Ten young performers, writers, and musicians have been chosen to join a prestigious talent development scheme at the Roundhouse, an iconic London arts venue. The selected creatives, aged 18 to 25, will receive a year of dedicated support to help launch their professional careers.
The Resident Artist Programme
The scheme, based at the Roundhouse in Camden, provides emerging talent with free studio space, professional mentoring, and paid performance opportunities. Previous participants have gone on to become award-winning writers, chart-topping musicians, and acclaimed producers. This year's selected cohort includes musicians Carmen Mellino, Cuttfruit, Isidora, Mar!k, and Zoiya, alongside theatre makers Elena Chamberlain, Marcel Bedeau, Victor Sarpong, Selorm Adonu, and Shermya. Reusable bottle brand Chilly's is returning to sponsor the programme for a second year.
Quotes from Leadership and Participants
Jenny Mollica, chief executive officer of the Roundhouse, said: "Research commissioned by the Roundhouse earlier this year found that 87 per cent of young people say opportunities to connect and create are disappearing. For many years, our Resident Artist programme has been one of the ways we've responded to that challenge, providing exceptional young creatives with the space, mentoring, community and opportunities they need to thrive. I'm delighted to welcome this year's cohort and can't wait to see how they develop over the coming year and beyond."
Elena Chamberlain, 2026/27 Roundhouse resident artist, said: "I applied to be a Resident Artist with the Roundhouse after taking part in the Roundhouse Poetry Slam heats over the past few years. That experience has been incredibly formative for my work, and the Resident Artist programme felt like the natural next step in my journey as a creative. I’m excited to learn from people across the industry, build lasting relationships with my cohort, and develop a longer-term project to share next year. I feel incredibly privileged to have been given this opportunity, and can't wait to work with the Roundhouse, who champion young people and creativity in such an inspiring way."
Selorm Adonu, award-winning writer and actor, said: “I’m excited to be a part of this insanely talented lineup of Roundhouse Resident Artists! I applied because I have a fearless desire to use multidisciplinary arts to challenge perspectives, create raw and ambitious work and take risks in the arts that are culturally resonant. I am an artist. I don’t want to fit into one box. And Roundhouse feels like the right place for me to harness my different disciplines and even learn a few new ones as I collaborate with my other talented Resident Artists.”
Emmeline, 2025/26 resident artist, added: “Being part of the Resident Artist programme this year has been massively transformative in my sense of feeling both grounded and supported within the industry. The opportunities we’ve been given both to grow in our artistic practices and to meet professionals have been incredible, and I’m extremely grateful to have been surrounded by a collective of incredibly talented and dedicated young musicians and writers.”
Pavel Davison, brand and collaborations manager at Chilly’s, commented: “Our partnership with the Roundhouse is rooted in a shared belief in the importance of investing in the next generation of creatives. As we enter our second year supporting the Resident Artist programme, we're thrilled to welcome another inspiring cohort of artists and continue backing a programme that gives emerging talent the confidence, community and opportunity to flourish. We look forward to seeing where this year's journey takes them.”
Additional Context and Impact
Many of the new artists have already used the venue's studio spaces to record music or perform in local poetry events. The national initiative forms part of the PRS Foundation talent development partner scheme supported by PPL. The Roundhouse continues to serve as a vital hub for young creatives, addressing the gap in opportunities identified in their research. For more information on the resident artists, visit the Roundhouse website.
