Baltic Wharf, Totnes - Commission phase 1
Deadline: May 29, 2015, 12:00 pm
TQ9 and TotSoc are seeking an experienced artist/designer or artist collective to research, design, fabricate and install a permanent bespoke play environment at Baltic Wharf that enables and supports natural play.
The play environment created is expected to be used primarily by the new residents of Baltic Wharf and others living in Totnes and nearby, although it will also be open for any members of the public to use, including visitors to the town.
The artist appointed will be expected to develop and lead a series of relevant engagement activities with local young people as part of their initial research. Feedback from this work should inform the proposed location(s) and artist’s design development process.
This commission forms part of the Phase 1 landscaping programme, led and funded by site owners TQ9. This project is funded by TQ9, Awards for All and Arts Council England. It is anticipated that a second phase playbased art project in another part of the development site will be delivered at a later stage. There is potential to consider the artist appointed for Phase 1 to deliver Phase 2 as well.
This opportunity forms part of the Baltic Wharf Public Art Programme accompanying the redevelopment of Baltic Wharf, a new mixed-use development in the historic market town of Totnes in south Devon. The semi-rural nature of the green space within Baltic Wharf offers an excellent opportunity for a creative project based on the principles of natural play, capitalising on the surrounding natural features and environment.
Recent discussions and thinking by artists and play providers have focused around the provision of play opportunities such as ‘natural play’ that are less structured, more open-ended and less risk averse than more formal playgrounds and ‘off the peg’ play equipment. The site owners TQ9 and TotSoc (the local Civic Society) are keen to support this approach.
Natural play prioritises children exploring and enjoying the natural environment through their freely chosen play. This might include making camps and dens, climbing trees, playing with water, sticks and logs, being noisy and getting muddy. It may also include growing food, flowers, and cooking. To read more about natural play click here for the Play England’s 2007 report ‘Play, naturally: a review of children’s natural play’.
A total budget of up to £19,200 exc VAT and inclusive of all expenses is available for the project. The budget holder is TotSoc. Suzanne Heath will act as project manager and will manage the budget and certification process to an agreed scope of work.
Applications should be sent in electronic format only to Suzanne Heath, project manager via: [email protected] by 12 noon on Friday the 29th of May 2015. You will be notified by email on receipt of your application. If you do not receive notification please contact the project manager to ensure your application has been received.
Applications should include:
- A recent copy of your CV highlighting relevant projects and experience
- Visual examples of relevant previous projects
- An artist statement setting out your working practice and your approach to developing the project (no more than one side of A4
Click here to download the brief in full.
If you have any further questions or wish to send any catalogues or information via post please contact Suzanne Heath.
The key contact will be the art project manager:
Suzanne Heath, Project Manager
07843 417474
[email protected]
