Artist’s Commission - Arts & Dementia Care
BRIEFING DOCUMENT
Commissioner:
Cowper Care
Managed by
Create
the national development agency for collaborative arts
in social and community contexts
December 2012
Introduction
Create, the national development agency for collaborative arts, in tandem with Cowper Care,
is seeking expressions of interest from artists with experience working within the field of Arts
& Health and Arts & Older People for a unique opportunity to engage with the context of
dementia care in the creation of work for a Dublin based nursing home that provides care to
older people.
Cowper Care seeks to commission innovative and context appropriate artwork(s) for the
Dementia Care Unit at Gascoigne House, Dublin 6. Gascoigne House provides care for up
to 44 resident Older People including a specially equipped secure 12-bed area for Dementia
Care.
Background
Cowper Care is seeking proposals from artist(s) who work collaboratively with experience
within the field of Arts & Health and Arts & Older People. Proposals from cross artform
disciplines are welcomed.
In their on-going commitment to the development of dementia–friendly environments,
Cowper Care is seeking an artistic intervention within their Dementia Care unit. The unit
contains shared sitting rooms for resident and visitor use, shared dining area, individual
living quarters and accessible outdoor garden spaces, as well as staff and other facilities.
The priority for the commission is to have a positive visual impact on the physical space and
for the residents. Due to the nature of the space it is anticipated that the successful artist(s)
will incorporate collaborative methodologies into the creation of work, and Cowper Care and
Create will facilitate collaborations with staff, residents, residents’ families and visitors.
Brief
This brief invites proposals for original artwork(s) which should be informed by the context in
which the commission is taking place. Artwork(s) must be of the highest standard. It is
preferable that the artist will have experience of working in similar / relevant contexts areas
and ideally have an understanding of dementia care. Locations considered suitable for works
of art include Circulation Spaces, Social Spaces, Dining Areas and the Garden areas.
Themes and areas of interest to the commissioner include:
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Visual impacts
Engagement with residents
Permanent / Semi permanent interventions
Personalisation
Cognitive engagement + constructive stimulation
Artform
Commissions can include work in any artform and can be achieved through collaborative
projects and/or inter-disciplinary responses. In addition to the work of individual artists there
is scope for collaborations, collective responses and interdisciplinary practices. The
proposed process must involve artists making new work as a central aspect of the
commission and engagement with key stakeholders including staff, residents and family of
residents is expected.
Engagement with the Context
Successful commissions will respond to and be mindful of the nature of the building and the
needs of its users. Work must be bespoke to this environment. Selected artists will have the
opportunity to consult with key stakeholders as identified by the commissioner. Research
and understanding of the context is vital.
Selection process
Phase One
Professional artists are invited to submit their proposals for artworks for consideration by the
Arts Committee.
The Selection Panel will consist of:
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Representatives from Cowper Care
An independent artist / Expert
Director, Create – the national development agency for Collaborative Arts
Director, Broadstone Artist Studios
The Selection Panel will consider the submitted proposals and make a shortlist (up to three)
of those deemed suitable to be further developed. The relevant artists will be contacted and
invited to develop their proposals further and a fee of 500 euro will be offered to those artists
to assist in the development process.
Phase Two
The Selection Panel will consider the developed proposals and recommend those which are deemed
suitable to proceed to the next step.
The Selection Panel may:
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Select one or more proposal; or
Reject any or all proposals
Invite an individual artist to submit or re-submit a proposal
The Selection Panel may decide to shorten the selection process if they consider it necessary to do
so. It should also be noted that the Selection Panel can decide that no artwork is to be selected. The
Selection Panel may invite artists to meet with them and/or relevant staff members.
Fees and budget
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Artists selected for shortlist will be paid a fee of €500.
The monetary budget allocated to the commission is €23,000, inclusive of fees and
production costs.
Application procedure
Applications should include:
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A statement (no longer than 2 A4 pages) including:
o An outline of why you would like to take on this commission
o Early thoughts on approaches to the commission
o A description of how you would engage with the space
Budget including artist’s fees and materials
Documentation of work. Visual material of your work
An up to date CV
Applications will be returned upon conclusion of selection if requested. While every care will be taken
with artists’ materials, no responsibility is taken by the managers of the project for items damaged or
mislaid. Artists are responsible for insuring their applications if they wish. Applicants are responsible
for the cost of delivering applications.
The commission and its agents reserve the right to document the artist’s application.
Other Conditions:
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The artist should be aware of the ethics of working in health contexts
The commissioned artwork will have to comply with health and safety requirements.
Deadline
Closing date for submissions is 25 January at 1pm. Late applications will not be accepted.
All submitted materials are to be clearly marked with the artist’s name, contact details and
the title ‘Artist Commission – Cowper Care’
Applications should be sent to:
Artist Commission – Cowper Care
Jane O’Rourke
Create
2 Curved Street
Dublin 2
Queries
Applicants are welcome to make enquiries regarding the commission, directed to:
Patrick Fox, Director, Create
Tel (01) 4736600 or email director@create-ireland.ie