Opportunity for artists - Newstead Road Bridge, Weymouth – artist design collaboration
Deadline: June 15, 2009
Background
The concept of a bridge spanning Newstead Road, Weymouth, was originally put forward by the West Dorset CTC - a local cycling group. This project became part of Connect2 and is one of 79 schemes that make up Connect2, a project being coordinated by Sustrans to improve cycling and walking routes throughout the UK.
The Connect2 project has a five-year completion schedule and it is planned that the Newstead Road Bridge will be in place well before the Borough hosts the London 2012 Olympic and Paralympic Games sailing events.
The budget for the project to build the bridge, construct an access ramp and undertake earthworks is £510,000 including all fees. By completing this link in the Rodwell Trail, will we create a safe, traffic free walking and cycle path from Ferrybridge to Weymouth Town Centre. The bridge will be used by local residents; walking their children to school, commuting to work, or going shopping. The bridge will also make the route user-friendly for parents with pushchairs and for people with disabilities.
The bridge will also be an enhancement to the 2012 Transport Strategy by providing an improved sustainable transport route for residents and visitors from the Weymouth Railway Station to the Sailing Academy site and Portland.
The Project
The selected artist will be consulting and working closely with Dorset County Council, Dorset Engineering Consultancy and Sustrans to amend the design and add “a layer of creativity” to the bridge and surrounding pathways and ramps. The artist will collaborate with the bridge engineer to develop an integrated design rather than designing elements to be added to the main structure.
The selected artist will consult with the local community and work with two identified schools as part of this process.
Timetable
Brief to Artists: May 15thth 2009
Applications deadline: June 15th 2009
Selection of artists for interview: June 19th 2009
Interview of four shortlisted artists and final selection: July 17th 2009
Schools programme agreed – Sept 1st – 4th 2009
Open Studio / Community Consultation: During Autumn 2009
Work with engineers begins: Autumn 2009
Final designs by May 1st 2010
Planning consent: Autumn 2009
Construction: Winter 2010 / Spring 2011
Finish date: Summer 2011
Artists Fees
A fee of £12,000 for approximately 50 days work has been agreed. The model, which can be adapted and changed, is of three blocks of 20 days across the autumn, winter and spring 2009-2010. Manufacturing costs of finished design will be incorporated within the Sustrans / DCC budget and the £12,000 fee includes all travel costs, accommodation and materials expenses incurred by the artist.
We envisage that the 50 days is to be broken down into:
Schools contact time: 10 days in total
Community contact time: 5 days in total
Research and preparation, technical meetings and consultations, production of working drawings and models, final designs: 35 days.
To Apply:
Artists to send images of previous work electronically by E-mail, on a CD as a powerpoint, .pdf document (or similar), with an image list, a CV and a brief letter outlining their interest in this project.
Electronically (preferred method) to: [email protected]
Or by post to:
Alan Rogers,
Arts Development Officer for Weymouth and Portland
Weymouth Colleg
Cranford Avenue
Weymouth
Dorset
DT4 7LQ
Deadline: June 15th 2009