Every summer—from July to September—Future Front opens their Community Studio as a creative space for monthly gatherings and workshops led by Future Front members. From Clay Club to Quilt Camp, Community Clubs are designed to nurture local creativity in Austin.
This year, 10 clubs will be selected for the program. Club hosts will receive a $500 stipend, access to Future Front’s location at 1900 E 12th for three sessions and professional development in facilitation, community curation and public programming.
This program is a good fit for Austin artists, creative types and community leaders who currently run and/or want to launch a club or gathering series—and would like some support. Pre-existing clubs and series are welcome and encouraged to apply.
Community
Clubs
Want to host a club in 2026?
Here’s what that looks like:
What does a community club host receive?
Up to 12 hours of free use of Future Front’s Community Studio between July 29, 2026 & September 30, 2026
Supportive training on hosting community gatherings with Future Front’s team
Access to Future Front’s gathering tools, guidelines and frameworks for public programming, community curation and facilitation
A $500 stipend for club materials
Promotion of the club through Future Front’s newsletter, socials and more
What are this season’s community club requirements?
01. Only Community Clubs on the following topics will be accepted:
Creative Growth — Learning a new craft or creative skill
Creative Practice — Deepening a creative practice, ritual, habit or interest
Creative Connection — Using a creative activity to build connection
02. Clubs must be hosted by Future Front members (sign up anytime!) or artists and creative types who have exhibited work or been accepted into other Future Front programs.
03. Whether you submit a club you already run or start something new, you will only receive up to 12 donated hours within Future Front’s Community Studio (good for 3 to 4 club meetings) between July 1 and September 30. 50% of your sessions must occur at Future Front’s Community Studio.
04. If your club is not yet active, we suggest designing for a maximum of 10 to 20 active members. You can promote your club and recruit members however you please, as long as the club is open to all who are interested to join (18+) for free, by donation or a fee.
What does a Community Club host do?
A club host sets the tone and the purpose of their club. A club host selects the intention and overarching goal of the club.
A club host runs their club autonomously, with support from Future Front.
A club host sets the agenda, location, medium and/or topic for every club meeting using Google Calendar or an alternative calendar tool.
They also check in with members of the club at least once a month via email, text or some other communication method, as well as collaborate with Future Front to announce their club to the Future Front newsletter every July.
From July to September, all club hosts can use The Future Front House up to four times as a free space and venue.
A club host wants to be a good host. If you become a host, you’re interested in community-building as a creative practice, sharpening your facilitation skills and practicing curatorial work! Hosts meet with the Future Front team twice to check in on their club, share resources, learn from growth edges, have fun & hang! Hosts are responsible for:
Keeping the club safe by staying curious & asking for feedback
Having & starting conversations, as well as facilitating space for others to share
Understanding everything that is going on within the club, etc.!
Can’t imagine what makes for a good club? Or what joining one might look like? We got you! Let’s take a look at Hike Club.
Two years ago, Future Front member Stephanie Granillo decided to list her pre-existing Quilt Camp as a Future Front Club. The club met three times, and the goal was simple — learn how to quilt! Stephanie used the additional support from Future Front to charge a low-cost ticket price.
*Take a look at previous club ideas for inspiration:
CREATIVE GROWTH CLUBS
Creative Growth clubs are best for people looking to learn a new skill or way of doing things.
★ Quilt Camp
★ Sewing Club
★ Creative Leaders Collective
CREATIVE PRACTICE CLUBS
Creative Practice clubs are best for people looking to deepen a creative practice, ritual, habit or interest.
★ Songwriting Summer Club
★ Sketchers Drawing Club
★ INT. WRITERS' ROOM — NIGHT: Screenwriter Meet-Up
CREATIVE CONNECTION CLUBS
Creative Connection clubs are best for people looking to celebrate, support or connect around something cultural that everyone in the club loves.
★ The Little Gay Book Club
★ In Sight In Mind
★ Vision Board Club
★ Community Table Supper Club
★ Healing Through Poetry Book Club
Community Clubs are hosted at Future Front’s Studio on 1900 E 12th.
Our 1940s building is nestled within Austin’s African-American Cultural Heritage District, and we hope to live up to the legacy of our block.
From soil to cement, our building has a long history that precedes us (from its first owner Vera Barton to the We Rise mural). We acknowledge and honor our neighborhood’s German immigration origins in the 1800s), legacy of Black entrepreneurs following the 1928 City Plan in the 1950s, as well as the diverse Indigenous peoples and all elders—past, present and future—who have shaped and continue to shape this land on which we gather, too.
We invite you to celebrate their active cultural contributions and traditions. Take care now.
Through this creative space in East Austin and our flagship programs, we create:
Educational opportunities for creative skill-building and creative wellness
Fund community cultural events
Develop community-building educational resources
Offer subsidized access to arts and culture public space
Nurture free, public arts programming
Experiment with community-driven and creative place-making and place-keeping models—together.
Hosted by and for community members, this season’s clubs welcomed 20+ new instructors and more than 500 public visitors. From Sewing Club to Community Table Supper Club, these gatherings fostered and nurtured the local creativity of Austin.