ARTIST BRIEF Lidl – Public Art Commission
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ARTIST BRIEF Lidl – Public Art Commission Vision Test Valley Borough Council (TVBC) wish to commission a public artwork for the roundabout outside the new Lidl Distribution Centre in Nursling, Southampton. As a key entrance site to the Adanac Business Park and thriving economic area the artwork should act as a landmark piece. It should be innovative whilst making reference to the heritage of the southern tip of the Test Valley and Southampton. Aims & Objectives To produce an artwork of high quality design that is a suitable size and scale for the chosen site To produce an artwork that is innovative and bespoke To deliver a project that demonstrates good practice in terms of community engagement and the commissioning process that is in line with the TVBC Public Art Strategy Background The Lidl distribution centre lies at the very southern tip of the Test Valley Borough, on the edge of the Adanac Business Park, and adjacent to the M271 motorway that connects the M27 to Southampton. Adanac Park is home to Ordnance Survey’s headquarters, Holiday Inn Express hotel, Greene King’s new Walnut Tree Farm public house and Lidl’s massive new distribution. There are empty sites available for new businesses to join. Across the M271 to the west is the Nursling Estate with commercial retail. Further West is the Lower Test Nature Reserve a SSSI. Here the River Test flows through the Lower Test Marshes before passing to the sea through Southampton Water. The mixture of freshwater and saltwater gives a great range of habitats that is reflected in the large numbers of birds and flowering plants found here. It is one of the best sites in the country to see kingfishers and overwintering wildfowl regularly use this site. In the south of Nursling and Rownhams there is also the Solent and Southampton Water Special Protected Area which is of European importance. This site is also a Ramsar Site which is a wetland of international importance for conservation. Looking at the heritage of the site; the evaluation excavation was carried out by the Southampton City Council Archaeology Unit, and a full report for that work is available. The main excavation was carried out by Bournemouth Archaeology, and the site is still in post-excavation stage so there is no report yet. The evaluation report includes some basic historical background. Much prehistoric activity has been found in the lower Test Valley area. The Lidl site is on the line of a stream, now culverted along much of its length. The stream is the one that feeds Fernyhurst Lake to the NE, and flows down to the Lidl site and onwards to the Test. 1 | Lidl Public Art Commission In the main excavation, Bournemouth Archaeology found probable Bronze Age burnt mounds along the line of the stream. Artist’s Roles & Responsibilities The chosen artist will be responsible for: The design, fabrication and installation of the art work Providing detailed working drawings and designs for the commissioner Supplying the relevant information and drawings required for any appropriate planning permissions in partnership with TVBC Effectively managing the available budget with the steering group Attending regular meetings with the Arts Officer to provide updates for TVBC officers and Councillors on progress, timescales and budget Delivery of a programme of community engagement Providing a full maintenance schedule and instructions Supplying information required for press releases and promotion The artist will hold and provide evidence of relevant public liability insurance and professional indemnity insurance, and take responsible for any third party contractors. Community Engagement In line with our Public Art Strategy we aim that all our public art projects involve community consultation and participation to contribute towards the collection and development of ideas and artworks. Our aim through this process is that residents and local stakeholders are fully involved in the creation of their environments and have a sense of ownership over the places in which they live. This area is significantly different from recent commissions where the site is located in the heart of a commercial area of the borough without immediate Test Valley residents close by. We will need to find innovative ways to engage with Test Valley residents and stakeholders in the vicinity and enable local Southampton residents to have their say as well. We anticipate that the chosen artist will devise a programme of consultation events and activities to engage with the range of people and stakeholders around this site. Key people and partners to involve include: Lidl UK Adanac Park current businesses (Ordnance Survey, Holiday Inn Express, Brewers Fayre) Hampshire Highways Nursling Parish Council and residents Southampton City Council (Lisa Ann Lasky, Arts and Heritage Manager) Test Valley Borough Council – Elected Members for Chilworth, Nursling and Rownhams Hampshire County Council –Elected Members for Romsey Rural 2 | Lidl Public Art Commission The Site The site that has been identified for the public art commission is the southwest side of the Brownhill Way Roundabout, directly outside the entrance to the Lidl Distribution Centre. This will ensure that the artwork is visible by people entering the centre and the business park from the M271 direction. The images to the left show the roundabout from the Lidl site looking out, and looking back to the entrance from across the roundabout. In the centre of the roundabout it should be noted that there is planting of young oak trees which will mature over time. The image below shows the Lidl Distribution Centre to the bottom right and it’s relation to the Adanac Business Park to the north. The Nursling Estate is across the M271. Brownhill Way, and roundabout, runs east along the north boundary of the site from Junction 1 of the M271. 3 | Lidl Public Art Commission Budget This commission is funded through Section 106 contributions for public art from Lidl UK and project managed by TVBC. £60,000 is available to cover the full commission and it should be noted that this includes: Artist time for design and drawings Community events and engagement Meetings with steering group and relevant agencies Fabrication, transport and installation Planning application fees and other fees that may be required. Maintenance A budget of approximately 10% (£6,000) has been set aside for future maintenance. This is separate to this commission fee. The chosen artist will be expected to provide a full maintenance manual on completion of installation with clear guidelines as to the best way to maintain the artwork and any specialist treatment/knowledge that is necessary. The artist should also indicate the anticipated life span of the work and any decommissioning procedures that should be applied. Schedule Description Date Deadline for applications Wednesday 31 January 2018 Shortlisting Week commencing 12 February 2018 Artist Interviews Week commencing 26 February 2018 Notify preferred artist Following interviews Reports to Council March and April 2018 management boards and Cabinet to draw down funds Contract artists and start 1 April 2018 commission Project completion 1 year from start date How To Apply Your application should be submitted no later than Wednesday 31 January to include: A proposal outlining your approach to the commission and initial responses to the brief to include initial design ideas. Max 3 A4 pages, 6 sides. A current CV and Artist’s statement of relevant work and commissions. Max 2 A4 pages, 4 sides. 6 examples of previous relevant projects, including images. Max 4 A4 pages, 8 sides. 4 | Lidl Public Art Commission You must demonstrate the following in your expression of interest: A track record in commissions for the public realm Experience of community engagement within public art projects Experience of working within a creative team Evidence of the ability to produce high quality works of art A clear understanding of the challenges and sensitivities of the project Applications should be sent by email to: Faye Perkins, Arts Officer, [email protected] Please call 01264 368844 if you have any questions Equal Opportunities Test Valley Borough Council is committed to providing and promoting equal opportunities in employment and service provision, eliminating discrimination, and encouraging diversity amongst the workforce. A full copy of our equal opportunities policy is attached. Linked documents 1. TVBC Public Art Strategy http://www.testvalley.gov.uk/resident/communityandleisure/artsandculture/pub licart/public-art-strategy/ 2. Equal Opportunities Policy http://www.testvalley.gov.uk/aboutyourcouncil/corporatedirection/equality--- diversity/equalities/ 5 | Lidl Public Art Commission .