Vistas, Values and Voices

Innovative public art commissions exploring the complex cultural interfaces between environment & society within the context of the landscape.

Green Close Studios is managing a series of three innovative visual arts commissions for artists to explore, through their own practice, the complex cultural interfaces between environment, society and change within a rural context. The commissions are open to cross art form collaborative practice, and we welcome applications from artists working as a group as well as individuals. We are actively seeking artists with culturally diverse backgrounds to apply.

Two of the commissions are worth £5,000 (including all costs) and the third is seen as suitable for an early career artist who would like to realise a small commission and develop their practice (worth £1,000 including all costs)
The commission opportunities are being offered to artists as follows:
1. A Community Engagement Commission £5k- Artists living within, located nearby or with a strong connection to the area are invited to create a new work which responds to the unique environment of the Forest of Bowland Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty.
2. An Innovation Commission £5k – Artists working within a national / international arena of environmental arts practice are invited to create a new work which responds to the complex cultural interfaces between environment, society and change within a rural context.
3. An Early Career Commission £1k – Early career artists are invited to develop the creation of a new work which responds to the complex cultural interfaces between environment, society and change within a rural context. Peer mentors will support the artist throughout the commission in order to develop a stronger understanding of working within the public realm.

Commission background and context
Green Close Studios is an innovative artist-led arts development organisation which works with communities locally, nationally and internationally to promote the arts through meaningful engagement projects. GCS has exceptional knowledge in the field of visual arts and of working within a rural context, and will project manage the commissions with its partner funders and support the artists throughout the programme of work.

The briefs are as open as possible to allow for artists to respond in a creative and meaningful way to these opportunities.
It is intended that this programme of new work will substantially enrich and develop the audience for the third Bowland Arts Festival, which we have developed through collaboration with a range of environmental partners, arts organisations and artists across the six District Councils in the Forest of Bowland AONB.

See the website of publicartonline or www.bowlandarts.co.uk for information.
See www.forestofbowland.com for information about the AONB and the environmental context.