Diwali Art Commission, Leicester

((Hi everybody, here is an interesting commission with a good budget. I have been working in the region and love it….I recommend new media artists apply as they are quite open to interactive work. Best, Rafael))


Special Diwali Art Commission - Summary Brief

The Project

Expressions of Interest are sought from individual artists or artist teams to deliver a high profile, temporary art commission as part of Leicester Diwali celebrations, November 2006. Leicester, in the heart of the East Midlands region, hosts the largest Diwali celebration in the UK.

The commission is in conjunction with a major TV broadcaster and will involve live broadcast of the Diwali celebrations from Leicester on Diwali Day. The intended commission must contribute an extremely special, spectacle moment to the live broadcast. It must be suitable as a centrepiece for an event with a live audience of 50,000 plus (and potential television audience of millions). It is also possible that a work-in-progress documentary will be made to record the development of the commission.

The temporary commission is likely to be installed for a period of up to one month with the major focus (and launch) on Diwali Day itself. The commission must be based on the theme of light and secure ownership from the local community through participation and engagement. The project is directly managed by Leicester City Council in partnership with Leicester Hindu Festival Council.

It is desirable that one outcome of the project is a legacy from the temporary commission. This might be in the form of new technical infrastructure that is created to facilitate the project (and can be used in subsequent years) or in the form of transferable skills that benefit local artists and communities.

A budget of at least 200,000 (GBP) is available to deliver the commission and is to include:

• Artist Fee
• Fabrication and installation costs
• Project management costs
• Associated infrastructure costs
• Community participation costs

Marketing of the project will be budgeted separately and delivered by Leicester City Council who is commissioning the project with support from Arts Council England, East Midlands, and the media partner.

The Context

Diwali is the Hindu Festival of Light and celebrates the start of the Hindu New Year. Diwali celebrations in Leicester centre on the Belgrave Rd (the Golden Mile) area which is the heart of the city’s Asian community.

This area (highlighted by an-online map available through the web site indicated below) will provide a location for the intended commission. The key spectacle moment for the commission will be during the evening of Diwali Day.

More information on Leicester Diwali can be found through Leicester City Council web site at http://www.leicester.gov.uk/your-council--services/regeneration--culture/arts-services/festivals-and-events/diwali-2005 or through www.goleicestershire.com

Expressions of Interest

Expressions of Interest are sought from artists with experience of large scale, outdoor commissions. Expressions will be welcomed from young and developing artists seeking to increase the scope and ambition of their work. There will be an opportunity for mentoring from an international practitioner or curator should that be appropriate.

Interested artists should submit:

• A covering letter confirming availability to meet the project timescale and the nature and financial value of projects undertaken over the last three years
• A full curriculum vitae
• Up to ten slides or images (or one short video/DVD) to illustrate previous work
• A statement to indicate why you are interested in delivering this project
• An outline proposal (up to 1,000 words)

Expressions should be sent to ArtReach (Events) Ltd who is managing the recruitment process on behalf of the commissioner. The deadline is 5pm on 31 January 2006.

Short listed artists will be notified during week beginning 20 February and issued with a Detailed Brief for a full tender process to be completed by 31 March 2006. A small fee will be paid to facilitate development of detailed tenders. It is anticipated that six artists/teams will be short listed. The final choice of artist will be made by 10 April to allow at least six months for commission development, creation and installation.

Please send your submission to:

Diwali Art Commission
ArtReach (Events) Ltd
LCB Depot
31 Rutland St
Leicester LE1 1RE

E-mail [email protected]

The Commissioner reserves the right not to appoint to the Project.