Would you be able to design a Big Sleuth Bear for Handsworth Park

Friends of Handsworth Park would like to commission an artist to design and decorate a Sun Bear sculpture as part of a city wide initiative.
We are working to a tight timescale and you will need to be able to meet these deadlines:

• Return of expression of interest with completed design – 24th April 2017
• Decision made by Friends of Handsworth Park – 29th April 2017
• Participation workshops with local people – 7th May 2017 & 14th May 2017
• Paint and varnish of Bear – 15th May to 28th May 2017

An honorarium of £1,500 will be paid for the design and implementation and for running the two workshops which will be a maximum 4 hours length and which will engage local people and users of the park to create an affinity to your final design for the decorated bear.
The Bear will can be worked on at the Sons of Rest building in Handsworth Park.
We are looking for an artist who meets the following criteria:

• Good verbal communicator.
• Professional experience of more than 2 x art commissions.
• Professional experience of public art commissions
• Experience of running arts workshops and/or public consultation programmes.
• Professional & creative approach to work.
• Able to work within agreed budgets and deadlines.
• Good team worker and able to liaise effectively.
• Excellent design skills.
• Honest; trustworthy; empathic; creative; motivated; confident; punctual; good listener; adaptable/flexible in work approach; able to work under pressure.

Provide two current, relevant written references.
Public Liability Insurance (£1 million).
Adequate insurance for commissioned art at home, studio and in transit.
Key themes
The Bear will be in the new sensory garden which will include activities to promote positive mental and physical wellbeing  focused around children and families, these activities will address one of the primary health issues for children – childhood obesity.
The activities will be fun and encourage exercise in a fun way.  The sensory garden will have an edible growing area which we will run projects to promote healthy eating including – Pot to Plate –  children will create grow edible plants and flower in pots and harvest  to create and plate of colourful salads – with community volunteers sharing their skills.
Our Bear hunt and Teddy Bears picnic will create a walking trail around the park to encourage exploration of the park and outdoor activity and exercise in a fun way to encourage participation
Workshops to decorate the Community Big Sleuth Bear which will form part of the City Wide Bear Trail and remain as permanent piece of Public Art co-created by the people of Handsworth.
RSPB and the Parks services will deliver support and workshops to support activities throughout the year.
Environmental stewardship is important to us and the focus on children is deliberate – We do not inherit the Earth from our Ancestors, we borrow it from our Children.
Next Steps
If you are interested please send an email with your 2 pages of A4 maximum Expression of Interest based on the criteria listed above and include proposals for the workshops.
In the attached Artist’s pack you will find the details of the Sun Bear with dimensions and outline design pages.
Please complete the outline pages with your design and include in your email to us.
Please email [email protected] by 5pm 24th April 2017.
If you have any questions please call Tonia on 07759037657 or Rachel on 07957 028357

Posted on 18th April 2017