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Scheme Overview

Introduction

PROJECT - engaging artists in the built environment is a new national funding scheme jointly supported by the Commission for Architecture and the Built Environment (CABE) and Arts & Business (A&B). Public Art South West (PASW) has worked in partnership with CABE and A&B to develop the scheme and is responsible for its management and delivery.

The purpose of the scheme is to engage artists, public agencies and the private sector in a range of projects that will have a positive impact on the places in which we live. It will bring a new dimension to, and promote wider issues around, the development of a high quality built environment. It will do this by supporting artists to comment on or work within the design, planning and construction sectors in order to influence and create a shared vision for architecture, public space, planning and high quality urban design. The scheme covers England, Northern Ireland, Scotland and Wales.

How Does it Work?

PROJECT - engaging artists in the built environment provides financial assistance to support collaboration between artists and design, planning and construction professionals, working pro-actively with public and private sector agencies on projects in the built environment.

It is intended to facilitate the artist’s role as a creative thinker and/or commentator, working within the team appointed to deliver the project. It is not intended to cover the capital costs of implementing any work which may arise from this process. In the context of this scheme, the term ‘artist’ is intended to cover a range of art forms.

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Aims

PROJECT - engaging artists in the built environment seeks to:

  • promote the sharing of ideas and creativity within multidisciplinary practice in our built environment
  • integrate artists’ creativity and skills into the design of our built and natural environment in order to enhance the quality of life
  • promote high quality design which is fit for purpose, reflects local identity, meets communities’ needs and expectations, provides economic benefit
  • encourage new partnerships and ways of working, especially within the education, housing and healthcare sectors
  • invest in innovative schemes, to create new contexts and opportunities for artists, for example in regeneration schemes
  • evaluate the benefits, outcomes and influence of projects receiving awards in order to inform future working.

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Evaluation Process

PROJECT - engaging artists in the built environment wishes to raise the level of debate, change working practices, unlock partnership funding and analyse the benefits of working with artists. Therefore an independent evaluation process will assess projects in receipt of awards in order to evaluate the outcomes. The goal is to produce research with a robust evidential base that will inform future policy and practice.

To achieve this aim, successful award applicants will be asked to monitor their project as it proceeds and to assess processes and outcomes against objectives agreed with the Scheme Manager at the beginning of the project. They will also be required to collect specific monitoring information for the independent evaluators and to co-operate with any follow-up visits or interviews required.

Ongoing Support

All projects that receive awards will receive support, advice and assistance from the Scheme Manager. Award recipients will be invited to participate in the promotion of the scheme through events, seminars and conferences, which encourage the sharing of information.

Successful applicants will be asked to supply any details and images necessary to support the creation of case studies and information for the PROJECT - engaging artists in the built environment website.

Public Art South West will work actively to ensure that debate around the aims of individual projects are shared and acknowledged, and will widely disseminate the findings of the evaluation process.

Follow this link to download full guidelines in Adobe Acrobat document format:

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