Sefton Park Palm House Preservation Trust are currently welcoming Expressions of Interest for the following brief.
Overview
They’re are delighted to be inviting expressions of interest from artists and makers, in any fields including, but not limited to, visual arts in any medium, crafts, performing arts, writing, film, storytelling, textiles and digital media, to work with the Palm House to deliver an exciting programme with thanks to a grant from the Estate of Fanchon Frohlich.
This is an opportunity for artists of any discipline to work with and comment on a chosen area, idea or community in line with the programme objectives outlined below and across one or more aspects of the programme which will include:
– A two week exhibition with complimentary activities over the festive period
– Creative lesson development and delivery for school-age children
– A series of workshops delivered at the Palm House
Artists are encouraged to creatively interpret the brief and objectives in a way that most resonates with them, for example, themes relating to the Palm House may include:
Beauty – Engaging with aesthetics and qualities of nature.
Meaning – Emphasis on heritage, traditions, present and future.
Emotion – Reflecting on positive feelings that can inspire, such as calm & happiness.
Senses – Engaging the senses with listening, smelling and touching.
Compassion – Being concerned with the environment, looking after one’s self and each other.
The core objective of this programme is to build the confidence and interest of local young people from disadvantaged backgrounds in contemporary arts, who may not otherwise have the opportunity to connect with or embrace their own creativity.
Background
Sefton Park is a 235-acre park in South Liverpool, listed as Grade 1 in the Register of Historic Parks and Gardens. The Palm House is a Grade 2* listed Victorian glasshouse located within Sefton Park. The Palm House re-opened in 2001, after a long and passionate public campaign to save it from dereliction and it is now a thriving heritage site and an asset of both the City and local community.
They’re proud that they’re able to keep the Palm House open for visitors to come and enjoy, free of charge. Due to the value we believe there to be in creating accessible, green spaces for local communities, the exhibition outlined in the brief (below) will be open for all to enjoy free of charge over the Christmas period, a time of year that can be extremely expensive for families and can feel quite isolating for some members of society.
Programme Objectives
The core objective of this programme is to build the confidence and interest of local young people from disadvantaged backgrounds in contemporary arts, who may not otherwise have the opportunity to connect with or embrace their own creativity.
Within this they are keen to:
– Engage learners from disadvantaged backgrounds
– Increase the confidence and self-esteem of the people who engage with the programme
– Encourage those that engage with the programme to embrace and develop their critical
thinking, problem solving and creativity skills
– Give those that engage with the programme an improved understanding of pathways
and progressions within the creative arts
– Inspire young people to explore a route and progression within creative and cultural
actives
– Facilitate opportunities for Liverpool-based schools to enrich their arts curriculum
They are also keen to adopt a participative approach that explores the Palm House and supports them to contribute to one or more of their long-term objectives:
– Improving the well-being of guests and visitors
– Enabling local people to feel more connected to nature
– Increased civic pride due to an understanding of our heritage, in particular the community campaign which brought the Palm House back to life and the breadth of the plant collection we hold.
The Brief
In order to achieve the above objectives they are asking artists and makers from all disciplines to submit Expressions of Interest for three different aspects of the programme.
Across all three aspects we are keen to engage with new, as well as existing, audiences. All works and activities must be inclusive and accessible.
Two Week Exhibition with Complimentary Activities
– This will be one large or several smaller pieces shown in the Palm House (building and / or grounds) for at least two weeks at the end of December which meet the objectives outlined above.
– The artist will be required to give a brief talk about their work and answer some questions for an audience.
– They would also like the artist to design and deliver a complimentary activity to run at the Palm House while the exhibition is showing. These could be workshops where the outputs also contribute to the exhibition itself or they may be sessions focusing on a different medium or activity drawing inspiration from the piece(s) on show.
– As this will be shown over the festive period, they welcome submissions which specially celebrate this time of year or are not specific to this time of year at all.
To note, as the Palm House is a listed building, which houses a botanical collection in need of daily maintenance, and welcomes a flow of visitors, it is important that the chosen artist can work sensitively within some limitations.
Artists must be able to deliver to the following timeline:
– Beginning October 2023 – Planning and development
– 9th – 11th December – Installation
– 12th – 22nd December – Open for the public to visit and enjoy
– 23rd – 24th December – Removed (although there may be an opportunity to extend the length of the exhibition)
Creative Lesson Development and Delivery for School-age Children
– To engage children from disadvantaged backgrounds, we will be partnering with a number of Liverpool-based schools to deliver creative sessions which meet the objectives outlined above.
– These sessions will run during October and November. We hope that they will encourage students to visit the Palm House during December to enjoy the final exhibition and engage in the associated activities.
– They require a one hour lesson plan to be developed, ideally in a way which can be adapted for a range of students from Key Stage 3 to Key Stage 5.
– They also require this lesson plan to be delivered to 3 – 6 Liverpool-based schools, agreed in advance with the artist depending on reasonable logistics.
Workshops Delivered at the Palm House
– In line with the objectives outlined above we require 4 – 6 workshops to be designed and delivered. These could be different workshops with a similar theme or the same workshop repeated.
– The duration and attendance of the workshops are negotiable but they must be suitable for delivery at the Palm House (the building and / or grounds).
– The workshop timetable is yet to be finalised but will fall within October to December. If there are any limitations to when you’ll be able to deliver your proposed workshops please clearly state this in your covering letter.
They have a total budget of £9k to deliver all three aspects outlined above and we hope to work with a number of local artists / creatives in order to do so. This budget includes the cost of materials and any other reasonable expenses.
With this in mind, they welcome applications for one or more individual aspects of the brief above, and you may submit applications in collaboration with other artists / creatives outlining how you’ll work together to meet the required objectives.
How to Apply
If you would like to express interest in one or more aspects of this brief, please send:
A copy of your CV
A covering letter explaining which aspects of the brief you are interested in, why and
how you would approach them
Also within your covering letter, outline the specific programme objectives your
approach will address and how
Your fee to design and deliver the piece(s) outlined in your covering letter, including the
cost of any materials needed and any other relevant expenses
Examples of your previous work
Two references who they may contact if they ask you to deliver your proposal
Expressions of Interest should be submitted by email, for the attention of Kate Martinez (Head of External Relations), no later than 12noon Monday 7th August: kate.martinez@palmhouse.org.uk