Organizer Information

Essex Cultural Diversity Project (ECDP) is an Arts Council England National Portfolio Organisation dedicated to energising diversity in arts and heritage across the East of England. Since 2007, ECDP has partnered with galleries, museums, cultural organisations, local authorities, libraries and festivals to create opportunities that promote inclusion, dialogue and creative excellence in cultural practice. Its commissioning programme focuses on place-based, socially engaged projects that link artists with communities, using creative practice to explore identity, belonging and diversity. ECDP commissions foster collaborations across disciplines and levels of career, supporting individual artists as well as collectives to develop work with meaningful community engagement. ECDP’s partners include national and local heritage bodies, most notably the National Trust for site-specific commissions like this call out. The National Trust (co-host and partner on this call) is one of the UK’s largest heritage charities, caring for over 500 historic sites, landscapes and properties across England, Wales and Northern Ireland. Founded in 1895, the Trust preserves places of cultural, natural and historical significance, ensuring access for public enjoyment and education, while advancing conservation and community participation. The Dedham Vale National Landscape — where Flatford is located — is one of these protected heritage areas.

Title & Description

Becoming Constable: National Trust Flatford – Call for Proposals This open call invites creative practitioners to propose an original project that explores routes to “Becoming Constable” — meaning engagement with the landscape, history and cultural context of Flatford that shaped John Constable, one of England’s most celebrated landscape painters. The commission is part of Constable 250, a year-long anniversary programme marking 250 years since Constable’s birth in 1776. Successful proposals should respond imaginatively to the local environment that inspired Constable, revealing how interaction with place shapes identity and meaning. Projects are expected to celebrate connections with Flatford and the River Stour, strengthen community engagement, and invite diverse audiences — local residents and visitors — into shared experiences that resonate with both past and present narratives of landscape and belonging.

Categories

  • Multidisciplinary (visual art, installation, performance, community arts, digital media, public engagement)
  • Place-based practice and socially engaged arts
  • Heritage, site-responsive creative work

Eligibility

  • Creative practitioners of any career level
  • Individuals or collectives working across any artistic discipline
  • Applicants need not be UK nationals, but the opportunity primarily targets artists able to work on site in the UK
  • Projects that actively engage diverse communities and socially engaged creative practice are especially welcomed.
  • Lead applicants should be registered as self-employed (tax responsibility lies with the artist).
  • Funded organisations cannot apply as lead applicants, although they may provide in-kind support.

Program Benefits & Awards

  • Commission Budget: £15,000 treated as a grant to be paid to the appointed artist(s). The budget is inclusive of all project costs — fees, travel, materials, participant expenses, events and marketing.
  • Funding will typically be paid in three instalments (start, mid-point, end with evaluation report).
  • Opportunity to work at Flatford (Dedham Vale National Landscape) — a heritage site central to Constable’s life and work.
  • Professional exposure via involvement in Constable 250, a high-profile cultural anniversary programme.
  • Artistic legacy and community impact strengthened by partnership with ECDP and the National Trust.
  • Guidance, support and potential publicity provided through host organisations.

Application Fee

None

Application Requirements

  • Artistic concept outline — project title, creative starting points, intended participants and community engagement process (max ~600 words).
  • Diversity statement — explanation of how the practice/project explores or promotes diversity (max ~200 words).
  • Applicant information — short biography/artist statement with examples (CV/portfolio/links to work).
  • Budget outline — basic breakdown showing planned use of the £15,000 (4–6 lines suggested).
  • Project timeline — approximate schedule with key milestones (4–6 lines suggested).
  • Commission Monitoring Form 2025–26 — must be completed and submitted.
  • Proposals can be submitted in written form, or as recorded video/audio (video max 10 minutes).

How to Apply?

Submit your proposal by email to: jo@essexcdp.com

Key Dates

  • Application Deadline: 23 February 2026
  • Interview (shortlist stage): Monday 9 March 2026
  • Commission Period: March to September 2026 with project activities spanning these months.

Location

Flatford, East Bergholt, Suffolk, United Kingdom

Additional Details

  • The commission is part of the wider Constable 250 cultural programme celebrating the 250th anniversary of John Constable’s birth.
  • The appointed artist(s) are expected to adopt a residency-style approach, embedding with local communities and audiences, acting as creative ambassadors for Flatford.
  • Projects must be bespoke to the local context and cannot be simply relocations of existing work.
  • Environmental sustainability considerations are encouraged; applicants should think about material use, accessibility, transport and inclusion in their proposals.
  • Accessibility support (alternate formats or Zoom proposal discussion) is available by request.

Website Link: https://essexcdp.com/commission/flatford-call/