The Land of Oak & Iron - Sculpture Commission Background Set within the countryside of north east England, the Land of Oak & Iron stretches from the fringes of the North Pennines following the course of the River Derwent to the River Tyne. The area once hosted a world-leading iron and steel industry in various forms from the 1690s up until the 1980s; in the early 18th Century it was the heart of British sword making and was home to the great industrialist Ambrose Crowley. The Land of Oak & Iron Landscape Partnership has secured 3.4m from the Heritage Lottery Fund (HLF) and a variety of matched funding sources, to enable this area s unique combination of natural, industrial and cultural heritage to be conserved, enhanced and celebrated. Fourteen interconnected projects, delivered across a four year programme from 2016-2020, will leave a lasting legacy of restored heritage, rekindled local passion and merited global awareness of the significance of the area s previously concealed heritage. Crowley s is a new flagship building which will showcase the area s distinctive heritage. It will be a high profile strategic tourism and enterprise hub, providing business workspace, a café, a shop specialising in local produce, and exhibition space. Crowley s will be an exciting, self-sustaining building of exceptional environmental design with a grass/wildflower sedum roof, located sympathetically in the landscape. Contractors ESH are starting on site in September 2017, with completion in April 2018 and opening May 2018. Crowley s is located in the Derwenthaugh Country Park which includes the scheduled ancient monument (SAM) relating to Ambrose Crowley s Iron Works. It will feature this world-leading industry and its relationship to, and impact on, the area s natural heritage. It will tell the story of how the rich natural resources of woodland, coal, iron ore and water power from the River Derwent enabled great industrial developments that were accompanied with before their time social security and welfare benefits. Crowley s will also tell the wonderful story of what happens when industry disappears and nature returns. The Country Park is now one of the most important wildlife sites in Gateshead with a wide range of habitats supporting a rich and diverse flora and fauna. As the 156 hectares Country Park has become established it has enhanced the remaining 46 hectares of species rich ancient semi natural woodland, which constitutes one of the largest continuous areas of semi-natural woodland in north east England. The area is now home to various rare habitats including lowland mixed deciduous woodland, ponds, rivers, lowland meadow and pasture with an increasing range of rare species including otters, great crested newts, red kites, water voles, salmon, brown trout, bats and kingfishers. The natural heritage and wildlife of the Country Park will be a key part of the heritage that Crowley s engages a new audience with. Page 1 of 7
Artist impression of the Centre. Not an accurate design Brief Proposals are invited from suitably qualified and experienced artists to create a landmark piece at the entrance to the site with the purpose of attracting people from the road to Crowley s. It will capture the public s imagination and encourage visitors to seek out more information, increasing their understanding of the Land of Oak & Iron and what the area has to offer. As Crowley s is to be offset from the road it will not be easily visible to visitors. Therefore it is vitally important that this artwork will be eye-catching and become visually iconic within the landscape providing indication of the centre's existence. Although it is hoped that the sculpture combines the natural, industrial and cultural heritage of the valley, the focus should remain on creating a stimulating, contemporary piece of artwork. Audience Crowley s main objective is to engage with members of the community that do not regularly engage with heritage, with a focus on families and young people. The sculpture should provide points of interest for a broad range of audiences and ages. Workshop The artists/arts company will be responsible for delivering the equivalent of one full day workshop with local community group(s). This will be age appropriate activities to ensure the engagement, involvement and active participation of children, young people and local community groups in the design journey. Criteria The sculpture will be a minimum 4m high with a prominent form and mass that is visible at a distance on the A694 approach road. See Appendix A(i) for location of Landmark Sculpture and A(ii) for geographical location of the Crowley s. The artist will be responsible for providing structural engineering and wind load calculations in addition to overseeing fabrication and installation of the sculpture. Page 2 of 7
The primary materials to be used for the structure are iron and steel, however additional materials can also be incorporated. All materials must be durable and require minimal maintenance. The artist will be required to attend appropriate meetings to report on the progress of the project, and consult with Landscape Architects, who will be responsible for the final sign off on all designs. The sculpture is subject to highway approval and planning permission, to be secured by North East & Cumbria. It is expected that the design and use of materials will link to the wider Land of Oak & Iron landscape and centre based interpretation. Budget A total budget of 30,000 is secure for this work, including design, fabrication and installation. The commissioned artist will be paid in instalments of 30% on commission, 30% on completion, 40% on installation. Time frame Stage Date Deadline for submissions 9am, Monday 2 October 2017 Artist interviews and selection Week beginning 16 October 2017 Artist appointment Week beginning 23 October 2017 First draft design including dimensioned drawings and Mid November 2017 elevations to satisfy planning procedures Community workshop December 2017 Final design approval January 2018 Approvals and permissions in place End January 2018 Fabrication February to April 2018 Installation April 2018 Roles and Responsibilities: will be responsible for identifying appropriate community organisations and venue for the workshop. The appointed artist/arts company will be responsible for: Creation and installation of the sculpture and the delivery of the workshop as specified Operating within the specified financial resources Sub-contractors, suppliers and engineering consultant (engaging, monitoring performance and payment) Providing documentation of public liability cover (minimum of 5 million cover) Reporting regularly to the commissioner concerning progress, including three interim review meetings and a final review meeting on completion of the project Page 3 of 7
Selection Criteria: The appointed artists/arts company will be the one who, in the view of the decision makers, best satisfies the following criteria: Proven track record of producing high-quality sculptural work for the public realm Experience of project and budget management of a similar scale Understanding of the brief as expressed in application and interview Experience of delivering workshops within the community Application and Selection Process Appointment will be via a competitive interview process. Please apply via email to karen.daglish@groundwork.org.uk; all proposals should be received by 9am on Monday 2 October 2017. Proposals should include the following Organisation profile table, see below; A short consideration of how you would meet the ambition of this project A minimum of one concept idea for the sculpture, including approximate budget allocation. A daily rate so it is clear how much time you are able to allocate to this project within the budget outlined above A copy of your up to date CV Up to five relevant examples of onsite features that you have previously designed and produced, for projects with similar aims to this. Name and contact details for two referees Page 4 of 7
A NOTE A1 A2 A3 A4 A5 A6 A7 A8 A9 A10 ORGANISATION PROFILE This section is required for information purposes only Business name (or Consortium Name): Registered or trading name if different: Type of organisation (e.g. private limited company, partnership, sole trader): Registered address: Correspondence address if different from the above: Address from which the Contract will be provided if different from the above: Name of ultimate holding/parent company or subsidiary companies including addresses and an explanation of group structure and internal relationships: Company Registration Number of ultimate holding/parent company or subsidiary companies: If you have included details of an ultimate holding/parent company above would this company be willing to guarantee your contract performance and enter into any requisite legal documentation? Indication of the principal areas of business activity of your organisation: A11 a. Contact name: b. Contact's position: c. Contact's telephone number: d. Contact's fax number: e. Contact s email address: f. Company/ies registration number(s): g. Place of registration: h. Year established: i. VAT number: Page 5 of 7
Appendix A(i) Page 6 of 7
Appendix A(ii) Page 7 of 7