Alternative Roots 2026 Open Call
Photo by Joy Chao
Festival Date & Place: Saturday 28th November 2026, Hoxton Hall, London
Ming Strike and Kakilang invite proposals for live works to be part of Alternative Roots, a day-long festival taking place on Saturday 28 November 2026 at Hoxton Hall, London.
Curated by Ming Strike and supported by Arts Council England, Kakilang and Hoxton Hall, Alternative Roots is a festival celebrating interdisciplinary practices and the diversity of East and Southeast Asian (ESEA) creative communities in the UK. Building on its inaugural edition in 2025, Alternative Roots creates a space for artists, works and ideas that don’t easily fit into existing categories, bringing different art forms, approaches and communities together.
2025 Alternative Roots highlight here.
What we’re looking for
- Live works that draw from theatre, dance, performance art, or interdisciplinary practice (we’re unlikely to accept conventional plays)
- Existing works (not new commissions)
- Duration: anything up to 60 minutes
Who can apply
- Artists who identify as East and Southeast Asian (ESEA), or who have a meaningful connection to ESEA heritage/contexts (including first/second generation diaspora, or other lived connections).
- We welcome applications from both emerging and mid-career artists — from those at an early stage of establishing their practice to artists with a more established body of work.
- To find out more about the venue, including their accessible facilities, please visit their website.
What we offer
- Artist fee: £400 per slot (group applications are accepted, but the fee is fixed)
- Venue and basic tech support
- Documentation and marketing through partners’ channels
How to apply
Please complete our application form here.
In your application, specify:
- Description of your work (max. 250 words)
- Technical requirements
- Short artist bio (max 150 words) + either 1 link to a website OR documentation of 1 past work
Deadline: 28 September 2026 23:59
You will be notified of the results by 9th October 2026.
*A note on AI: We would love to hear your own voice. We recognise that AI could form a helpful and constructive part of one's processes and help offload some unpaid labour, especially if English is not your first language (it is not for Ming Strike). However, if possible, we want to understand what you genuinely want to explore, and your wording does not have to be elaborate and perfect.
About Kakilang
Kakilang produces and presents inspirational interdisciplinary art from a wide spectrum of Southeast and East Asian (ESEA) voices. They pioneer work across multiple art forms and showcase artists working at the intersection of diverse practices.
They champion ESEA cultures and talents by commissioning and presenting festivals, performances, exhibitions and other projects that give voice to marginalised artists—both emerging and established.