The 25th China Shanghai International Arts Festival R.A.W.! Calling for Commissioned Works
Established in 2012, China Shanghai International Arts Festival Rising Artists’ Works program (hereinafter referred to as R.A.W.!) is a leading comprehensive original artwork incubation platform in China. It provides young artists with high-quality soil for their all-round growth and mutual collaboration, and has set up a broad platform for international cooperation. In 2023, R.A.W.! established Visual Arts project. To this day, R.A.W.! has commissioned 126 young Chinese artists in various fields and created 108 diversified original artworks. Close connection has been made between R.A.W.! and Asia Society, USA; Budapest Spring Festival, Hungary; Southbank Centre, UK; New Vision Arts Festival, Hong Kong; and Sibiu International Theatre Festival, Romania. For 32 times, R.A.W.!'s commissioned works have been showcased in USA, Hungary, UK, Australia, Israel, Norway, Romania, South Korea, Germany, Hong Kong China, etc.
In 2026, R.A.W.! will play an even greater role as a platform, promoting the creative incubation and presentation of works by young artists in the fields of performing arts and visual arts worldwide. It will place special emphasis on supporting innovative and interdisciplinary works, as well as world premieres and debuts, reflecting the new developments, trends, and characteristics of global youth art creation. R.A.W.! is open to young artists from around the world who are 45 years old or younger, including but not limited to professional young artists, non-professional young creators, and curators. Applications are welcome from both individuals and teams.
The selected artists will receive multi-aspect support in work/project production funds, premiere venue, technical equipment, and publicizing, and may receive one-on-one guidance from arts panel formed by leading figures in each discipline. To promote cultural exchange among countries involved in the Belt and Road Initiative and to support young artists from these countries, R.A.W.! encourages submissions of works created by individuals or teams from Belt and Road countries, or works that reflect the themes of the Belt and Road Initiative.
R.A.W.! Calling for Commissioned Works of Stage Performing Arts
2026 R.A.W.! Commissioned Works of Stage Performing Arts would be divided into two sections: Works and Programs. The selected works will be premiered in China Shanghai International Arts Festival Rising Artists' Works.
I. Requirements
1. Works: Theme unlimited, works (including music, dance, drama/opera, and cross-displinary works, etc.) shall display a distinct creativity with unique artistic style and explores the relationships between the present, the society, the audience, and the performing space. The content shall be artistic, meaningful, and pleasing to the eye, with nothing in defiance of Chinese laws and regulations.
2. Programs: Generally no more than 15 minutes; short, concise programs of 6 minutes or less are encouraged. The theme should be clear and positive, reflecting a festive atmosphere while aligning with contemporary themes. The program categories include, but are not limited to, the following. We encourage original works that feature innovative formats and unique content:
·Festive Category: High-quality works in various artistic forms, including music, dance, drama, traditional Chinese opera, acrobatics, folk art, choral music, and intangible cultural heritage performances. These works should represent the leading edge of the industry, showcasing innovation and uniqueness, while highlighting a joyful and harmonious atmosphere that matches the festive spirit.
·Thematic Category: Works that express patriotic sentiment, focus on important themes, highlight major achievements, and present realistic subjects that reflect the spirit of the times; works that reflect the creative transformation and innovative development of traditional Chinese culture; and works that demonstrate the recreation of Western art forms within a Chinese context, that are suitable for international exchange and promotion.
·Innovative Trends Category: Works that explore emerging trends in the arts, examining new directions in popular culture and artistic expression.
II.Terms of commission
1.The applicant submitting a work of stage performing arts shall have professional competence, and be able to create independently and lead a professional team to complete the entire process from creation, design and production to performance.
2.Duration and Size:
·Works:30-60 minutes length; no limit on form or theme; no more than 10 actors; no more than 15 crew members including technicians and management.
·Programs: The duration is generally no more than 15 minutes. Works that are highly adaptable to stage settings with minimal props are encouraged. If the submission is an excerpt from a larger work, it must have a complete theme, a coherent storyline, and be able to independently convey its artistic expression.
3.All works shall be original; the applicant must ensure that he or she owns the copyright of the independent creation, which has never won an award in any competition, and has not been published or performed in public.
III. How to apply
Only email applications are accepted for the commissioned works of performing arts. Applicants must send the complete application materials (see Section 4 ”What to have ready” for details) to designated email address: youngtalents@163.com. The email subject must be formatted as "2026 Commission Application + Work/Program + Genre (music/dance/drama/opera, etc.) + <Title of the work/program> + Individual/Group + Applicant Name (Individual/Group)". All application materials should be uploaded to Baidu Netdisk with a permanently valid link. Please include the download link in the body of the email.
IV. What to have ready for Works/Programs
1.Application Form: Application Form for Performing Arts (Individual&Group) - 25th China Shanghai International Arts Festival (2026) R.A.W.! Commissioned Works;
2.Recent Photos of Applicant(s): 1 or 2 copies;
3.Previous Works: Videos, audio recordings, media reviews and etc;
4.Materials:
Works: For drama/traditional Chinese opera works: submit the complete script or script outline of the proposed work, and a video clip (resolution not lower than 720P) of script reading or trial performance with a duration of no less than 5 minutes; For musical works: submit the score of the proposed work and an audio material with a duration of no less than 5 minutes; For dance works: submit the complete structural text of the proposed work and a video clip (resolution not lower than 720P) with a duration of no less than 5 minutes; For fusion and interdisciplinary art works: submit the work outline and a material samples.
Programs: Work structure/outline/program list; Other textual materials: such as script, sheet music, creative notes, etc.;Audio-visual materials: rehearsal or performance videos, full-length preferred.
* For non-Chinese-language works, please provide the English version or English translation of the above application materials.
* Name the files/folders in accordance with the above order and category names.
* The total size of application materials shall not exceed 1GB.
V. How to evaluate after your submission
The selection for this year's R.A.W.! Commissioned Works of Stage Performing Arts consists of two stages: first-round review and second-round review.
The first-round review is conducted through online material browsing; the second-round review is conducted through onsite/online presentation and Q&As.
After the selection is completed, a list of selected commissioned works will be released. The expert panel offers guidance and assessment opinions regarding the artistry, creativity, feasibility and rationality of the commissioned artist's works.
The copyright of all selected works shall be shared by the author and the organizer, who both own the rights and interests of the selected works' premieres (including but not limited to sponsorship, ticketing, photography and videography).
VI.Deadline for Application
March 31st, 2026
(subject to the time when the email is received)
VII. Contact
XU Xin
Tel: 0086-21-52654032
Fax: 0086-21-52654026
Email: youngtalents@163.com
R.A.W.! Calling for Commissioned Works of Visual Arts
CSIAF’s RAW for VISUAL is launching its 2026 global call for applications as from today and will continue until March 31st, 2026, selecting one (or one group of) young artists and one (or one group of) young curators. The selected candidates will be provided with the opportunity to exhibit their works and curatorial proposals at designated art spaces in Shanghai during the 25th China Shanghai International Arts Festival.
Exhibition production funds, exhibition venue, publicizing, and may receive one-on-one guidance from arts panel formed by leading figures in visual art discipline.
I. Requirements
1.The space for the selected artist's solo exhibition is approximately 500㎡. The theme is not limited, and categories can be painting, sculpture, photography, installation, sound, video, new media, etc. The submitted works must be newly created original pieces, with a clear indication of the number of entries and the estimated number of works available for exhibition. The works should demonstrate high artistic quality, intellectual depth, and creativity.
2. The space of the group exhibition designed by the curator shall not exceed 800㎡. There is no limit to the exhibition theme. The quantity of participating artists shall not exceed 8, and the number of works shall be clarified. The exhibition shall demonstrate high-level professionalism and social vision, conducive to promoting the artistic communication between Chinese and foreign young visual art talents.
II. Application
Only email application is accepted for the first-round review. The applicant shall submit the complete works and related materials, and the Application Form as an essential (a scanned copy of the signed or sealed form) to the organizer's email box: RAW101@artsbird.com, with "2026 RAW Commissioned Works of Visual Arts + Applicant Name" as email subject. The attachments shall include the following materials:
For participating artists:
1. Photos of the works (one photo for each graphic work; 2-3 photos from different angles for each multi-material work; a full-length file for video work. The photos shall be in JPG format, each with a size of less than 5MB and a resolution of over 300dpi).
2. A full biography of the author.
3. An introduction to the concepts of the exhibited works (no more than 1,000 words, in a Word or PDF file).
4. No less than 5 works for each applicant. If the works are selected in the preliminary evaluation, another notice will be given about submitting the original works for the re-evaluation and solo exhibition.
For participating curators:
1. Curatorial proposal for the group exhibition (including a description of the exhibition theme, an introduction to the participating artist and their works, budget and other implementation measures).
2. A full biography of the curator.
3.Previous successfully implemented curation cases (including complete curatorial proposals, media reports, etc., in the form of text or video).
For non-Chinese-speaking artists and curators, please provide an English version or an English translation of the above application materials.
III. Evaluation
A panel of experts jointly organized by the China Shanghai International Arts Festival and the Shanghai Artists Association shall select one artist and one curator from the applicants. The selection consists of three stages: Preliminary evaluation, Re-evaluation, and Create/Curate Guidance and Assessment.
Preliminary Evaluation: The organizer will establish a judging panel consisting of authoritative experts, who will be invited for a half-day review meeting based on the online submission materials.
Re-evaluation: Applicants entered the second round are required to attend an offline presentation, and interpret their works or exhibition proposal to the authoritative experts in turn.
Create/Curate Guidance and Assessment: The expert panel offers guidance and assessment opinions regarding the artistry, creativity, operability and rationality of the selected artist's solo exhibition proposal and the selected curator's group exhibition proposal.
IV. Deadline
March 31st, 2026
(subject to the date when the email is received by the organizer's email box: RAW101@artsbird.com).
V.Terms of application
1. All works or proposals shall be original. The applicant shall be fully responsible for the copyright of the works involved and ensure that no infringement of any third party's copyright will occur during the use of the works. The organizer will keep all the declaration materials strictly confidential, and no returns for the materials once submitted, whether chosen or not.
2. The allocation and use of commissioned works production funds are subject to the organizer’s review; the implementation rules and process must comply with government policies. The organizer is entitled to make reasonable adjustments to the project budget based on actual conditions.
3.The exhibited works must meet the requirements for at least one month of exhibition period in terms of technical safety and operation and maintenance.
4.To ensure the quality of the displayed works, the organizer is entitled to disqualify a selected applicant and terminate cooperation if the following situations occur: 1) The selected applicant is incapable of actual implementation; 2) The selected applicant does not cooperate with the organizer's work; 3) The selected applicant does not abide by the cooperation agreement, or 4) The selected applicant is unable to complete the work according to the predetermined requirements.
VI. Contact
Catrina BAO
Tel: 0086-21-52654017
Fax: 0086-21-52654026
Email: RAW101@artsbird.com
Note:
The organizer reserves the right to final interpretation of the program.
For more information, please visit the WeChat account: RAW_CSIAF (RAW扶持青年艺术家计划).