GLOW 2019: Winter Lights Festival Call for Commission Proposals - Creative Barking & Dagenham

GLOW 2019: Winter Lights Festival
Call for Commission Proposals

We are looking for artists, art collectives and organisations within Barking and Dagenham
and beyond to respond to our theme of ILLUSION for GLOW 2019, exploring perception,
magic, perspective and more! We are looking to commission two pieces, new or existing
work adapted to the site of Eastbury Manor House, that provide interactive opportunities
on the evening and/ or before the event, for our winter lantern and lights festival, taking
place at Eastbury Manor House on Friday 8th and Saturday 9th November 2019.

GLOW is being produced by Cultural Connectors with the Creative Barking and Dagenham
(CBD) team in partnership with the Eastbury Manor House and London Borough of Barking
and Dagenham. GLOW 2019 is our third winter lights festival at Eastbury Manor House
and over the past two GLOW festivals we have welcomed over 3,500 visitors! Our aim for
the festival is to bring light to the darkest months and bring opportunities for our local
communities to come together.

CBD supports local people to commission, curate and create brilliant art in their areas. We
are working with a steering group of committed local people from our Cultural Connectors
network to develop all aspects of the festival. CBD is a consortium of local organisations
and funded by Arts Council England and London Borough of Barking and Dagenham, to
find out more here.

WHAT WE’RE LOOKING FOR

   •   Proposals that consider opportunities for local residents to be involved as part of a
       creative process, for example a creative workshop with the steering group.
   •   Proposals which capture the main theme of illusion and has light at its heart (this
       could include multiple elements from performances, music, dance, installations,
       pyrotechnics, projections).
   •   Proposals that are suitable for an outdoor presentation that can withstand winter
       elements.
   •   Proposals that are suitable for a wide audience, including families and non-arts
       attenders. Work which may be unexpected, beautiful, challenging, playful or
       surprising but not alienating. People should be able to feel an emotional connection
       to the work without needing to have lots of background knowledge.
   •   Proposals that respond to the locations/ site specific, in either a physical or historical
       context.
   •   Proposals that match our ethos to be an environmentally friendly festival.

Please be aware these commissions will be installed at a heritage Grade 1 listed property,
owned by the National Trust. With this comes certain restrictions and considerations for the
space if you have any questions or queries about your proposal we can put you in touch with
the Eastbury team and their heritage expert to discuss these.

COMMISSIONS
There are two sites we will be commissioning work for. The budgets outlined for each site
are inclusive of artist fees, materials and production costs as well as any accommodation
and travel costs for artists. You can contact Eastbury Manor House directly to organise a
tour (full opening times and contact details are outlined below), and you will receive free
entry. We can also provide a video tour of the locations if you are not able to visit before
submitting your proposal. Please note you if selected you will be asked to provide
evidence of your current public liability insurance and a full risk assessment. Eastbury
Manor House is a full accessible venue, please consider accessibility when putting
together your proposal.

Eastbury Manor House Opening Times:
Thursday 10am – 4pm
Friday 10am – 4pm
Sunday 10am – 4pm
Full Address: Eastbury Square, Barking, Essex, IG11 9SN
Contact Telephone Number: 0208 227 2942
(Quote GLOW commission proposal)

WALLED GARDEN
Available Budget: £7,000 to £10,000 (all inclusive)

Previously the walled garden has hosted a Fire Garden. This year we are looking for
something that will give an equally WOW factor to our visitors. This could be a performance,
an installation, music, projection or a mixture of elements responding to our themes. We
want to hear ambitious proposals for this space to capture our residents’ imaginations!

INNER COURTYARD (48 x 52 ft)
Available budget: £2,000 (All inclusive)

The courtyard is at the heart of the building. We are interested in a commission that will
transform how we see this space and highlight its features. This is a private space which
could also allow for contemplation. There is the option for the commission to utilise the
space in the wildflower meadow at the back of the house.

HOW TO APPLY

There will be a two-stage process for commissioning, and local residents from Barking and
Dagenham will be making the final decisions with support of an independent artistic
advisor. For the first stage we will ask you to submit a proposal with supporting information,
this will be shared with the decision panel to score and discuss. The successful applicants
will then be invited to a face to face interviews with local residents for Stage 2.

TIMELINE:
   • Monday 23rd September, 10am: Deadline for submissions
   • Thursday 26th September: Shortlisting Panel. All shortlisted applicants will be notified
      by end of day Friday 27th September.
   • Friday 4th October: Interviews with shortlisted applicants.
   • Tuesday 8th October: Final decisions made and applicants notified of outcomes.
   • Friday 18th October: Final tech requirements confirmed – CBD connects successful
      commissions with production manager.
   • From 4th November – Installation can begin for GLOW 2019
   • 8th and 9th November: GLOW 2019 takes place at Eastbury Manor House

STAGE ONE
Please submit the following information:

CV – no more than 4 sides of A4: Include your name, address, email and phone number
Proposal – no more than 4 sides of A4. Please address the following questions within your
proposal:
    • Which site would you like to propose a commission for?
    • Outline your proposal and how it fits with our themes
    • How will our visitors experience the work? How is it relevant to Barking and
        Dagenham Residents?
    • Outline the technical and logistical requirements for your commission. (considering
        the unique location of the commissions and any restrictions)
    • Budget outline - your costs should include technical costs, fees, accommodation and
        reasonable travel expenses.
    • Timeline for creation of the work and engagement where appropriate.
Supporting documents – this can be up to 2 sides of A4. This might include images and/or
links to previous work and the proposal.
Equality and diversity monitoring form– please note this will remain anonymous.

Scoring will be based on the following criteria:

Criteria                                                      Where we will find this in the
                                                              proposal
Track Record              From the evidence provided are we CV
                          confident the proposal will be      Supporting documents
                          delivered to a high standard within Timeline
                          the time frame?

Strength of the idea  Is this an ambitious idea that clearly Site Location
                      connects and reflects the theme, the Outline of the proposal
                      site of Eastbury Manor House and Supporting Documents
                      the borough?
Practicalities        Does the proposal consider and         Technical requirements
                      respond to the outdoor nature of the Budget
                      work, technical implications,          Timeline
                      restrictions of the space (heritage
                      site and listed building) and all
                      within the budget and timeline? Has
                      the proposal considered
                      accessibility?
Audience interest and To what extent the proposal will       Outline of the proposal
relevance to B&D      engage and attract non-arts            Visitors Experience
                      attendees form the borough and
                      beyond?

   Please submit all these documents to hello@creativebarkinganddagenham.org by
   Monday 23rd September, 10am. Please get in touch if you require this in a different
                                       format.

STAGE TWO
If shortlisted, you will be invited to meet with the steering group for an interview on
Friday 4th October where you will present your proposal in person. You will be given a full
brief when contacted about your successful application.
All applicants will be advised if they have been successful by Tuesday 8th October.

 If you have any questions or queries, please don’t hesitate to get in touch with Sophie
    or Daniel on hello@creativebarkinganddagenham.org or call us on 020 8594 7136.

           Thank you for your time and we look forward to hearing from you.