Sculptural Plinth Commission
Blaze Closing date: Sun, 08 Mar 2026
- Part time
- Under £10K
Tue, 17 Feb 2026 "> published -
Job Summary
Job Description
Commissioning Partners: Blaze Arts, Burnley Civic Trust, HAD & Co Architectural Designers
Fee: £6,000 Artist fee (approx 24 days) plus £3,500 materials and R&D budget
Deadline for applications: 12pm Sunday 8th March 2026
Interviews: Monday 23rd March 2026
Blaze Arts, Burnley Civic Trust and HAD & Co Architectural Designers are seeking an early to mid-career artist to design and produce a new sculptural public realm artwork in the form of a plinth. The plinth will comprise four panels and will support an established public sculpture in the town centre, Unknown Shoppers.
This commission encourages a socially engaged, collaborative approach and seeks to ensure that authentic local youth voices are central to the work. The commissioned artist will work closely with local young people to develop ideas and inspiration for the artwork, ensuring the final design reflects the voices, experiences and aspirations of the community.
The commission celebrates Burnley's Market Charter, honouring the town's rich history while looking towards its future.
About the Commission
The artwork will take the form of four designed panels forming a plinth, which will be retrofit onto the existing base. The sculpture Unknown Shoppers will be mounted on top. To see images of the original Unknown Shoppers sculpture please click here: https://www.bcthic.org/Archive/Search?SearchText=unknown%20shoppers&mid=19286 - Unknown Shoppers Images
The Artists will have the opportunity to work with the Burnley Civic Trust Board to gain understanding of the history behind the original sculpture
The artwork should reflect collaborative work undertaken with young people, integrated into the concept.
Designs should connect to people and place which could include:
- Reflecting to Burnley's character; its people, history, town centre or civic stories.
- Connecting to the shoppers or history depicted in the original sculpture and their relationship to the Market Charter.
- Looking toward the future, celebrating Burnley's culture today or imagining what the town could become.
Job Requirements
Eligibility
- Open to early-mid career artists in any discipline with relevant 3D, sculptural, or public realm experience.
- Experience working collaboratively or in community settings, especially with young people is desirable.
- We are particularly keen to hear from Lancashire-based artists, reflecting our commitment to supporting local creative talent and strengthening regional cultural networks. However, this is not a requirement, and we warmly welcome applications from artists based elsewhere whose work and approach strongly respond to the brief.
- We welcome applications from artists who may not have undertaken a public realm commission before.
Installation will be undertaken by HAD & Co Architectural Designers; the artist is responsible for working with young people and designing and fabricating the panels, or leading in having the work manufactured.
Job Responsibilities
Working With Young People
The selected artist will collaborate with young people in Burnley as part of the design development process. This may include workshops, idea-generation sessions, hands-on creative experiments, pop-up sessions, and working with specific youth groups. Young people will be encouraged to influence designs and themes, fostering pride and shared ownership while allowing the artist time to develop a strong final public artwork.
Materials & Technical Considerations
Plinth panels must be weather-resistant, low-maintenance, durable, sustainable, and suitable for outdoor installation. Artists will collaborate with architects on materials, fixings, and longevity, with technical support provided. Each panel measures 1220mm wide 1000mm high.
Budget
£6,000 artist fee (design, collaboration, fabrication)
£3,000 materials budget
£500 R&D (workshops, models, development)
Installation costs covered separately
Timeline
Interviews: 23rd March 2026
Installation: November 2026
Useful Links
Job Overview
- Job Title: Sculptural Plinth Commission
- Salary: Under £10K
- Hours: Part time
- Artform: Visual arts
- Role: Creative
- Contract: Temporary
- Closing date: Sun, 08 Mar 2026
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Location:
North West
How to Apply
Applicants should email the following information to [email protected], using UNKNOWN SHOPPERS as the subject line.
Please include:
A written or video proposal expressing your interest & initial response to the brief (400 words or 4 minutes)
Examples of previous work (max 10 images / 5 projects)
CV (max 2 pages)
Proposed approach to working with young people (max 300 words)
Budget & proposed Timeline
- Contact name: Sophie Mahon
- Contact email: [email protected]
About Blaze
Blaze is a youth led arts organisations based in Lancashire. We support young people to develop their confidence, creativity and transferable skills through youth led creative projects.