Leeds City Council is looking to commission a major new projection mapping art work and sound scape for the city’s annual Light Night Leeds event.

Light Night Leeds 2016

Centrepiece Projection Mapping Commission Brief 

Following the innovative ‘Theatre of Illumination’ by Omni Pictures in 2014, we are looking for an exciting and ambitious new work to re-imagine the façade of Leeds Civic Hall on Millennium Square for two nights in early October 2016.

The overall theme for this year's Light Night Leeds event is 'The Elements', so we are interested in receiving proposals for spectacular projection mapping and sound works which reference either 'The Elements' as a whole or individual elements 'Earth', 'Air', 'Fire' or Water. The piece can be narrative led or more abstract in style, and should be durational to be played repeatedly throughout the evening on a loop. Light Night Leeds has a broad and varied audience so the commissioned artwork must have cross-generational appeal and it is important that the work does not include any content that could cause offence to the general public.

The work will be shown on Leeds Civic Hall on Thursday 6th October and Friday 7th October and will form the centre-piece of the Light Night Leeds event.  Leeds Civic Hall was designed by the architect Vincent Harris and completed in 1933. The building is faced with Portland Stone and constructed in a neo-classical style. Leeds Civic Hall is located on Millennium Square and is bordered by Leeds City Museum and the Carriageworks Theatre, which are also Light Night venues.

Expressions of interest to this call are invited from experienced professional artists, designers and organisations, and we expect submissions from practitioners with a proven track record in the field.  We are interested in receiving proposals from local, national and international artists to create a new unique work and deliver an awe-inspiring spectacle for the people of Leeds and visitors to the city. 

Budget

The project budget is expected to be approximately £28,000 inc. VAT.

Your budget must include all artistic fees (including all travel / accommodation), project development, AV equipment hire, and technical staff.  

Addional costs to be met by Light Night Leeds are: projection tower, event security, electrical, fencing/barriers, and Light Night project management.

NB this commission is subject to Light Night receiving Arts Council England funding.

Practical requirements

·         The commission must be for original work designed specifically for Light Night Leeds 2016. (NB previous Light Night applications will not be considered)

·         The artwork will be required to run for approximately 3.5 hours each evening (7.30 -11pm).  The work should be designed to be looped over the course of the evening, and the piece should be approximately 10 minutes in duration.

·         The sound composition must be integral to the work and must take into consideration the proximity of the hospital across the street.

·         Project delivery to take place 6th & 7th October 2016. (NB Work must be ready to test on the building on Wednesday 5th October.)

·         Projects must be deliverable within the specified budget and to the agreed timescales.

·         Applicants must not rely on a major commitment of staff resources from Leeds City Council. It is essential that you have the experience to oversee the installation/operation of the work.

·         Applicants must proactively work with Light Night Leeds and the LCC marketing team to create a buzz about the commission locally, nationally and internationally.

Schedule

Deadline for submissions: 5pm Friday 3rd June 2016

Interviews: W/b 13th June 2016 TBC

Project development: June 2016 - Sept 2016

Project delivery: 6th & 7th October 2016

Evaluation complete: 11th November 2016

Our Process

Applications will be assessed by the Light Night Leeds team and a panel of judges and short-listed applicants will be invited to interview.

The selected applicant will work on the development of the full project plan and evaluation framework in consultation with the Light Night Programmer / Producer and Light Night Production Manager.

Leeds City Council reserves the right to re-open the call or not to make an award if applications are deemed unsuitable.

About Light Night Leeds

Light Night is an annual multi-arts and light festival which takes place every year in early October at numerous venues across Leeds city centre. Hundreds of artists, makers and performers transform the city’s streets and buildings for an unforgettable evening of exhibitions, installations and performances.  It is a celebratory showcase for the huge range of diverse and thriving creative activity taking place in Leeds all year round, and gives visitors free access to art and venues that they might not normally see. In 2015 an audience of 60,000 people attended Light Night experiencing over 60 different events in over 30 locations in the city centre.  2016 will be the 12th annual event.

Light Night aims to…

• Bring new audiences and welcome more young people and their families into cultural venues in the city.

• Deliver an annual multi-arts and light festival across multiple venues happening on one evening in Leeds city centre.

• Grow new audiences for all art-forms and increase access for people from diverse backgrounds who would not normally attend arts activities.

• Enable and support artists and arts organisations to collaborate, show new work in new and/or unusual spaces and develop their audiences.

http://lightnightleeds.co.uk/

About Leeds

Leeds is a modern and diverse northern British city.  It is the third largest and one of the fastest growing in the UK and is now home to an estimated 798,800 people.  Leeds is the regional capital and the main economic driver for the counties of Yorkshire with major road, rail and air connections to neighbouring towns and cities, and to national and international networks.  The city’s diversity can be seen in a population which is made up of residents of over 140 different ethnic groups and the fact that Leeds school children speak over 170 languages. Black, Asian and Minority Ethnic groups represent 17.4% of the population. 

A unique and distinctive place, the city of Leeds has a rich industrial heritage.  Known as the leading financial and legal centre in the UK outside London, the city is home to some of the largest financial institutions in the country. It has a diverse economy, excellent universities and world-class culture and sport.

Culture, tourism and sport play a key role in attracting people and investment to Leeds. The growth in the number of visitors to the city has been helped by restoring and developing flagship cultural and sporting venues including Northern Ballet & Phoenix Dance Theatre, The City Museum, The Grand Theatre & Howard Assembly Rooms, The City Varieties theatre, The John Charles Centre for Sport, Headingley Stadium, and the First Direct Arena.  Leeds is home to Yorkshire Dance, Opera North, West Yorkshire Playhouse, East Street Arts, Phoenix Dance, Henry Moore Institute, and a wide range of festivals including Leeds International Film Festival and the West Indian Carnival.  The city also has a vibrant independent music scene and a thriving DIY arts community.

Visit www.visitleeds.co.uk and www.leedsinspired.co.uk to get a flavour of what’s currently on in the city.