Community routes commissions

Community Routes plays a vital role in Birmingham, nurturing local creatives and strengthening the city’s creative industries. Now that you have all completed the Residency, we want to provide more space space, support, and opportunity for you to bring your ideas to life and take meaningful steps towards your chosen careers.

Punch Records are looking to support the ideas of five artists from Community Routes 2025 with up to £1,000 in funding each

What is the Community Routes Commission?

Do you have a creative idea you’re ready to develop and bring to life? For the first time, we’re commissioning new work from our Community Routes programme - and we can’t wait to see the exciting projects you create.

No matter the creative discipline, we just want to support brilliant ideas. For our previous programmes, including The P Word and Gallery37, we have commissioned projects such as:

  • LEGACY - a short film exploring Grime and Rap in Birmingham

  • Reworlding - a multi-sensory environmental exhibition

  • TALES — the debut EP and series of music videos from Isabel Abbott

  • Heroes of History - a comic book celebrating important Black historical figures

Now, we’re investing in five new ideas from Community Routes artists. Each commission comes with up to £1,000 in funding, plus bespoke support from a Punch Producer to help you strengthen your technical skills, build industry connections, and make your project a reality.

What is the process?

Share your idea

Fill out the online application form and tell us what you’d love to create, why it excites you, and why it should be commissioned.
Applications close on September 24th.

Assessment

Our panel will spend time reading every application, exploring your ideas and considering the potential.
You’ll hear back from us with feedback by October 13th.

Bring it to life (the pitch!)
If your idea is shortlisted, you’ll be invited to pitch it in person to our panel on October 24th
This is your chance to bring your vision to life and share your passion directly with the team.

ready to apply?

Hit the button above to submit in your application - make sure it’s submitted by September 24th at Midnight.

Prefer to tell us about your idea on camera? Record a video and send it to lizzie@punch-records.co.uk.

If you’d like a bit of extra guidance or have any questions before applying, feel free to reach out to lizzie@punch-records.co.uk or give us a call at the Punch Office 0121 794 024