Deal Town Council is looking to commission an artist/craftsperson to design, create and install a sculpture in the town of Deal.
In 2021 the Council was bequeathed money from a resident of Deal, Bill Elliott, for the purpose of purchasing a piece of sculpture to be erected in the town of Deal for the beautification of the town and/or the general benefit of its inhabitants.
The council set up a task and finish group of councillors and staff to start the initial exploration of this initiative. The group started by exploring local sculptors in the area and scoping the town and seafront for possible suitable locations. They received some exciting design ideas to be considered.
However, the group would now like to widen their search for a design to add to the proposals already received and are inviting applications to be considered.
The Brief
The installation must be for the beautification of the town and/or the general benefit of its inhabitants.
Installations should be:
• Thought provoking
• Relevant to the cultural and environmental context of the area
• Speak to the modern world and local communities
• Constructed in environmentally sustainable, low carbon, natural, locally sourced, or recycled materials
• Durable and requiring minimal maintenance, resistant to vandalism and robust
• Safe and not constitute a hazard to public or the environment
• Fully accessible to those with physical and learning disabilities and sensory impairments
• Any sculpture must be in proportion to the other artworks/street furniture in the vicinity
Possible Location Sites Identified (subject to landowners’ permission):
Seafront:
Near Deal Castle – seaside
On the promenade between the Pier and Route One café
On the promenade north of the Royal Hotel opposite Farrier Street junction
High Street:
Junction of High Street and South Street
Junction High Street and Queen Street
End of the precinct
On the precinct near Boots
The role of the Artist/Craftsperson
The artist will be responsible for the concept, design, fabrication and installation of the artwork in consultation with Deal Town Council and the landowner
The artist will be responsible for submitting a planning application to Dover District Council.
The artist will work within a budget of £45,000 to cover all costs of the project, including fabrication and installation
The artist will take part in the press and publicity opportunities relating to the commission
The artist will be expected to provide regular updates to Deal Town Council
The artist will be required to provide a maintenance plan to Deal Town Council to preserve the life of the finished installation
Any costs for travel and accommodation incurred by the artist are to be covered by the artist.
The delivery date for the installation is: 2023
Application process
To apply, artists/craftspeople must email the following to Deal Town Council (deal.town.council@deal.gov.uk) in a pdf document and include:
• Covering letter
• Current CV
• Links to previous work online (website, social media page or news coverage)
• Up to four images of relevant work
• Details of the proposed sculpture. It must include: multi angle drawings/photos with dimensions; short written description including proposal concept and inspiration; proposed materials, fixings and production; ways of working and availability to deliver within the project timeline.
Shortlisted artists will be invited to present their ideas where they will be able to bring scale models if appropriate to a panel in March 2023. Each artist will be given 25 minutes.
Deadline for submissions: Monday 13 March 2023