artists – Buckinghamshire Culture

Buckinghamshire Healthcare NHS Trust

We are working with Buckinghamshire Healthcare NHS Trust to appoint an artist/creative/collective to work with patients and staff on site at Stoke Mandeville Hospital, Buckinghamshire, in order to create a new 2D or 3D art installation for the site. We are seeking an artist with experience of creative arts supporting wellbeing and working with people in a healthcare setting. We are looking for someone capable of inspiring people and encouraging them to get involved and create and shape new work together or individually. We want to see a final piece that shows pride in Buckinghamshire and the BHT community.

We are opening an expression of interest process, from which we will select 3 artists to receive £350 in order to visit the BHT site and explore the available spaces for their work before submitting a more detailed proposal.

A budget of £7,640 inclusive of any VAT to be charged is available to the final selected candidate for the community engagement, development, fabrication and install of the artwork.

Delivery period: September-November 2022

Deadline for expressions of interest: 9am, 10th August 2022.

For more information please download the full artist’s brief.

Wycombe Homeless Connection and Aylesbury Homeless Action Group

We are working with Wycombe Homeless Connection and Aylesbury Homeless Action Group (WHC/AHAG) to appoint an artist/creative/collective to work with homeless, or previously homeless clients and WHC/AHAG staff in High Wycombe and Aylesbury, Buckinghamshire, in order to share stories of homelessness through art/cultural means (this might include visual arts, photography, poetry, performance, sharing/displaying objects). We are seeking an artist with experience of working with people with disordered lives and who is able to flex ideas and approaches according to need. We are looking for someone capable of inspiring people and encouraging this cohort to get involved and create and shape new work together or individually. We want to see a final piece/performance/installation that shares experiences of homelessness in interesting ways.

A budget of £7,640 inclusive of any VAT to be charged is available to the final selected candidate for the community engagement, development, fabrication and install of the artwork.

Delivery period: September-November 2022

Deadline for expressions of interest: 9am, 10th August 2022.

For more information please download the full artist’s brief.

These co-commissions have been made possible with funding from the Rothschild Foundation.

Residents are invited to share their tales of happiness, as the pop-up Story Stall project looks back and reflects on their successful summer of collecting stories from around Buckinghamshire.

Over the summer, the Story Stall toured the county – visiting events, markets, town centres and parks. The stall, designed by lead artist Tom Cross, encouraged people to share their stories of happiness through conversations and postcards.

Now, the Story Project artists want to invite people back to share their collective stories and experience the artists’ creative responses. The project is holding four events around the county – creating a ‘Stories of Happiness’ pop-up experience. The experience brings together a variety of displays to engage with, fun activities to do, performances to watch and mini workshops to attend too.

Bucks residents can hear live spoken word, have a go at making bunting, collect Story badges, or explore the stories of other residents.

Stories of Happiness pop-up dates

Friday 5 November – High Wycombe Museum unit in Eden Shopping Centre, 2-5pm
Saturday 6 November – Buckingham Library, 10am-1pm
Thursday 25 November – Elgiva Theatre in Chesham, 3-7pm
Friday 26 November – Petri Dish in Aylesbury, 2-5pm

No need to book, just turn up.

Summer of Stories artist sharing event

Friday 26 November – Petri Dish in Aylesbury, 6.30-8:30pm. Booking via: https://summerofstoriesartistsharing.eventbrite.co.uk

The Stories of Happiness experience will reflect on the words of happiness shared earlier this year – which included spending time with friends and family, embracing local nature and wildlife, and feeling a sense of community and belonging.

Clive Harriss, Cabinet Member Culture and Leisure, said:

“I am delighted to see how our community came together to share their stories of happiness during these difficult and challenging times. I am sure the new pop-up event will encourage people to spread the word of their happiness even further and will also inspire people to keep visiting our wonderful villages, towns and high streets.”

Tom Cross, the Story Stall lead artist, added:

“It has been amazing talking to so many people across Buckinghamshire. Of course, not everyone is happy all the time, but in our conversations, we have managed to tease out lots of brilliant things about Bucks that do make people happy – it’s great to see people’s faces light up when they remember something or somewhere that makes them really happy.”

The Story Stall programme has been created by Buckinghamshire Culture and Buckinghamshire Council, and is supported by public funding by Arts Council England, and funding from Buckinghamshire Council, Heart of Bucks and Rothschild Foundation. Part-funding for the Stories of Happiness events has been provided by Buckinghamshire Council through the European Regional Development Fund – namely the Welcome Back Fund (WBF). The WBF fund is helping events and animations across the county to encourage people back to our towns and high streets.

For more information and to see the programme for each event, please visit: www.buckinghamshireculture.org/Summer-of-Stories or see #SummerofStories on Instagram and Twitter.