Collective Dreaming – October 2025 and January 2026 Opportunity
Flight Paths, Extant Production, 2019
This Collective Dreaming is part of a series of Extant wide interventions across 2025/26 including: organisational research and development periods and a brand-new role we’re currently recruiting – Thinker-in-Residence.
Extant are in the middle of a period of planned leadership and organisational change and are exploring radical new ways of collective decision making. We are beginning to test some of our emergent thinking in this area and to start with we’re recruiting 4 visually impaired people (from both outside and inside our known networks) to dream for a day and to begin to co-design something ambitious and extraordinary together. In mid-January 2026 there will be a second and longer, three-day residency to dream deeper together – this time with 6 visually impaired people. We’re increasing the number from 4 to 6 for the second session to see how/if it affects the collective decision making.
Our aim for the Collective Dreaming cohort is for them to produce, by the end of January 2026, a compelling outline, clear financial ask and a robust case for support of a co-designed large scale, ambitious, day-long event to take place in 2027, that centres visual impairment and aligns with the values of Extant.
A clear brief will be set in advance of the days and expectations will be shared with the selected candidates. Senior Extant staff and our Evolve evaluator will be present in both spaces as observers only.
Some of the things that Extant will be examining and observing from these two Collective Dreaming sessions include:
- emerging systems of decision making and flat structures
- where accountability and responsibility lie in non-hierarchical structures
- the ideas and concepts that are incubated when power is shared and the impact on radicalism, inclusivity and disability justice when visually impaired people collectively lead
Context
As part of its commitment to fostering innovative approaches and fresh ideas in visual impairment and the performing arts, this opportunity is designed to attract expertise from different industries and offer valuable insight and critique into Extant at a time when we are developing a new strategic focus. We welcome applications from people who may be transitioning in their career and who may have engineered or been integral to moments of change strategically, operationally or personally. We want to ensure that Extant remains at the forefront of practice and thought leadership and our Collective Dreamings are a critical part of that.
Next Steps
Location: London (1 day in October 2025) / outside of London (3 days in January 2026)
When: 29th October 2025 and mid-January 2026
Fee: £300 per day. Your travel, accommodation and per diems will be covered.
What: we would meet for dinner and eat together the night before the beginning of each session (once in October and once in January), and each dreamer would agree to take part in collective and individual evaluation across and after both sessions.
Email [email protected] your CV and a Cover Letter by 4pm on 3rd October 2025 which answers these questions:
- Please tell us a little about your life and career journey. What skills, expertise and experience could you bring to the collective? (write/record around 250 words)
- What areas of the Collective Dreaming are particularly attractive to you? (write/record around 250 words)
- Please tell us about any experience you have in working outside of the performing arts that would be relevant to this opportunity. (write/record around 250 words)
- Tell us anything else you think we should know. (write/record around 250 words)
- Please tell us if you would like to dream with us for 1 day (October), 3 days (January) or 4 days (October and January).
Online interviews will take place on the 9th and 10th October 2025. If you have any questions or would like further clarification, please email [email protected]