Central Govan Action Plan Steering Group wishes to commission an inspirational and experienced artist(s) to deliver 3 distinct public art projects. Deadline: 12 noon 25 May 2010.

These three projects are:

• Engraved paving reflecting Govan???s culture and heritage, as part of Govan Cross Public Realm Improvements Phase 1;
• Street lighting banners promoting a Govan theme or brand, also as part of Govan Cross Public Realm Improvements Phase 1; and
• A heritage timeline or permanent visual art intervention as part of major upgrading works at Langlands Path.

Aim

The public art projects are an integral part of the ongoing regeneration of Govan???s town centre. Through it we aim to:

- Create a distinct public realm that reflects the cultural, creative and historic character of Govan, as well as Govan???s future aspirations and changing form;
- create an attractive and unique urban quarter where high quality public realm, art and architecture reinforce a sense of place, connectivity and cohesion and where innovation and individuality are promoted at the expense of blandness and mediocrity.
- Encourage people to positively engage with and own their public space by providing elements that prompt surprise, reflection, admiration and pride.

Background

Central Govan Action Plan is a 10 year, multi-million pound, physical regeneration framework that guides the current regeneration of Govan town centre. The plan includes new residential developments; public realm improvements; restoration and reuse of historic buildings; the creation of new and improved business, commercial and community space, as well as improvements to landscaping and movement throughout the town centre.

The public art being commissioned as part of this brief forms an integral part of two major CGAP projects: the first phase of improvements to transform Govan Cross into a vibrant and attractive civic space, and major upgrade works at Langlands Path that will create a welcoming and inviting walk and cycle way reconnecting the town centre with residential neighbourhoods and public services to the west.

Context: Govan’s History

Central Govan is a remarkable and distinct place. It has a particularly rich heritage dating from early medieval to modern industrial times and this will provide strong historical and cultural symbolism for you as an artist to draw on.

In the dark ages, Govan was an important site of Viking and early Christian settlement. Iconic carved Celtic and Viking Hogback stones once located in the churchyard of Govan Old Parish Church are still housed within the church itself and are one of Govan???s hidden treasures.

By the 10th to 12th century, Govan had become the political and religious centre of the Kingdom of Strathclyde, with key monuments of the dark age complex including Doomster Hill, the then Govan Old Parish Church and, on the other side of the River Clyde, the royal palace at Partick.

Doomster Hill, an assembly mound thought to have been used for court proceedings and other public gatherings was unfortunately razed to make way for shipyards in the late 19 century, but before that Govan grew as a farming and weaving village, its popularity in large part due to the fact it was the fording point of the River Clyde.

Govan’s strategic riverside location was also a contributory factor in Govan???s second period of prosperity and power, when it became the centre of the world???s ship building industry in the 19th and 20th centuries and one of the powerhouses of Glasgow as second city of the then British Empire. This lead to great wealth creation, a legacy still apparent today in Govan???s impressive architecture, but also a meteoric rise in population, with Govan becoming one of the largest Burghs in Scotland in the space of 40 years. The housing built to house the growing population was overcrowded and unsanitary, but, with full employment, Govan became a populous and thriving town centre. It is this period many local people remember and hark back to fondly: a time of great community spirit, where people knew their neighbours, had a purpose and worked for a common good.

Govan was, however, devastated with the decline of heavy industry on the Clyde. The housing demolition and restructuring programmes of the 1960s and 70s fuelled already rapid depopulation, leaving a small, disconnected and very vulnerable population; dwindling services and a decaying urban environment.

With community intervention and regeneration investment through Central Govan Action Plan, Central Govan is now emerging from this moribund state. Its assets in this transformation are many in number: its riverfront location, listed architecture, rich history and its unique culture. Most important perhaps are the people who still live, hail from or take an interest in the area and its successful reinvention, and who together keep alive the traditions, stories and skills that will help turn Govan???s fortunes around.

Brief Requirements

You will develop and deliver the three permanent public art projects. To do so, you will research Govan???s history and current regeneration to develop a true understanding of Govan???s character, culture and future aspirations, in order to determine which elements should feature in the art proposals. You will be expected to maximise community involvement and participation in all aspects of the work, in order to create final pieces that resonate with local people, promote civic pride and encourage people to positively engage with their public space.

We are commissioning the three projects in one brief to ensure:

- there is a cohesion and consistency between the works that helps connect the physical locations within the town centre and creates a natural flow and character in the public realm;
- there is no duplication in the interpretative information reflected in the works;
- maximum benefit is derived from community engagement avoiding duplication.

The Three Works:

1. Engraved Paving ??? Govan Cross Public Realm Improvements Phase 1
A first phase of public realm improvement works will be on site at Govan Cross from April 2010 to January 2011. Costing £1.6 million, the works include the replacement of existing paving with high quality natural stone (Caithness and Granite), new street lighting, amenity lighting, selective floodlighting, soft landscaping and new street furniture.

Phase 1 includes three sites (refer to attached map). Each site has a separate owner, contractor and completion timescales, but all are co-ordinated and funded via the Central Govan Action Plan team.

Site Name: The Square
Owner: Glasgow City Council
Work Timescale: May 2010 ??? January 2011

Site Name: Forecourt of the Underground and Bus Station
Owner: Strathclyde Partnership for Transport
Work Timescale: May 2010 ??? September 2010

Site Name: Govan Road forecourt of the shopping centre
Owner: Rockspring Hanover Property Unit Trust
Work Timescale: April 2010 ??? July 2010

We have included a provisional sum of £36,500 within the combined contract sums of all three contracts to purchase, engrave and install engraved paving stones within the new public realm. This is a capital cost. It does not include the artist???s fee or any cost related to the research or community engagement required to produce the design, which we understand will be an additional cost.

Other than at the Square, where the design team has made preliminary suggestions as to the stone locations, sizes, quantity and type (Karin stone, which is easiest to engrave), you will carry out the following tasks:

- identify and design the content of the engraving with full community engagement;
- identify the type of stone, the number and size of stones to be engraved, and their eventual location liaising with the CGAP team, Glasgow City Council Planning Department, site design teams and contractors to do so;
- Project manage and oversee the engraving and installation of the stone work by the contractor within the site completion timescales, specifying any preparation required for foundations/base layers and any temporary fixings required ahead of the final feature stone installation;
- Manage costs within budget.

The Central Govan Action Plan Team will facilitate all necessary introductions required to initiate this work. An inception meeting is planned in the first week of the commission, where you will meet the three site design teams, officers of Glasgow City Council Planning Department and the contractors to discuss the technical aspects of the project, timescales and funding.

2. Street Lighting Banners
Again as part of the first phase of public realm improvements, we will install new lighting stanchions with fixings for street banners. We wish the banners to incorporate a Govan theme or brand, something that will start to challenge negative perceptions of Govan and that can be used to project a new image of Govan throughout the immediate area and to the City beyond. Our aim is to use the banners to reinforce a positive sense of place and to generate civic pride, whilst promoting and clearly identifying Govan Cross as Govan???s most important civic space.

Drawing on the research undertaken for the engraved stones, you will:

- produce the art work for the banners with full community engagement;
- identify the number, type and size of banners required via the CGAP team and site design teams (8 to 10 banners may be required);
- source and order the banners achieving best value for money;
oversee the installation of the banners; and
- manage costs within budget.

The project capital budget is £5,000 based on an existing quote for the purchase and installation of 10 banners. This cost does not include the artist???s fee or any costs relating to the development or research of the design, which we understand will be an additional cost.

The banners must be installed by January 2011, the end of the public realm contract.

3. Timeline at Langlands Path

Langlands Path is a heavily used pedestrian route to and from Govan town centre and could potentially be part of a designated cycle and pedestrian route to the new South Glasgow Hospital.
Major upgrade works are planned at Langlands Path in Q4 2010/11 as part of Central Govan Action Plan, to create an attractive, inviting and safe walkway that connects public services and residential neighbourhoods to the town centre. A multi-agency steering group led by the CGAP team is developing the path upgrade proposals, which are estimated to cost in the region of £0.500 million. Outline designs and costs are available and these will be developed into detailed designs by late 2010.

Local residents are keen to have a timeline incorporated into the path that will reflect Govan???s rich history and add unique character. Residents are particularly keen on the timeline path at Raploch in Stirling. This path uses a natural stone entry feature, interpretation panels and a number of engraved granite blocks inlayed at intervals along a simple tarmaced riverside path, to tell the story of Raploch past and present.

Only the general principle of the timeline has been agreed with local residents, so there is significant scope for you to creatively develop variations on this general theme. The eventual public art proposal, however, must be robust in order to withstand the rigours of weather and any vandalism, have minimal maintenance requirements and be produced within the capital funding available for the upgrading works. Entrance features at either end of the path are also required. The project steering group will seek your advice as to whether the completion and installation of an unfinished art work by local group Gal Gael would be appropriate at the site. The work is an 8ft, vertical granite pillar with panels carved in the Govan School of Celtic knot-work that reflect Govan???s long association with the River Clyde.

Using the research and community engagement work undertaken as part of the other public art projects, you will be required to:
– design and cost a permanent public art proposal for Langlands Path by September 2010. This must include a timeline along the path and an entrance feature/focal point at either end of the path. The content of any interpretation work must be fully detailed and ready for production;
– work with the design team and project steering group to develop the design as part of the detailed design for the path upgrade works;
– ensure the proposal is based on the views of and has the support of the local community, and that wherever possible local residents and particularly school children have the opportunity to be involved in the design process; and
– advise the steering group on the suitability of installing an unfinished art work by Gal Gael as one of the path entrance features.

We have set an indicative capital budget of £30,000 for this project, but recognise that final costs will be determined by the actual cost of the path upgrade works and the amount of funding available. This budget does not include the artist fee or any cost associated with the development or research of the public art proposal, which again are seen as additional costs.

A detailed proposal with capital costs is required by September 2010. If it proves appropriate and practical, some of the permanent elements of the public art proposal may be manufactured/produced prior to the path upgrade works going on site. In this case capital funding will be made available.

Outputs

Project: Engraved Stones
Outputs: Feature paving stones engraved and installed at each of the three public realm sites, interpreting Govan???s character and history.
Timescale: By the end of each site contract: July 2010; September 2010; January 2011.

Project: Street Banners
Outputs: Up to 10 banners designed produced and installed, reflecting a Govan theme or brand.
Timescale: By January 2011

Project: Langlands Path Timeline
Outputs: Detailed public art proposal, including costs, produced ready for production.
Timescale: By September 2010

Timescales

It is anticipated that the appointed artist(s) will commence work in June 2010 and complete the project by January 2011. We envisage that in the early stages of this project the artist(s) will be working full time on this commission in order to meet some of the early timescales.

Issue Brief ??? 4 May 2010

Tender Return ??? 25 May 2010

Interview ??? w/c 31 May 2010

Appointment ??? w/c 7 June 2010

Inception Meeting (including technical meeting for engraved stone work) ??? w/c 7 June 2010

Other milestones to be agreed with artist(s) once appointed.

Management

This commission will be managed by a small steering group with representatives from Central Govan Action Plan, Culture and Sport Glasgow and a local community arts organisation. You will be required to meet with the steering group at intervals to be agreed to discuss progress and agree methods and outputs. A minimum of four steering group meetings is envisaged.

Day to day management of the contract will be provided by:

Jon Pope, Arts Development Officer, Culture and Sport Glasgow, Pavilion 1, Glasgow G51 3RX. jon.pope@csglasgow.org

tel 0141 276 8782

mob 07827 880 529

Fee

This is subject to negotiation and but would not be less than industry standards and would be appropriate to the knowledge and expertise required. The artist(s) fee and associated costs will be additional to the capital costs noted in this brief.

Application Process
Applications will be reviewed by the project steering group to create a short list for interview. Your application should include:

- a short statement of interest which gives the group a clear indication of your work practice and reasons for applying for the commission (maximum 2 sides A4).
- A concise C.V.
- Concise documentation of previous work: slides, photographs, DVD/CD as appropriate, in support of the application.
- A brief outline of your intended approach/method for undertaking this project, noting any information or support you anticipate requiring in order to proceed.
- A breakdown of your fee (by each project if appropriate and nominally split into labour, materials, expenses and artist fee, for example). Please note your VAT status.

We are happy to consider, and indeed welcome and encourage, a collaborative approach between a number of artists given this commission???s broad scope of work and tight timescales. If you intend to adopt a collaborative approach you must clearly outline the management arrangements, including the specific role, cost and added value (if any) of any lead artist/ project manager.
These projects do not come in tidy packages. While you will be supported by the CGAP team and project steering group to gain all necessary information and local contacts, we are seeking an artist(s) who:

- is empathetic to the aims of the project;
- will work from their own initiative and will proactively seek solutions to overcome problems and barriers;
- has an ability to work in partnership and positively engage, enthuse and motivate people;
- ideally, has a proven track record working with stone engraving in the public realm;
- will think creatively whilst keeping costs within budget;
can demonstrate strong project management skills.

You should submit your application by 12 noon, Tuesday 25 May 2010 to:

Jon Pope,
Arts Development Officer,
Culture and Sport Glasgow,
Pavilion 1,
Glasgow G51 3RX.

jon.pope@csglasgow.org

Applications received after the deadline will not be considered.

• For more information please contact Jon Pope, above.