Stokes Croft Gateway Award: Call for Ideas
Deadline: August 31, 2012
Stokes Croft Gateway Award: Call for Ideas
Introduction
Stokes Croft is an inner-city area of unique character, defined by its vibrantly independent community spirit and mix of residents, businesses, traders and artists. It is home to creative businesses and individuals, destination shops and clubs, the homeless, world-class street art, and passionate individuals in equal measure.
Background
A recent successful bid by Bristol City Council has lead to the city winning £5m of funding towards enhancement of key commuter routes, including the A38 which passes through Stokes Croft:
"This bid is an integrated package promoting low carbon alternatives to single occupancy car-use on six routes capturing 40% of journeys to work across the West of England. The project focuses on the whole commuter journey by engaging employers, enabling journey choice by providing alternatives to the car, and working with commuters to address information and awareness barriers. Each works together to increase sustainable commuting, and contribute to reducing carbon emissions, supporting economic growth through congestion reduction and improving access to employment."
Of this £5m of funding, £300,000 has been allocated to enhancement of the Stokes Croft Gateway, covering the section of the A38 between St James Barton Roundabout and Jamaica Street.
To date, consultation about how to spend this money has taken place between Bristol City Council and a number of community bodies including:
- Stokes Croft Traders
- Sustainable Stokes Croft
- Cabot Neighbourhood Forum
- Cabot and Clifton Neighbourhood Partnership
- Ashley Neighbourhood forum
This has led to proposals being drawn up by the City Council to enlarge and enhance the pedestrian pavements, slowing car movements, as well as providing better cycleways and bicycle parking.
As part of the public consultation with the community groups it has been agreed with Bristol City Council that part of the available fund be set aside for creative proposals that are generated directly by the local community.
Brief
This Call for Ideas invites artists, designers, artisans or any interested individual or group to propose ideas to enliven, enhance or compliment the core road and footpath improvements, reflecting the unique creative nature of Stokes Croft. Applications from local practitioners are particularly welcomed.
These ideas could involve works of art, interesting paving, street furniture, signage or something else. It is envisaged they will contribute substantially to Stokes Croft’s developing status as a World Class example of community engagement, interaction and achievement. Ideas must be based on the agreed layout for the road and footways and concentrate primarily on the central zone between the Dulux Centre and Cyclelife/Mickleburgh. The completed installation needs to be robust, durable and easily maintained and reflect the character of the conservation area.
Any ideas submitted must be achievable, as both Bristol City Council and the community of Stokes Croft want to engage the successful applicants to bring their ideas to successful fruition. At this stage, there is £15,000 available for the work, but this is on top of the basic project for the supplying and laying the individual elements of the work e.g. Basic paving slabs cost about £40m2, this figure is already included in the project budget. The same paving slabs laid in a more interesting way, or with something set into some individual slabs, could cost only slightly more, but achieve a much more interesting effect. This additional cost would come from the £15,000. Ideas should therefore be fully described with approximate costs to allow them to be evaluated.
Individual artists would be allowed to fabricate pieces if they can demonstrate they have appropriate experience and insurances. They must demonstrate how their work will meet the strict criteria for artwork in the public realm and include both the costing and fee they would expect for work. The successful idea(s) will be carried out towards the end of the larger project, probably between January and March 2013.
No more than 6 A3 pages of design/images should be submitted, including at least one illustrating on plan how the idea/design relates to the agreed layout. No more than 4 A3 sheets should be submitted with written information about idea and the designer.
Ideas should be submitted digitally to [email protected].
Eligibility
This is a design competition, and it is envisaged that the successful idea(s) will be developed by the Council in collaboration with the successful designer(s) to the point where they can be fabricated/constructed.
Entry is open to groups, or individuals living or working in the area, or those with a passion to promote the alternative vision for urban existence that defines Stokes Croft as a unique cultural area.
Selection
A panel comprising representatives of the local community will be appointed. They will select one or more of the ideas submitted to be included in the final project. The successful designer(s) would receive a total of £1,000 to work with BCC to incorporate their idea into the project. The selection panel’s decision is final.
Programme
Deadline for submission of ideas: 31st August 2012
Winners announced: 28th September 2012
Following the decision, there will be a verification period to confirm costings and practicalities within the wider LSTF brief, with the successful projects being awarded on: 31st October 2012
Commencement of implementation: anticipated January 2013
Completion: 31st March 2013
Further details
Contact Andrew Whitehead on andrew.whitehead @bristol.gov.uk or 0117-903-6797 or email [email protected]