New Opportunity: Creative Commission from the National Forest
- Karin Blak
- Nov 29, 2025
- 2 min read
We’re really pleased to share an opportunity that may spark the interest of many in our Creative Harborough community. The National Forest has opened applications for a new creative commission that brings together cycling, creativity, and the Forest's beautiful landscape. It’s an invitation to explore how pedal power and the outdoors can inspire fresh ways of connecting people with nature, wellbeing and a real sense of place.
The commission is open to Midlands-based artists and creative practitioners, and the brief is refreshingly flexible. The National Forest welcomes proposals in performance, sound, visual arts, or other artistic disciplines that can be used to “creatively activate the landscape through pedalling.” In other words, there’s room for you to bring your own approach, as long as the work responds clearly to the themes of cycling and the outdoor environment.
The project itself will be created and delivered within the Heart of the National Forest, a ten-square-mile area between Swadlincote, Ashby-de-la-Zouch and Measham. With its mix of woodland, trails and cycle routes, it offers an inspiring outdoor canvas for artists who enjoy working directly with landscape and environment.
This commission also forms part of the Caroline Scothern Awards, which celebrate Caroline’s passion for outdoor learning, creativity and the natural world. It’s a lovely continuation of her legacy, encouraging projects that bring people together in nature and spark curiosity, connection and meaningful engagement with the landscape.
What the Commission Offers
Here are the key details from the National Forest brief:
Eligibility: open to creative practitioners based in the Midlands.
Art forms: performance, sound, visual arts or other artistic disciplines that can meaningfully respond to the brief.
Theme: creatively engaging with cycling and the Forest landscape; using pedal power as part of the artistic concept or experience.
Location: projects must take place within the Heart of the National Forest.
Funding: up to £5,000, covering artist fees, materials, production costs and relevant travel.
Timescale: delivery between January and October 2026.
Values: proposals should reflect sustainability, accessibility and inclusivity.
Application requirements: an Application Form, Diversity Monitoring Form, and an outline of the proposed project as requested.
Deadline: 5pm, Thursday 11 December 2025.
Considering an Application?
If this opportunity resonates with you, we’d really encourage you to read the full brief on the National Forest website. It’s a thoughtful commission with clear aims, and if you’re unsure whether your particular art form fits, the National Forest team are happy to clarify.
We’d love to see members of Creative Harborough exploring this opportunity and imagining what could grow from it. Please see the link below:
Good luck!
Karin and the team
Comments