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We’re excited to support Koro Productions’ new initiative, Koro Lab. Launching this Spring, Koro Lab supports migrant and Global Majority creatives to develop bold immersive, interactive and site-specific work through artist development and R&D commissions. We’re excited for the company to return to Shoreditch Town Hall following the success of Rhianna Ilube’s critically acclaimed playable theatre piece 1884, which took place in our Council Chamber in April 2024.
Taking place in spring-summer 2026, Koro Lab includes training, mentoring, production support and seed funding, delivered in partnership with arts and heritage venues. It will then culminate in Koro Festival, a new biennial festival of socially engaged immersive and site-specific performance in May 2027.
The Offer
Between April and October 2026, nine artists or companies will receive:
• Training: A two-day programme of workshops on immersive and site-specific theatre-making on 7 – 8 May
• Space: One week of free R&D space at Shoreditch Town Hall, Theatre Deli or Wellcome Collection
• Seed funding: A £2,500 bursary
• Showcasing opportunities: A public sharing with professional filming and photography
• Production support: Mentoring, production and fundraising support from the Koro team and collaboration with an access consultant
Types of Bursaries
Open Spaces bursaries: For four artists creating new immersive or interactive performances responding to current social, political, economic, or climate challenges, culminating in a joint sharing at Shoreditch Town Hall on 30 September.
Wellcome Collection bursary: For an artist developing a new immersive or interactive piece exploring questions of health, inspired by Wellcome Collection’s archives or collections, with a sharing at Wellcome Collection’s studio space.
Marketplace bursaries: For three migrant artists creating new interactive work for high streets, marketplaces, and outdoor public spaces, leading to a weekend of short public performances at Leadenhall Market on 18 – 19 September.
Site-specific bursary: For an artist developing work for a particular place, e.g. public libraries, cafés, museum galleries or green spaces, with a site-specific sharing in September.
Koro Festival
Koro Festival will be a biennial celebration of immersive, interactive, and site-specific theatre, launched across London in spring 2027.
The ambition of the festival is to:
• Create powerful immersive experiences that connect people and place the audience at the heart of contemporary stories, inviting reflection on complex topics through play.
• Champion emerging immersive and interactive theatre-makers, with a particular focus on migrant and Global Majority creatives, who remain underrepresented in the immersive theatre industry.
• Increase the inclusivity of immersive theatre by creating accessible and affordable experiences in spaces where people already gather – including public spaces, schools, libraries, heritage and community venues.
Do you want to be part of the festival programme, as an artist or a venue? Email Koro at programme@koro.org.uk
How to apply for Koro Lab
More info: Before submitting your application, please read the Information for Applicants, for full details about the opportunity and eligibility criteria.
Application form: Apply here
Application questions: This Word document can be used to prepare your application offline.
Closing date: 15 March 2026
Questions and access support: If you have any questions about your application – including personal access costs or submitting in an alternative format – please contact programme@koro.org.uk
To find out more about Koro Productions, head to their website here
Image credit: Alex Brenner
