Organizer Information
The commissioning body for this opportunity is Beam, a UK-based public art agency working on behalf of Down to Earth Wigan & Leigh (DTE Wigan), part of the Creative People and Places (CPP) programme funded by Arts Council England.
Beam specialises in the delivery of socially engaged, site-specific public art programmes that connect artists with communities and public spaces. The organization works across curatorial development, artist commissioning, and community engagement facilitation, often managing complex, multi-partner cultural projects. In this programme, Beam collaborates closely with local community groups, residents, and stakeholders across Wigan Borough to ensure that public artworks reflect local identity, heritage, and lived experience.
Down to Earth Wigan & Leigh is a place-based cultural initiative focused on increasing community participation in the arts and embedding creativity within everyday public life. The programme prioritizes accessibility, local ownership, and long-term cultural engagement.
Title & Description
MADE YOU LOOK – A Programme of Socially Engaged Public Art Commission Wigan Borough
“Made You Look” is a large-scale public art commissioning programme delivering permanent, site-specific murals across four locations in Wigan Borough. This call concerns the first two commissions in Swinley and Mosley Common.
Selected artists will be commissioned to create large-scale 2D public artworks (murals or printed/painted installations on durable materials such as dibond or wooden panels). The works will be installed in prominent public locations and are intended to remain in situ for a minimum of five years.
The programme is strongly rooted in community co-creation, with each artist working alongside local community groups who will help shape themes, narratives, and engagement strategies. The aim is to produce artworks that reflect local heritage, biodiversity, and identity while fostering civic pride and social connection.
Artists are expected to undertake research, lead participatory engagement activities, and develop design proposals that respond directly to place-based narratives co-defined with residents.
Categories
- Public Art
- Mural / Large-scale Painting
- Site-specific Installation (2D works)
- Community-engaged Art
- Visual Arts
- Social Practice / Participatory Art
Eligibility
- Open to individual artists and artist collectives
- International applications accepted (though preference given to artists based in or connected to North West England)
- Suitable for experienced public artists
- Particularly encouraged for:
- Emerging-to-mid career public artists
- Artists from underrepresented backgrounds in the public art sector
- Artists with socially engaged or participatory practices
- Must have experience delivering large-scale outdoor or public-facing artworks
- Must be able to work in collaboration with community groups and multiple stakeholders
Program Benefits & Awards
- Commission fee: £12,000 per project (inclusive of all costs and VAT if applicable)
- Two separate commissions available (Swinley and Mosley Common)
- Professional production and curatorial support from Beam
- Community partnership facilitation and engagement infrastructure
- Access to local knowledge, research materials, and stakeholder networks
- Support with:
- Risk assessments and installation planning
- Permissions and planning documentation
- Production logistics and budgeting
- Public installation of artwork in high-visibility civic locations
- Long-term public exposure (minimum lifespan: 5 years)
- Opportunity to develop a large-scale public portfolio work
Application Fee
None
Application Requirements
- Contact details (name, email, phone, web/social links)
- Statement of interest and motivation
- Preferred commission location (Swinley, Mosley Common, or both)
- Outline of approach to community engagement
- Initial conceptual ideas for the commission
- Relevant professional experience in public art
- Confirmation of any local/regional connection (optional but considered)
- Portfolio: up to 6 examples of relevant work
- Two referee contacts (references requested only from shortlisted candidates)
- Optional equality and diversity monitoring form
Applications can be submitted in:
- PDF (max 6 pages / 10MB)
- Video (max 5 minutes)
- Audio format (max 5 minutes)
How to Apply?
Applications must be submitted via email: frances@beam.uk.net
Key Dates
- Application Deadline: 20 April 2026
- Shortlisted Interviews: Week commencing 4 May 2026 (online)
- Artist Appointment: Week commencing 11 May 2026
- Project Delivery Period: April – November 2026
- Design Development: June – July 2026
- Final Design Approval: August 2026
- Installation Window: August – October 2026
- Project Completion & Evaluation: November 2026
Location
Additional Details
- Each commission involves deep community engagement, including workshops, walks, interviews, and participatory design sessions.
- Artists must ensure artworks are:
- Weather-resistant and durable
- Designed with vandalism mitigation strategies
- Supported by maintenance planning
- Environmental sustainability is encouraged (e.g., low-VOC paints, recycled materials, local sourcing).
- Artists are responsible for production, fabrication, and installation, including subcontracting where necessary.
- Artists must hold Public Liability Insurance (minimum £5 million).
- Beam and partners will manage approvals, community liaison, and project coordination.
- Artwork themes are site-specific:
- Swinley: heritage, geography, mapping identity, historical figures, green corridors
- Mosley Common: mining/agricultural heritage, biodiversity, community integration, future-facing identity