Illustation by David Huang & animation by Plastic Horse

Get your work in front of our clients!

Future Makers is a professional development opportunity that welcomes three emerging artists to join Grand Matter's award-winning roster for an entire year along with our professional guidance and support.

Applying for Future Makers will also get your work in front of a stellar list of Global illustration commissioners, as well as the chance for shortlisted artists to take part in a portfolio review.

Applications are now open for 2025!

Header illustrations created by David Huang, part of the 2023 Future Makers cohort.

Why apply for Future Makers?

The 3 artists selected to join the programme will have Grand Matter as their agent for the year and the chance to work together on commercial projects.

🌟 Be part of an award winning roster

🫶 Receive support and guidance from our friendly team

✏️ Develop your practice to achieve your goals

But it's not just a programme. Applying for Future Makers is a great way to make connections, build community and have your work seen by commissioning clients.

10 artists will be offered the opportunity to meet with commissioners at The Guardian for an online portfolio review.

Everyone who applies will be featured in a special round-up sent to our top clients, and remain in our agency notebook of ones to watch.

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"

It’s made me realise what kind of work I would like to create moving forward, and opened my eyes to what opportunities are available.

– Julie Lai, 2021 cohort

Is the Future Makers programme for you?

If you're early on in your illustration career and have faced barriers, then Future Makers could be the right fit.

We want to hear from those who...

Are in their first 5 years out in the wild as an illustrator
Have a healthy dose of creative curiosity
Have a cohesive portfolio of illustration work
Are active and motivated in progressing their career
Can commit for the full year (see what's involved below)
Want to work as a freelance illustrator
Self-identify within one of the eligible groups listed in the next section

What does the year look like?

Running from 1st June 2025 to 31st May 2026, the year includes:

A curated portfolio on the GM website
Exclusive representation and promotion of your work
A dedicated agent as your mentor throughout
Regular personal development 1-2-1’s including setting a development project
An editorial showcase shared with our clients of your development project
An advice session with one of the Grand Matter artists
A portfolio review with one of our clients
The chance to work together on commercial projects!

Key dates

Applications open: 1st March 2025
Application close: 31st March 2025
Selection process: 1st April - 4th May 2025
Programme runs: 1st June 2025 – 31st May 2026

Eligibility

We want to see a more diverse illustration industry, for this reason Future Makers is open solely to illustration-based artists belonging to underrepresented groups and communities of all ages (18+).

A refugee or asylum seeker
A person of colour
Identify as LGBTQ+
Identify as neurodivergent
Living with a disability
No university education
Parental household income less than £25k per annum
Young parent or carer
Other (please specify on application)

"Working alongside Otherway on the Toast Brewing rebrand was an insightful and rewarding process, and really positive seeing the final product on shelf and promoted online."
– Martha Olivia, 2023 cohort

Get your application in by 31st March 2025!

To apply to become a Future Maker please fill in the form via the link below; including your name, email and up to 8 portfolio examples, plus a short introduction about yourself, your work and what you’d hope to get out of joining Grand Matter.

Apply Now

FAQs

If you're unsure whether you're eligible, or have a question about how it all works, have a read over some of the most frequently asked questions below to help you decide if Future Makers is right for you.

Do I need to have worked with clients before?

There is no requirement to have worked on illustration commissions previously but it's okay if you have. The important thing is that you have a cohesive portfolio of work, want to work on commissions as a freelance illustrator and are comfortable talking about your work over email or video call.

It's always a little nerve wracking working on something new, but we'll be here to support and guide you through the process!

Will I need to be in London?

Our artists are based all around the world.

Everything can be done remotely, and so as long as you have a reliable internet connection it doesn't matter where you are based.

How does representation work?

As agents our role is to promote our artists in lots of different ways, to our long-standing clients as well as seeking out and developing new relationships, putting artists forward for the right opportunities.

When a new project enquiry arises, we work out all the details with the client including fee and contract negotiations, advocating for our artists, and support with project management throughout. We're there on every client call, email and meeting ready to jump in if we're needed. Our commission amount is taken from the total project fee when payment comes in.

At Grand Matter we place a strong emphasis on nurturing creative curiosity and supporting our artists to explore and evolve their practice.

How do you decide your eligibility criteria?

The creative industry is a difficult one to break in to, and hugely unrepresentative of society in many ways. We want to see a more diverse illustration industry, and for this reason Future Makers is open solely to illustration-based artists belonging to underrepresented groups and communities of all ages (18+).

We understand that there are many barriers that stand in the way of starting a freelance career of any kind, but especially when pursuing creative fields.

I've been working for more than 5 years, can I apply?

Future Makers is aimed at those who are in the early stages of their career. We've defined this as within the first 5 years – whether that's since leaving university / college, setting out as a self taught illustrator, or perhaps changing your career.

We know that everyone's situation is different, and it can take some time to get into your stride as a freelance illustrator. We are able to offer the most help when you're creating work consistenty and are ready to step things up a gear to reach your goals.

If you have been pursuing an illustration career for longer than 5 years, but feel the programme is right for you even so, then we would welcome your application.

Can I have another job while on the programme?

Absolutely. Many illustrators in the early stages of their career will have a day job or part time role. We will do our best to schedule our 1-2-1 meetings at a time that suits best within our working week.

If you have the opportunity to work on a commission then you'd need to assess whether you are able to meet the deadlines and deliver the project around your other committments, on a case by case basis. You will always have the choice to turn a project down.

I'm already represented, can I apply?

Future Makers includes exclusive representation with Grand Matter for the year, and so we're not able to take on artists who already have an agent.

Do Future Maker artists ever join the roster?

We pride ourselves on our close-knit community of artists, and so grow at a slow pace to make sure we're offering the right level of support to everyone, but Future Maker artists have joined our roster in the past after completing the programme, when it's the right fit for us both.

Will I get to work on actual commissions?

We hope that we're able to work on live projects together during the programme, but there's no pressure to. In previous years Future Maker artists have been commissioned by the likes of Hermés, LUSH, The New Yorker, design agency Otherway, Starbucks, The New Scientist, Politico and more!