Call Out for artist/artists to be part of the Our Big Picture ‘Art in the Market’ project. Over the past 10 months Our Big Picture has presented a series of pop-up exhibitions, residencies and workshops at Grimsby Top Town Market as part of our ‘Art in the Market’ programme. We would like to commission an artist/s to create a new experience/exhibition/activity that will engage our existing audience and invite new engagement with the project.

Our Big Picture, Art in the Market is supported by the Arts Council England in partnerships with NE Lincs council delivering a two-year contemporary arts programme on ‘Market Central’, a newly created, large centrally located indoor market stall space, on Grimsby’s Top Town Market. This unique space has become a focal point to an original high-quality arts programme that includes emerging and experienced artists.

Focusing on Visual Arts and Making through commissioned exhibitions and artwork, resident artists, adult workshops & talks and makers fairs. We also offer music performance space and have employed an artist co-ordinator specialising in Children and Young People workshops and a project manager.

We have achieved a lot in a short time bringing a range of activities and experiences to the market. Now we know our audiences better and how to work within the daily life of the market. We want to build on our success and aim to:

• Encourage recycling and reusing across all activites and work with stall holders to do this
• Strengthen a new ‘Top Town’ branding in all we do
• Explore how we all use markets – sense of nostalgia, routine, a unique place & space and experience
• To contribute and promote the market as being a vital and vibrant community asset
• To bring new visitors and customers to the market
• Connect better and celebrate the stall holders – food, textiles, gifts, books, make & mend - colour and sounds
• Expand on our CYP participation including Arts Award
• Celebrate or communicate the markets USPs
• Think of unique ways to use the market space
• Positively contribute to ‘Anti to the demise of the town centre’ initiatives

Our Big Picture ‘Art in the Market’ Commission

There are two separate commissions on offer with each commission with a budget of £2716. Depending on the artist and activity the two budgets can be rolled into one with two outcomes.

Fee breakdown:

• £1800 artists fee: the fee includes expenses
• £250 artists workshop fee: to deliver Children and young People workshop session over two sessions
• Materials: £666

Total budget: £5432 for 2 commissions.

Additional paid work may be available to artists delivering schools/home ed/ adult workshops if there is a demand for this. We are especially interested in working with artists that could expand, develop and shape Our Big Picture’s current offer of workshops, talks and activities.

Artists are given a free stall/working space at the Top Town Market (open to the public Tue, Thur, Fri and Sat – access also available on days the market is closed to the public).

After the success of previous resident artist, we are keen that there is a public facing element to the commissions, and that at least a week of the production process should be carried out on site during public opening hours of the market.

We would like to commission a project that may have a life after the event/exhibition. For example it might lead to further work with that artists, or shape future commissions or activity at the market. 

Apply by supplying:

• CV
• A brief proposal: - including a short piece about your work, images, and how you would approach being commissioned to create work at the market (ie what you would anticipate doing) Max 4 sides A4
• Project start September 2019 – May 2020 (This will depend on one or two commissions) - Art in the Market finishes July 2020