Call for Proposals 2026:

Vacant Spaces, Living Stories

Ngā Rohenga Kōrero | Places of Gathering & Creativity

Urban Dream Brokerage (UDB) invites artists, collectives, festivals and community groups to propose creative activations that bring life to Pōneke’s empty commercial spaces. We broker relationships between artists, property owners and city stakeholders to transform vacant spaces into sites of connection and creativity.

Our call out responds to the Wellington City Council’s Oranga Ahurea - Cultural Wellbeing Strategy: celebrating a city that is welcoming, diverse and creative. We’re seeking projects that enliven our streets and help people see our city alongside each other, in new ways.

What We’re Looking For

We invite proposals that connect to one or more of the following:

• Celebrate te ao Māori — Projects that foreground tikanga, pūrākau and whakapapa of place.

• Embolden the arts — Experimental, participatory and test case types of projects that expand what art can be.

• Embrace heritage — Activations that unearth, reinterpret or honour histories of a site and its people.

• Express multicultural identity — Works that reflect or celebrate the diverse voices and communities of Pōneke.

• Acknowledge and care -  For the whenua, wai and more-than-human world.

All disciplines are welcome - visual, performance, movement,  sound, digital, social, multi and cross-disciplinary practice.

We are happy to work with projects that have short lead-ins & timeframes. All works must be completed by August 2026.

Participation is Key

UDB’s kaupapa is built on participation. We’re interested in projects that invite the public in to contribute. You might:

• Invite audiences to share memories of the space or neighbourhood

• Create live or interactive making moments

• Incorporate digital or sonic participation

• Wānanga and share rituals and actions that grow over time

We’re less focused on scale, more on the depth of engagement… the relationships that form between people and place.

Support & Process

Selected artists will receive hands-on support from UDB throughout the development of their project. We offer:

• Potential space — brokerage of a suitable vacant site in central Wellington.

• Mentoring — guidance from UDB’s team to help refine your project and navigate production where needed.

• Promotion — dedicated communications support through UDB’s social media, newsletters and additional channels.

• Documentation — professional capture of your activation for your portfolio and the living archive of UDB projects

Process:

• Proposals are reviewed by the UDB Advisory Panel through an open and transparent selection process.

• Projects are chosen for their creativity, connection to place and alignment with the kaupapa.

How to Apply

Submit your proposal via our online form below OR email a document directly to kiaora@urbandreambrokerage.org.nz

You’ll be asked for:

• A short project description (max 1000 words)

• Images or examples of your work

• A brief artist bio and contact details

Applications close: Friday December 12th 12pm

We encourage submissions from Māori, Tangata Moana + social and culturally diverse creatives, and from those at all stages of their practice.

Document download here.