Artist’s Brief
New Paths: Stonehenge and Avebury World Heritage Site
Background & Context
Quest Southwest was established in 2009 to support a region-wide Outdoor Arts project for
elements of the Cultural Olympiad in the south west and provide a focus for the outdoor arts
network in the region.
Quest Southwest’s current year-long project – Inspiring South West Outdoor Arts - will develop and
strengthen the outdoor arts sector in south west England. As part of this programme Quest
Southwest is piloting a project to enable artists to create new links and work with specific non-arts
organisations who have expressed an interest in the project, in order to research and develop new
ideas for outdoor work.
Quest Southwest will broker and support selected artist(s) to work with the Stonehenge and
Avebury World Heritage Site, focussing particularly on Avebury, and form a new relationship. Quest
will work to gain understanding of the needs of both and explore the benefits and challenges of
what it means to look at working together and develop new ideas. The outcomes of these
partnerships will be recorded as a resource to be shared, and an advocacy tool for the sector, in
order to create more successful partnerships and more opportunities for outdoor arts work to be
presented in the future.
The relationship developed between the artist/company and the non-arts partner(s), supported by
Quest Southwest, may lead to the creation of a new project. We hope that the artist and the
Avebury World Heritage Site will work to develop new ideas and possible projects that are not overled or ‘working to a prescribed outcome’ from the early stage. We do not currently have funding to
invest in a next phase of any potential project development, however it is expected that the viability
of continuing the relationship into a ‘project phase’ will form the final part of the engagement.
Quest Southwest has identified non-arts partners for New Paths through its Creative Exploration
Programme; a series of events held in 2014, and into 2015, which have brought artists, producers
and non-arts organisations together in themed groups – landscape, heritage, climate change and
small/medium venues - to share experiences of presenting outdoor arts.
Quest Southwest will be a ‘friendly ear’ for both parties and facilitate the first stages of the project.
Both artist and organisation will then work together to discern what they both want to achieve and
how they might go about doing that. The Stonehenge and Avebury World Heritage Site is currently
preparing their 2015 Management Plan which sets out work until 2021 so the New Paths process
could focus on elements that could support this Management plan including, for example,
investigating interesting formats, the scale or ambition for future outdoor arts work within a given
timescale, whether there is existing work that could be re-focused, look at funding routes for this
purpose, etc.
Project Aim:
Quest Southwest, The Stonehenge and Avebury World Heritage Site and the Artist are all working to:
Pilot a model to establish meaningful new partnerships between arts and non-arts organisations and
artists/companies in order to facilitate a range of opportunities for the creation of outdoor work in
the South West region.
The project hopes to:
• Take up opportunities arising out of work started through Quest Southwest’s Creative
Explorations events by creating new relationships.
• Increase understanding and presentation of outdoor arts programming and commissioning.
• Increase the skills and knowledge of organisations who have previously
commissioned/presented little or no outdoor work.
• Develop and offer non-arts organisations a practical understanding of how to collaborate with
artists.
• Increase opportunities for artists in the Southwest region to establish new relationships.
• Increase opportunities for artists in the Southwest to develop ideas for new projects, or provide
new contexts for existing work, within a supported, funded environment.
• Increase the availability of useful case studies for non-arts organisations/venues considering
engaging with outdoor arts.
Artists Brief
To establish a meaningful relationship with The Stonehenge and Avebury World Heritage
Site (WHS) working group, explore the scope of its work and understand its ambitions
captured within the emerging Management Plan. This may take place through, for e.g.,
residency, consultation, scratch performances, regular meetings, site visits.
It is estimated that the project will run for up to three months from mid Feb 2015.
The Stonehenge and Avebury WHS Coordination Unit will provide access and information
about the work of the WHS and its assets, assist in sourcing specialists where possible, and
provide accommodation for meetings and site visits as appropriate.
For this project, which will focus on the Avebury part of the Stonehenge and Avebury WHS,
fully consider its needs and develop tangible ideas for a new piece of outdoor
performance/art work or re-focussing of existing work.
To advocate for the benefit of working in outdoor arts to World Heritage Site stakeholders
through its working group and wider networks.
To record the experience of developing the work in partnership with The Avebury World
Heritage Site through notes/blog, photographs, quotes and other media as appropriate.
To attend an end of project evaluation meeting (date tbc).
Artist Fees & Expenses (inclusive of VAT)
Artists Fee
Artists Travel
Materials
£2,000
£250
£500
Partnership Management
The project will be a 2-way partnership between The Stonehenge and Avebury World Heritage Site
and THE ARTIST(S) managed, facilitated and monitored by Quest Southwest through Devizes
Outdoor Celebratory Arts (DOCA).
DOCA is an experienced outdoor arts development organisation based in the heart of Wiltshire. It
works with some of the UK's and Europe's leading artists and companies to deliver an outstanding
programme of outdoor arts events and participatory opportunities for people of all ages. You can
find out more at http://www.docadevizes.org.uk/about
There will be named contacts for each organisation for the duration of the project, and expectations
of each partners’ role will be clearly defined.
You can find out more about the Avebury part of The Stonehenge and Avebury World Heritage Site
through its website www.stonehengeandaveburywhs.org and the draft management plan is
available at
http://consult.wiltshire.gov.uk/portal/spatial_planning/whs/stonehenge_and_avebury_whs_manag
ement_plan_2015
And about Quest Southwest at http://www.questsouthwest.co.uk
Who Can Make a Proposal?
· Individual artists, creative people and designers based in the south west region.
· Arts organisations and creative companies based in the south west region.
· Artists collaborating with others on the development of ideas (other artists, makers, community
participants, engineers, technical experts - for example), based in the south west region.
We will try to meet the access requirements of any applicant on request.
Proposal Process
Proposals are invited, and should include:
· what you want to achieve
· how you propose to approach this research and development with The Avebury part of The
Stonehenge and Avebury World Heritage Site, including an indicative timetable;
· how you might deploy the budget;
· why you are suitable;
· CV and evidence of body of work;
· three referees.
12 noon, February 9th
Closing Date
February 16th
Interviews undertaken and Artist selected
February 20th
Artist recruitment completed and contract signed by both partners
Feb – March/April 15
Research and development period
Ongoing evaluation to create case study
Date tbc February 15
Initial meeting between artist, The Stonehenge and Avebury World Heritage
Site and Quest Southwest
February & March 15
Further visits and meetings between artist and The Stonehenge and Avebury
World Heritage Site –artists’ research.
Fortnightly catch up calls for artist and Quest Southwest to support
development.
April 15
Partners Evaluation meeting. Case study written by Quest Southwest and
shared for sign off.