Artist Brief for High Street West Mural

Site 01 / Urban Ecology

Project Delivery Team: Art of Protest Projects

Release date 24 August, 2023

Project Overview

Sunderland Council are seeking a visionary artist to create a digital design that merges the themes of ecology and urban/metropolitan. This design will be used to create one of several murals on the windows of empty shop units on High Street West. Collectively, these murals will aim to uplift Sunderland city centre’s urban landscape as part of ongoing regeneration efforts taking place in the area. The chosen artist will create and submit a digital design which will be professionally printed onto a vinyl substrate and installed by the Art of Protest Projects delivery team.

The creative output goal for this mural is to fuse the raw authenticity of urban aesthetics with the resilience of ecological systems. The successful artist will be asked to craft a design that challenges the norm, bridging the gap between gritty urban elements and the interconnectedness of nature, resulting in a visual narrative that embodies the essence of both realms.

Location

Site 01 is Infinity Pizza (permanently closed and vacant) - part of Sunniside Leisure on High Street West

Applicant Requirements:

All applicants must be over 18 years old and must either live or work within a Sunderland postcode. This commission is open to all creatives, but the chosen artist must be able to produce a digital image of the final design.

This commission is for one digital image only. The image will be printed onto vinyl and then cut into smaller sections by the mural installation team (Art of Protest Projects) before being installed onto the window panels. The successful artist will not be required to paint a mural.

The submitted design may be a newly created work or may be submitted from an existing body of work, as long as it fits to the brief. Further instructions will be given to the successful artist regarding specific dimensions and digital formatting requirements. The size of the mural will be approximately 27m long by 4m high. See images below as a guide.

Application Guidelines:

  • Along with your CV and/or artist bio, please submit a portfolio with a minimum of three of your strongest works that represent your capabilities for this project. These can be digital images or photographs of work. 

  • For the initial application stage, please do not submit a new design. The successful artist will be chosen by Sunderland City Council and will be given more detailed instructions about how to create the digital design.

  • Please send application details to the Art of Protest Projects team at info.aopprojects@gmail.com on or before August 31st at 18:00. 

  • The successful artist will be notified on approx September 4th with further details about the digital submission requirements and will have eight days to complete the final design. 

  • Support and guidance will be given as needed.

  • Sunderland City Council are not obliged to proceed with the offers submitted.

Compensation:

The selected artist will receive a commission fee of £1,000 for the creation of the design.

Timeline:

- The application deadline is on or before 18:00 on August 31st, 2023

- The selected artist will be notified on September 4th, 2023

- The final design must be submitted on or before September 12th, 2023

- The mural installation will take place on Sept 28-30th, 2023 (artist not required to be present)

Audience and Impact:

This mural will accompany and compliment the adjacent mural at site 1 (old Infinity Pizza) and will be a focal point for both pedestrians and passersby, contributing to the enhancement of the local urban landscape. It should spark curiosity, delight, and a sense of wonder, inviting viewers to pause and engage with the artwork.

Specific Requirements:

The image below shows an example of using a window template to create the final design. The successful artist may utilise this approach, with a provided template meeting the size requirements, however this method is not required. Specific ratios and dimensions will be given to the successful candidate upon further instruction.