Create Something Epic for IMMERSE 2026!

Applications are open!
APPLICATION DEADLINE is August 31, 2025 11:59pm EST

What is IMMERSE?

Creative City Project began in 2012 with almost no money, producing an art experience in random Downtown public spaces every day during the month of October. Those seeds have grown into a full blown festival, now called IMMERSE Fest. The festival is an annual performing and interactive arts experience which takes place across 10 city blocks in Downtown Orlando. Creative City Project collaborates with over 1,000 artists to create meaningful and epic experiences audiences can’t have anywhere else in the world.


What kind of art will be most successful at IMMERSE?

IMMERSE isn't your everyday arts festival. We're looking for experiences, performances, and installations that go beyond and inspire people to live creative lives everyday. We want to help patrons have experiences they can't have anywhere else. Here are some things we think define an IMMERSE artist.

UNEXPECTED

  • Surprise the audience! Experiences that break from the ordinary and surprise us have the power to awaken curiosity and spark a sense of wonder. When something defies expectations, it invites people to see the world differently and opens them up to new possibilities.

NEW

  • Introducing unfamiliar forms, ideas, or perspectives helps ignite imagination and encourages creative living. Newness disrupts routine, offering fresh ways of experiencing, feeling, and connecting with the world around us.

COLLABORATIVE

  • Think cross-discipline collaborations! Creative work thrives when people come together, blending talents, voices, and visions into something richer than any one person could create alone. Join forces with other artists to create something beyond yourself. Collaboration builds a sense of shared ownership and invites diverse communities to co-create meaning and experience.

MEANINGFUL

  • Experiences that resonate emotionally or reflect deeper themes invite reflection and connection on a human level. When art speaks to something real—identity, memory, hope, or longing—it leaves a lasting impression and fuels personal growth. Creativity becomes even more powerful when it draws people into meaningful interactions with others and with their environment.

RELATIONAL

  • Relational experiences are not just about observing—they’re about participating, connecting, and building a sense of belonging. Installations like interactive light sculptures or communal letter‑writing booths invite active participation, turning audience members into co‑creators in the artwork itself.

SITE SPECIFIC

  • Use the environment of Downtown Orlando in a useful, unique way. When art is shaped by—and in conversation with—a specific place, it transforms the environment into something newly seen and deeply felt. By responding to the textures, stories, and structures of a location, site-specific work draws people into unexpected relationships with familiar spaces.

These are some of the things the team considers when crafting a compelling experience for audiences to explore. Artists of all kinds will gather in the streets and public spaces of Downtown Orlando for an unforgettable event. 

Is my artform a fit for IMMERSE?

We invite individual artists, artist collectives, companies and organizations to participate in IMMERSE.

We are looking for engaging and meaningful projects, installations and performances in the following disciplines:

  • Performing Arts (music, theatre, dance, spoken word, puppetry, etc.)

  • Installations (interactive exhibits, installations, walk-throughs, activities, etc.)

  • Media Arts (photography, video, animation, digital art, robotics, etc.)

  • Visual Arts (draw, paint, sculpture, printmaking, crafts, etc.)

  • If your artform isn’t listed here, give it a try. We’re always open to unique ideas!


When is IMMERSE?

IMMERSE is scheduled for the third weekend in February, 20-22, 2026. Artists selected to participate will have an opportunity to inform the Programming Team of conflicts and availability during the application process, with final schedules presented in November 2025.

Do you offer payments to artists?

Creative City Project believes in supporting artists who contribute to the event. IMMERSE stipends vary depending on the scope of the performance or installation. They are given to projects, installations, and performances that provide audiences with a unique, meaningful and engaging experience until the stipend fund is fully allotted. More information regarding stipends will be provided in the artist application.

 

Still have questions?

Email us! We’re happy to answer any questions you have: info@immersefest.com