Short Description
National Museums Liverpool is seeking to commission an artist (or collective) to co-design two cast iron façade panels for the new Entrance Pavilion of International Slavery Museum. The design will also be used within the iron balustrading and stairwell inside the Dr Martin Luther King Jnr building (image above).
This is an exciting opportunity to play a significant role, developing designs which will form the central motif of the cast iron panels used to construct this permanent and powerful public artwork, that sits at the heart of the museum’s transformation. The chosen artist (or collective) will work collaboratively with International Slavery Museum staff, architects, structural engineers, fabricators, and community partners to ensure the design reflects the histories, legacies, and lived experiences represented at the museum.
The role is as much about facilitation and translation of community voices as it is about design. The artist will help craft a shared visual language that embodies collective memory, resilience, and hope, expressed through the cast iron patterns of the Pavilion.
THE COMMISSION: ROLE OF ARTIST
Co-production is at the heart of this project, and this commission invites the artist (or collective) to help transform iron – a material once bound to oppression – into a medium of resilience and remembrance. Community engagement is not an add-on but the foundation of the design process, a chance to ensure that the new façade embodies the International Slavery Museum’s ethos of transformation, inclusivity, and collective memory.
Eligibility
National Museums Liverpool are seeking an artist (or collective) with compelling vision and imagination; someone whose work can inspire, who engages with people at many levels with openness and respect, and who embodies values of collaboration, inclusivity, and cultural sensitivity, while translating complex histories into powerful visual storytelling, placing safety, care, and psychological wellbeing at the heart of engagement.
How to Apply
Online Application
Program Benefits & Awards
Artist fee: £30,000 (plus additional expenses)
Entry Fee
None
Location
Liverpool, United Kingdom
Timeline
- Application Deadline: 17 November 2025
Website Link: https://www.liverpoolmuseums.org.uk/pavilion
