Callout for Visual Artist with Lived Experience of Disability/Neurodivergence/Sick and/or Unpaid Carers Based in the Southwest
Squeeze Box is seeking a visual artist (includes digital mediums) to create an element of their next project: BOXED! This will be a one-off paid commission for a set piece or projection images which speak to a specific area of this new production.
Squeeze Box is a project led by multi-disciplinary disabled artist Hugh Malyon. In May 2026, Squeeze Box will take over the Barnfield Theatre in Exeter with an immersive multi-media theatre experience called BOXED!
BOXED! is a multimedia performance and interactive journey into the joy, humour, and resilience of the disabled community with a dark undertone. In an escape-room style adventure, audiences are led through The System (particularly through the lens of the medical and care system in the UK)
The audience will be faced with tests, experiments and barriers designed to smother, shrink and distort the sense of self and squeeze people into one-dimensional objects...
The experience is subversive, political, ridiculous and arbitrary culminating in a shared space and moment for hope and true care.
BOXED! involves multiple rooms.
We would like proposals for pieces to be part of either of the following spaces:
1. The Waiting Room: time being taken out of your hands, confusion and overwhelming information within an assessment process.
slightly uncomfortable, restless and timeless medical Waiting Room, a limbo space where it feels familiar but also eerie and weird. This will include posters and digital material of medical and social provision that at first glance seem usual, but on second glance, something isn’t quite right. The room also has broken toys, outdated magazine stacks, forms or out of order objects.
2. The Regulation Room: belonging, hope, celebration of diversity and a regulating space to be who you are!
A chilled and welcoming open space, with calming sounds and tactile material. This will be a space to reflect and celebrate each other after the confusing and intense process we’ve just been through. This space will also have large scale projection space, taking up 2 big walls for images or film around regulation and calming environments.
We are open to artworks of any size, medium, styles etc.
We can support you to refine your work during this opportunity, to benefit both the installation and your artistic development.
Who this is for:
Artists based in the Southwest
Who identify as disabled/neurodiverse/sick and/or are an unpaid carers
Emerging artists of any age
We are interested in artists who have experience of co-creation with others
You should be comfortable working to a loose brief and adaptable to feedback/direction
The team will be on hand to support with logistics and access, and a range of friendly artists can support with realising your creative concept.
Useful Information:
Artist fee = £750 for your time and materials. Your access requirements will be covered separately.
Timeframe = w/c April 6th: an introductory zoom; a chance to detail exactly what you are creating and what support you will need
7th May = final work to be delivered or sent to core creative team
w/c 18th May = Production week, with our shows on 21st + 22nd (3pm and 7pm)
Early June = in-person or online debrief/reflections/celebrations, for a conversation about what worked, what could be developed
Feedback from Yudi, previous Seed Commission Artist:
"The Squeeze Box team has provided me with one of the most supportive and accommodating environments that I've ever worked in. As an early-career artist, I felt that I received more than support for the individual piece I presented - the experience has entirely reshaped my understanding of "care", leaving many reflections and inspirations that I kept coming back to in my practice. "
To apply:
Send an email to hughmalyon@hotmail.com answering the questions below – you can apply in writing up to 2 pages, or by video, or a voice recording of up to 4 minutes.
1. Tell us a bit about you and your artistic practice, with a maximum of 3 examples of your art, even if what you are offering will be a different style or medium to your usual practice
2. What is your idea for Boxed! ? (sketches, moodboards etc, or talk about it)
3. How does your offer highlight the dehumanising experience of the medical & care system and/or disabled resilience and joy?
Deadline to apply: 31st of March 2026, 11am
Artist selection by April 6th
If selected, the Artwork should be completed by: 7th of May 2026
If you have questions before applying, then say hello by email hughmalyon@hotmail.com or @livehughm on facebook/‘x’/instagram.
More Information about the Project:
The BOXED! core creative Team
Lead Artist - disabled writer & performer: Hugh Malyon
Creative technical artist & performer: Tim Dollimore
Sound designer: Harry Bassett
Creative Access Support: FarFlung CIC
Producer: Sophia Knox-Miller
Artist Development Producer at The Northcott: Sam Parker
The Spaces:
1. The Waiting Room (Barnfied Bar)
The bar area will be transformed into the waiting room. There is a bar area along one wall which creates a little alcove which will be covered up. Opposite is a brick wall with some poster holders. There will be a row of chairs backing onto the bar, obviously not enough chairs… Some maybe a broken chair/do not use this chair etc. 1 or 2 TV screens will be in the space showing waiting-room style announcements, information etc.
Information about the project:
BOXED! is a new, immersive installation of sound, projection and performance.. A multifaceted audience experience, heightened by live interventions, BOXED! playfully confronts the harsh realities of the UK’s health & care systems.
This production is the extension of Squeeze Box - a creative exploration of the world of disability through immersive spaces that incorporate multi-projection video/audio and performance and amplifies impaired voices.
For more information about Squeeze Box and Hugh’s work, visit https://hughmalyon.live/
For more content about the work, images and video of previous creative sessions, please visit https://hughmalyon.live/practise/squeeze-box
2. The Regulation Room:
A traditional black box space which will be transformed into the regulation room, with beanbags and comfy seating. White projections screens will cover two pf the walls.
