Creative Merchandise Commission Opportunity

Middlesbrough Council is seeking to introduce a new range of merchandise to be retailed in the gift shops of two of our leading visitor attractions, the Dorman Museum and the Captain Cook Birthplace Museum. By doing this we hope to improve our customer offer as well as enhancing our income generation. A brief summary of our attractions and visitors may help to provide more context.

The Dorman Museum opened in 1904 as a purpose-built natural history museum. It now celebrates through natural and social history, and includes extensive exhibitions dedicated to Art Pottery, locally produced in the late 1800s, and Dr Christopher Dresser, the preeminent Victorian designer. The Captain Cook Birthplace Museum opened in 1978 – the 250th anniversary of Cook’s birth. It is close to the granite urn marking the site of Cook’s birthplace cottage in Stewart Park, Middlesbrough. The museum tells the story of one of the world’s greatest navigators and mariners through five themed display galleries, temporary exhibitions, associated activities and events and a lively learning programme. Full details of the project can be found in the table below.

Project Name Creative Merchandise Commission

Date 08/06/2021

Project Client

Project Overview To commission the design, creation and supply of merchandise to be retailed at The Dorman Museum and the Captain Cook Birthplace Museum. Goals & Objectives  To produce a design/designs which are generic enough to be sold at multiple Middlesbrough cultural venues, yet bespoke enough to be considered a unique souvenir of a visit to any of those venues.  To produce a design/designs that will remain relevant and desirable for as long as possible  To provide sole copyright of the above designs to Middlesbrough Council.  To supply a quantity of finished product featuring the designs.  Product will retail in a price range of £5.00 - £30.00 and be supplied at 50% of retail price  Supplied product will consist of ‘mid-range’ items such as postcard packs, tea towels, posters, mugs, cushions etc Constraints & It is accepted by the client that quantities of finished product will Assumptions be determined by the cost of retaining copyright which is the priority. You must be registered with HMRC as self-employed/sole trader/ ltd business etc. Target Audience  Local visitors with a passion for the area.  National and International visitors looking for a quality souvenir of their visit to the area/specific venue. Success Criteria  Raised ATV in gift shops within three months of launch.  Higher Shop turnover within three months of launch.  Positive customer feedback. Budget Up to £4,000 (inclusive)

Timeline  23 June 2021, Application deadline  23 – 25 June 2021, Discussions and decision making.  28 June 2021, Award commission.  Work to be produced and supplied no later than 31 August 2021

Our Audience Our two sites attract a diverse range of visitors. We currently track and better understand our audiences using Audience Spectrum which gives us a strong indication of who visits our attractions and their likely behaviours…

Audience Spectrum highlights that our key audiences are Trips & Treats, Facebook Families and Dormitory Dependables, See a summary of each profile below:

 Trips & Treats - Comfortably off and living in the heart of suburbia their children range in ages, and include young people still living at home. With a strong preference for mainstream arts and popular culture like musicals and familiar drama, mixed with days out to museums and heritage sites, this group are strongly influenced by friends and family, or led by their children’s interests. Positioning cultural events as fun, family friendly, accessible and light-touch educational is likely to engage them.

 Facebook Families - Cash-strapped group living in suburban and semi-urban areas of high unemployment. Nevertheless, they do go out as families: cinema, live music, eating out and pantomime. As digital natives they are also keen on social networking, spending much of their leisure time online. They are likely to be attracted to free- and flexible –family friendly offers. Local activities with a more popular or community focus, such as music and festivals, or open days with drop in activities that do not require advanced booking may be particularly effective, especially if promoted through local networks on and offline.

 Dormitory Dependables -Predominantly older families and singles, with a large proportion of households with children. Most live in suburban or small towns and show a preference for heritage activities, alongside popular and more traditional, mainstream art. Many are thriving well off mature couples or busy older families; life stage coupled with more limited access to an extensive cultural offer mean that culture is more an occasional treat or family outing than an integral part of their lifestyle.

Apply those wishing to apply for this opportunity are requested to submit;

 examples of previous work  concepts and approach  proposed project budget.

Please submit your documents to [email protected]

Contact If you would like to ask any further questions on our gift shop offer and products please contact

Darren Wilson Visitor Experience Team Leader [email protected] 01642 515 652