Public Art – Artists Commission, Mid Pennine Arts

• Closes 9th January 2019
• Location North West
• Type Part time
• Salary Paid (£20k-25k pro rata)
• Contact Shonagh Ingram shonagh@midpenninearts.org.uk

Majestic viaducts, dark tunnels, ancient mill ruins, shady wooded groves…  Lancashire’s new sustainable transport plan links up stretches of disused railway into off-road greenways, and offers some brilliant opportunities for creative interpretation.  MPA and Lancashire County Council, along with local partners, are working together to deliver a series of artist-led interventions which engage local communities, stimulate curiosity and interest in heritage and the natural environment, foster a sense of pride in the emerging new routes and build community ownership for the long term.

The work is focused on two key routes.  The Valley of Stone Greenway will run from Rochdale all the way through Rossendale to Rawtenstall.  In Hyndburn, part of the Sustrans national cycle network, NCN route 6, to be named The Branch Line, will link Accrington down past Haslingden and Helmshore to Ramsbottom.

This commission is for a gateway feature at the Shoe Mill/Five Arches junction, a central node that links The Branch Line to key facilities like Haworth Gallery and Hollins Technology College and the newly designated Woodnook Local Nature Reserve. It is also a site with strong links to the industrial and railway heritage of the area.

The final piece should accentuate the connectivity and range of destinations, and may take the form of paving or furniture, although we are open to a range of ideas. It should be low maintenance and the materials/form should take into account the location in terms of exposure to the elements. It should utilise the positive themes of local heritage, collective memories and shared experience. 

This commission, to include all fees and costs for research, design, fabrication and installation will be offered at the fixed price of £3,000.

For further details please visit the MPA blog: https://midpenninearts.wordpress.com/2018/12/07/public-art-commission-for-shoe-mill-five-arches/