to create and produce an evening length performance (45-60 minutes)
- No Cost rehearsal space at Arts & Culture venues for the duration of the program (January-September 2027)
- Production support and budget for performance expenses, including production elements (lighting, limited equipment rentals, staffing, ticketing, and marketing and communications support)
- Mentorship from the Fellow, including creative workshops and one-on-one meetings to support the development of the incubated work
- Skill-building classes and workshops from A&C, ZAP, and other arts partners
- Stipend for performance expenses including music licensing or composition, costumes, additional performers, prop or set elements, etc.
Eligibility Requirements
- All participants must be at least 18 years of age
- Primary applicant must reside in Salt Lake County
- Primary applicant must have a U.S. tax ID
- All Artist Cohort members must be available for workshop and performance dates listed
Launchpad 2027 Schedule
- The Artist Cohort program begins in January 2027 and concludes in September 2027
- All rehearsals and performances throughout the duration of the program are predetermined by A&C staff based on venue availability
Rehearsals & Workshops
- Artists will receive between 2-4 hours of rehearsal space each week at the Rose Wagner Performing Arts Center (Salt Lake City) or Mid-Valley Performing Arts Center (Taylorsville)
- Upon program acceptance, Fellow and Artist Cohort will work with A&C staff to select rehearsal dates and times from the available options.
- Rehearsals and workshops will be scheduled for Sunday-Thursday
- Sunday workshops will be scheduled from 10-12 pm with rehearsals from 12-4 pm
- Mon-Thurs workshops and rehearsals will be scheduled between 5-9 pm
Performance Schedule
Artist Cohort Performance Dates
Mid-program cabaret-style performance
- Thursday, May 13, 2027, at Regent Street Black Box at Eccles Theater
- Tech dates – Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, May 10-12,
Capstone Performance
- Thursday through Saturday, Sept 23-25, 2027, Location TBC
- Tech dates – Sept 20-22
- Each Cohort member will present their performance on a single date
Fellowship Performance Dates
The Artist Cohort will provide back-of-house services for these performances with training provided by A&C staff
Performance 1
- Wednesday, March 3, 2027, at Regent Street Black Box at Eccles Theater
- Tech dates – March 1 & 2
Performance 2
- Thursday, July 8, 2027, at Leona Wagner Black Box at Rose Wagner Performing Arts Center
- Tech dates – July 6 & 7
Application Information
More information on how to apply for the Artist Cohort will be released in June 2026