Call Out for an Artist (Touring Artwork) – DerwentWISE Landscape Partnership
DerwentWISE is now seeking expressions of interest from creative practitioners / groups or
organisations to create a new piece of work to map and celebrate the achievements of the
DerwentWISE scheme.
The Commission
To manage and co-ordinate the production of a touring artwork that will reflect the depth and breadth of
the DerwentWISE Landscape Partnership. The works produced will need to pull out key themes from a
range of projects delivered to capture the essence and the impact of the scheme.
We invite proposals from artists working in a range of art forms and envisage an installation that has the
necessary impact to excite, engage and inspire an audience at several sites including Cromford Mills, Derby
Theatre foyer space and the University of Derby. How the public engages with the work is key, the piece
needs to be playful and accessible, possibly with interactive elements when shared at our larger celebration
events.
Scope of the work
• To tie together DerwentWISE’s 60 projects under a linked identity to create a playful and engaging
artwork that communicates the scale, scope, ambition and achievements of DerwentWISE.
• To work with the DerwentWISE partners, volunteers, staff, participants, archivist and evaluators to
involve them in shaping and/ or making the work to ensure a genuine representation of all the
projects is created.
• To be designed to be shared with a public audience in a range of spaces, including at the three
DerwentWISE Final Celebration events in August 2018, January 2019 and at Cromford Mill, in
March 2019.
• To be designed to also be shared as part of DerwentWISE’s online archive.
Presenting the work
• The work’s main presentation will be at our celebration weekend event at Cromford Mill in March
2019. The site offers some amazing spaces, and we’d like the artist to make the most of this
opportunity and consider this within their approach. Potential spaces include the Visitors Centre,
The Mill Yard, the Canal Wharf and St Mary’s Church. https://www.cromfordmills.org.uk/visit-us
• The work will also need to be robust, reasonably portable and adaptable to different presentation
opportunities.
• The artist will also need to consider how the work would be presented as an online element for our
project archive.
Deliverables
• Touring exhibition
o A pop up artwork / exhibition that can be easily adapted to be presented at different
venues including local arts festivals and other public and cultural spaces.
• 3 x exhibition events
Family fun day, Darley Love Parks – 2nd August 2018 - due to how soon this event is we
wouldn’t expect the work to be finished but a pilot version / interaction to be presented
instead.
o Derby Theatre Foyer - Performance Event – 19th January 2019
o School & family open day, Cromford Mills – 22nd & 23rd March 2019
Timeline
May 2018 – 31st March 2019
Project Management
This commission will be a contract managed by Tania Pells (Scheme Manager) DerwentWISE Landscape
Partnership. It is intended that the Artist will be self-reliant in managing the commission, organising its
delivery and ensuring good communication with DerwentWISE to share ideas and updates as the project
develops. DerwentWISE will offer introductions to key people, sites and information and support where
necessary.
Budget
The total fee available will be £7,000 (including VAT) including all costs such as materials, fabrication,
installation, expenses and travel.
We’re looking for an artist / company who meet the following criteria:
• an arts practice of quality and distinction
• a track record of preparing and delivering innovative projects that successfully engage with people
and place
• an understanding of and commitment to great community engagement; encouraging and valuing
contributions from others to help shape and make new work
• demonstrable experience of managing and delivering similar scale public artwork commissions
• Public Liability Insurance at a minimum value of £5M for the period of work outlined above
Background
DerwentWISE
DerwentWISE is a Landscape Partnership scheme (a 5-year Heritage Lottery funded programme) inspiring
people to learn about and care for the special natural and industrial heritage of the Lower Derwent Valley.
Ancient woodlands, rivers, canals, pre-industrial archaeology and a UNESCO World Heritage Site all rub
shoulders to create a unique landscape. DerwentWISE has initiated over 60 projects across this area that
stretches from Matlock Bath in the north to Derby Silk Mill in the south. Projects include landscape
management and conservation; education and access and related arts projects. Hosted by Derbyshire
Wildlife Trust the partnership is made up of 15 organisations that are aiming to inspire and engage people
to care about the Lower Derwent Valley. For more details about DerwentWISE please visit:
The Lower Derwent Valley has an outstanding diversity of landscape, geology and wildlife with
internationally important ash and oak woodlands, an abundance of wildflower-rich meadows and pastures
and rivers and streams that provide breeding and wintering habitat for many birds and other species. In
contrast, early industrialists harnessed the power of the River Derwent to create the first factories in the
world, stamping their authority on the landscape and leaving behind a legacy of historic mills dotted
throughout the valley.
This arts project is part of the DerwentWISE Landscape Partnership and falls under the Community
Participation programme, a series of projects and opportunities to spark conversations, increase awareness
of and engagement in the area and its historic landscape.
Submission Requirements:
• Expressions of interest should be returned to Jo Wheeler (DerwentWISE Community Engagement
Officer (Arts & Interpretation) to the following email address derwentwise@derbyshirewt.co.uk by
midday Monday 16th April 2018 and titled ‘Artist – Touring Artwork’ - response to call-out’.
• Interviews will be held on Monday 30th April 2018.
• Interviews will take place at Derbyshire Wildlife Trust, Sandy Lane Park, Main Street, Middleton,
Derbyshire, DE4 4LR
• The successful artist will be informed of our decision by 5pm on Tuesday 1st May 2018.
Your expression of interest should include:
• A covering letter outlining relevant examples of previous work and how you would approach this
project. Examples should clearly demonstrate how you meet the above criteria. No more than two
sides of A4
• Up to six images of previous work (JPEG or PDF files no bigger than 1MG each)
• Links to relevant websites
• A copy of a recent CV
• Two references
For more information on the project brief, please contact Jo Wheeler at jwheeler@derbyshirewt.co.uk or
by telephone on 01773 881188 / 07393 148151.