Looking ahead at 2026…
As we look ahead to 2026, we’ve been thinking carefully about the kinds of conditions that allow ambitious, international, artist-led work to thrive. The past year has highlighted both the fragility and the possibility of our sector, and it feels important to be clear about what we want to see more of — and what we hope to move away from — as we continue to develop our work.
In the year ahead, we want to see more sustainable working practices embedded across the sector, built on realistic timelines, fairer fees, and a genuine commitment to care. We want more international exchange that is generous and humane, allowing artists and producers to collaborate across borders without the constant pressure for speed or certainty. We hope for more space for new voices and new forms, particularly for artists whose work sits between disciplines, cultures, and geographies. Outdoor and site-responsive work continues to be a powerful connector, so we want more visibility, commissioning, and support for outdoor arts, enabling this work to reach wider communities. And we want to see more courage around big, complex projects, recognising that ambitious international work is rarely linear, but deeply worth sustaining.
At the same time, there are things we hope to see less of. Less pressure to deliver at all costs, where urgency overrides care and feasibility. Less fragility in international partnerships, with fewer bureaucratic barriers and more stable structures for cross-border collaboration. Less inequity in who gets to make and present work, and fewer obstacles for Global Majority artists, disabled practitioners, working-class producers, and those outside major centres. Less short-termism, with fewer one-off initiatives that disappear before they have time to grow. And importantly, less stigma around projects that don’t go to plan, acknowledging that delay, recalibration, and uncertainty are part of meaningful creative practice — not signs of failure.
Much of our thinking and practice now sits within a partnership structure both place-based and international. Central to this is our long term partnership with Crying Out Loud, which has deepened significantly over the past year. As we approach Year 4 - what began as shared conversations has evolved into a more sustained collaboration, rooted in aligned values, trust, and a shared commitment to long-term artistic development. This partnership reflects a belief that collective approaches sharing learning, risk, and responsibility are essential in the current landscape.
Image by Krsto Vulović
This collaborative relationship has extended into research and publishing, with Third Version Creative contributing chapters to Circostrada publications alongside Rachel Clare of Crying Out Loud, exploring new models of international exchange and place-responsive outdoor arts practice. We have also co-authored a further chapter in a Portuguese publication let by Outdoor Arts Portugal entitled When we step outside what place are we looking for - focused on future trends in outdoor arts, examining sustainability, touring models, civic engagement, and the evolving international context. This shared authorship marks an important step in how our organisations are thinking and working together.
Running in parallel is our work on a new Outdoor Arts Strategy, being developed in partnership with Outdoor Arts UK, 101 Outdoor Arts, and Without Walls. This long-term strategic process brings together artists, producers, festivals, and venues to consider how outdoor arts can thrive amid social, environmental, and economic change. Consultation, equity, sustainability, and international connection sit at the heart of this work, reflecting our commitment to strengthening not just individual projects, but the wider ecology they belong to.
Together, these strands point to a future built on shared learning, and long-term thinking. As we move into the next year, we remain committed to creating the conditions where ambitious, internationally connected, artist-led work can take root and endure.
We hope that 2026 is all of these things - and more.
