blackink launchpad 2026: call for commissions

Serendipity Institute for Black Arts and Heritage is looking for emerging Black female artists based in the UK.  Launchpad is an initiative that works across all art forms to mentor and share their ideas and showcase their work as part of BlackInk, a magazine focusing on Black arts, heritage and cultural politics published each year for Black History Month.  For Launchpad 2026, the commission seeks to support artists to navigate multifaceted ways of working by developing a project that translates across a print magazine and online content.

The Brief

Serendipity are looking to commission up to three artists to create work for that will feature as part of the 2026 edition of BlackInk, a magazine for Black History Month Leicester exploring art, heritage and cultural politics.  As a multifaceted platform, the magazine is available in print and online, alongside a supporting showcase of digital content.

Serendipity are looking for proposals that would be suitable for publication in a print magazine but also can be creatively adapted for online formats.  Previous examples have included; a poetry and dance film that breaks down into text and stills, a comic book and animation, a series of illustrations with a time-lapse of their creation that could be featured in print or in an exhibition, and a series of photographs with audio interviews with each sitter.