Interactive Art Installation: Applications sought

The Scottish Partnership for Palliative Care is looking to commission an artist to envision and create an interactive art installation to mark the 10^th Anniversary of the To Absent Friends festival.

This commission is for an artist or collective resident in the UK. Relevant experience working with public interactive art installations is desirable, but a track record of delivering other types of installation exhibitions plus a good idea and plan for your first public interactive installation will also be considered.

About the To Absent Friends Festival

To Absent Friends, a people’s festival of storytelling and remembrance, takes place across Scotland from 1-7 November each year. The festival aims to create opportunities for people to gather together to celebrate and remember dead loved ones.

More information about the festival is available here: www.toabsentfriends.org.uk

Project Brief

The 10^th To Absent Friends Festival will take place 1-7 November 2023.

We want to mark this occasion by creating a new, interactive artwork that engages members of the public in remembering and celebrating people in their lives who have died.

We are therefore looking to commission an artist or collective to envision and create a piece of art:

in an outdoor public space in Scotland during 1-7 November 2023.
that makes passersby curious and comfortable to engage.
that encourages the public to contribute to or interact with it in some way.
that encourages the public to remember or tell stories or reminisce about people in their lives who have died and who remain important to them. (Please note, the focus should be on remembrance and storytelling, rather than on grief and loss.)
that is sensitive to the diversity of the Scottish population and the variety of experiences of loss that are present in Scotland.
that is visually striking and provides a talking point for press releases about the TAF festival.
that has no negative environmental impact.

More details about the project brief are available here: Project Brief

Budget

The budget for this project, including artist time and materials, is £7500 (including any VAT).

Application process

Applications should be submitted to samara@palliativecarescotland.org.uk by 12 noon on Monday 7 August 2023. We will interview shortlisted applicants in the week beginning 21 August 2023.

Full information about the application process is available here: Project Brief

Timeline

The successful applicant will be notified by 1^st September 2023.

The artwork needs to be ready for display/public participation during the week 1-7 November 2023, as part of the To Absent Friends Festival.

Further information

Once you've read the full information provided in the Project Brief, we appreciate that you may have questions or wish to discuss the project before putting in an application. If so, please don’t hesitate to get in touch and we’ll arrange a time to chat on the phone: samara@palliativecarescotland.org.uk