St Helens Shines On Commission 2023 – Callout

St Helens Shines On Commission 2023 – Callout

What is the ‘St Helens Shines On’ Commission?

As part of St Helens Borough of Culture, we are inviting one St Helens artist to apply for a commission, in response to a specific scientific instrument – the Campbell-Stokes (CS) Sunshine Recorder.

A CS sunshine recorder is an instrument originally invented around the mid-19th century, consisting of a glass sphere (or ‘crystal ball’) within a metal frame, in which a strip of card is inserted. The glass ball magnifies the sun’s rays, burning a hole in the card to produce measurements: tracking the trajectory of the sun over a day, and how hot the sunshine was on that day. (Read more at https://wiki.bidstonobservatory.org/index.php/Sunshine_Recorder )

This commission asks artists to initially select an item (physical or otherwise) from their own personal archives that they feel connects with the sunshine recorder (including themes around measuring sunshine), and each create work drawing from these two sources. The work should attempt to bridge the gap between the past and present, the scientific and mundane, the impersonal and personal. In this way, we hope to engage a broad range of audiences with archive material, perhaps for the first time. The work/s produce will be exhibited during the St Helens Heritage Open days in September later this year.

What is the HECS?

This commission is offered in collaboration with the Heritage Education Centre Space (HECS) at Bidston Observatory Artistic Research Centre (BOARC), a self-organising, communal study site. BOARC is a not-for-profit project, offering space for research and experimentation, which is primarily directed towards cultural and artistic practice, and supporting the development of communities. As part of this, the HECS is specifically dedicated to critically exploring the history of the building, the surrounding area, and the global networks of transit, exploration and extraction made possible by science.

The collaboration between the Heritage Education Centre Space (HECS) at Bidston Observatory aims to explore the intersection of observation, scientific instruments, and observatories with capitalist endeavours, colonialist and imperialist worldviews. Researchers at HECS critically examine the historical entanglement of these practices within various circles of societal influence. Our research is open to a range of academic and non-academic discourses, bodywork, collective choreography, and chat, promoting communication and collaboration, whilst also striving to protect and cultivate local heritage.

What will I receive as part of the commission?

• A grant of £768 plus travel from St Helens to BOARC
• 2 nights overnight stay at Bidston Observatory
• Opportunity to present your work to the public during St Helens Borough of Culture Heritage Open Days in September 2023

What will be expected of the selected commission?

• 1 day of research
• 2 days production & outcome
• Some form of artistic output suitable for sharing with a public audience

Who is eligible for the commission?

This opportunity is for artists, performers, musicians, writers, photographers and makers connected to St Helens Borough who want to be part of the Borough of Culture 2023 celebrations.

To be eligible you must:

• Submit a completed copy of the Commission Application Form to Kym@BidstonObservatory.org before the end of Sunday 16th July 2023
• Have a personal connection with St Helens
• Be a creative individual, an artist, or collective of artists
• Have an idea for a project that matches/builds upon our project outline
• Be able to make your project happen within a budget of £756
• Have your project ready for a public audience as part of the Borough of Culture celebrations between 9th – 18th September 2023

Environmental Responsibility

Commission recipients will be encouraged to consider any environmental impact the production of their piece of work might have and how this might be mitigated/minimised. For example, using local suppliers, car sharing etc.

How do I apply?

We welcome applications from anyone connected to St Helens Borough and are particularly interested in hearing from people that may not have received funding for their creative practice before, as well as those who are from under-represented communities.

The application form must be submitted by the end of Sunday 16th July 2023.

If you would prefer to apply via video or audio, please keep this to a maximum of 8 minutes and include essential contact details (phone and email), name and address in the email.

When emailing your application:

• Enter St Helens Shines On 2023 Application in the subject header
• Email your submission and attachments to: Kym@BidstonObservatory.org

If you have any queries or need additional access support to make an application, please let us know by contacting Kym@BidstonObservatory.org  ahead of submitting your proposal.

Timeline

• Sunday 16th July 2023: Applications deadline
• Friday 21st July 2023: Applicants will be informed of decision
• July 2023: Selected project begins
• August 2023: 2 day residency at Bidston Observatory
• 9th – 18th September 2023: St Helens Borough of Culture celebrations, including St Helens Shines On

Payment
Payment of the commissioned award may be made in instalments. You must not start your project until funding has been confirmed.

Additional Information

• Applications must be received by the end of the day Sunday 16th July 2023: Applications received after this time will not be accepted.
• Applicants must be aged over 16.
• If you have any access requirements that you might wish to discuss, please contact Kym@BidstonObservatory.org 

• Successful applicants do not need to live in St Helens but should be able to show how they are connected to the borough (i.e. work or study). Applications that cannot show a clear connection to St Helens will be automatically rejected.
• You can find out more about BOARC at https://bidstonobservatory.org/

Thank you so much for applying!

St Helens Shines On Commission 2023 – Application Form