St. John’s Worcester Commission
Deadline: April 3, 2016, 9:00 am
Worcester City Council wish to appoint a suitably qualified and experienced artist(s) to create a bespoke and distinctive community led public artwork for the St. John’s area of Worcester. The purpose of the public artwork is to create an attractive and notable feature(s) that links to the history and heritage of the area.
St. John’s is a suburb of Worcester which lies to the west of the city. The name St. John’s is also used to refer to all of Worcester west of the River Severn including residential suburbs. The central part of St. John’s is a Conservation Area, designated because of its special architectural and historic interest. There are two parks in St. John’s, Pitmaston Park to the southwest and Cripplegate Park to the northeast. St. John’s is a historic settlement built upon pre-existing Saxon roads and has a varied historic environment which includes Roman enclosures and burials, medieval timber-framed buildings, sites of Civil War fighting, and former tanneries and malthouses.
The selected artist(s) will work with officers and members from Worcester City Council, Worcestershire County Council and local community groups and schools to deliver a unique and interesting public art concept that will reflect and celebrate, in some way, the heritage of St. John’s, and which can act as a focal point in and around the area to create a sense of civic pride. Initial concepts are that the artwork will reflect and/or interpret the history, heritage and the present day of St. John’s through researched themes. Artists are asked to consider the themes of people and community, buildings and place, retail and leisure.
The objectives for the artwork are;
- To create unique and distinctive artwork(s) that are of a high quality and design, are durable and easy to maintain, which integrate with the character of St. John’s and enhance the character of the St. John’s Conservation Area.
- To create artwork that builds on the identity of St. John’s through its heritage in an innovative and engaging way, and is responsive to the local community.
- Provides a focal point or series of focal points that can be enjoyed by all ages and abilities, and seeks to involve all members of the local community and visitors.
The budget for the public art is capped at £30,000. This budget must include all costs; artists’ fees, materials, enablement works, delivery to and installation on site.
Deadline for Expression of interest: 3rd April 2016