The 2026 AWESOME International Children’s Festival will run from 29 September to 3 October 2026, and we are seeking professional artists to lead a series of engaging Artist-Led Creative Hubs.

These walk-up creative spaces invite young people to reflect, explore possibilities, create, and learn in hands-on, imaginative ways. We are looking for artists who can design and host an interactive hub tailored to a specific children’s age group (e.g., 0–5 years, 5–8 years, 8–12 years, etc.).

We welcome proposals from artists across all disciplines—including visual arts, craft, performance, digital arts, design, music, movement, and interdisciplinary practice.

Successful Creative Hubs will be:

Highly engaging
Participatory rather than passive
Age-appropriate in concept and delivery
Accessible and welcoming for children and families
Creative, playful, and inspiring

If you are passionate about sparking creativity in young people and want to be part of a leading international children’s arts festival, we encourage you to apply.

Key Information

Festival Venues

Creative Hubs take place in a range of spaces including tents, foyer areas, outdoor sites, and studios.
Final venue allocations are dependent on the nature of the selected proposals and may include partner spaces within the Perth Cultural Centre precinct.

Program Delivery

Hubs run daily from 10:00 am – 3:00 pm
Includes a 30-minute lunch break
AWESOME Festival may provide volunteers to support the delivery of your hub
A materials budget is available and will be negotiated individually
You must be available to run the hub for the whole 5 days

Artist Fee

$2,330 (ex GST) + superannuation for planning and 5 days of delivery at the Festival.

Application Details

Application Deadline

30 January 2026

How to Apply

Click here to submit your application form

Notification Date

13 March 2026

Assessment & Selection

Applications will be assessed by the AWESOME Festival team.
Assessment considerations include:

Artistic quality
Engagement potential for the intended age group
Feasibility and safety
Accessibility
Suitability for available venues
Capacity to manage participation demand
Evidence of prior delivery experience (where relevant)

Capacity & Participation Model

Creative Hubs may be:

Drop-in, or
Timed sessions, with a set capacity

As a guide, previous hubs have been limited to 30 children per session throughout the day.

Caregivers must remain present.
The level of caregiver participation depends on the concept and the artist’s preference.

Applicants should consider:

How many children the activity can accommodate per hour
Whether multiple sessions or structured cycles are necessary
What “success” looks like for the hub

For any further information or queries, please contact gecko@barkinggecko.com.au

Artist-Led Creative Hub Application