RHS GLOW at RHS BRIDGEWATER and LIGHTWAVES, SALFORD QUAYS. £10,000 commission for a light artwork to show at two light festivals in one city – Salford, UK.

Show dates:

Lightwaves: Thursday 5 – Sunday 8 December 2024 [present artwork for the entirety of the festival] 
Glow: Wednesday 27 November – Monday 30 December 2024.  [Presentation dates to be agreed]. 

Lightwaves Salford 

Lightwaves Salford is an annual interactive light festival presented at Salford Quays, home to MediaCity. Each December, the event attracts in excess of 200,000 visitors to explore a trail of illuminated installations that animate and transform the outdoor surroundings. With an exceptional track record in bold new commissions, the festival is proud to support international artists alongside local and emerging talent and has a growing focus on enrichment activity with local communities at its heart.

The festival is part of the Quays Culture Programme, a partnership Initiative with a mission to animate public spaces, bringing extraordinary art into the heart of the community for everyone to experience free of charge. 

RHS Glow at RHS Bridgewater, Salford 

RHS Glow is an unmissable after dark spectacle of lights that takes place across all 5 RHS gardens over the festive period. RHS Glow at RHS Bridgewater is now returning in 2024 for its fourth year. The trail runs across four nights for seven weeks starting in mid-November and ending at the end of December and is a meticulously designed light trail designed to enchant visitors and enhance the natural beauty of the garden. 

The Commission: 

• CONNECT - We are looking for artwork ideas that will create a point of connection between the two festivals, feeling equally at home in both. 
• SETTING – Consider how the artwork can be successful in the two festivals settings - one in the built environment and the other nature rich, both representing Salford’s diversity of places. 
• LIGHT - The call out is open to artists working in all mediums but must include light as part of the work and be suitable to present outdoors in winter. 

The successful commission will also need to: 

• Consider both environmental impact and sustainability of the artwork during its production, display and afterlife. 
• Look to engage with both the communities at RHS Bridgewater and Salford Quays to reflect their climate concerns and engage the community in positive climate conservations and actions.  
• We particularly welcome applications from Greater Manchester Artists. 

We are committed to encouraging diversity and intersectionality in the arts and we actively encourage proposals from artists from under-represented communities, including people who experience racism, identify as working class, have disabilities, are from the LGBTQ+ community, are care experienced or are discriminated against.  

We encourage you to apply for this opportunity no matter what your age, caring responsibilities, disability, gender, gender identity, marriage and civil partnership, pregnancy and maternity, race, religion or belief and sexual orientation.   

The budget

£10,000 including materials, fee and travel expenses.

Dates 

Closing Date: 23:59pm Thursday 8th August 

Interview dates: Wednesday 14th August [please keep this date available until you have been notified of the status of your application.  We will notify you by Tuesday 13th August at 5pm.] 

Presentations 

Lightwaves Salford: Thursday 5 – Sunday 8 December 2024 
RHS Glow: Wednesday 27 November – Monday 30 December 2024.  Presentation dates to be decided.

Please submit: 

• written or video synopsis of the proposed artwork 
• any supporting imagery for the artwork 
• budget for the creation and presentation of the artwork 
• a copy of your CV  
• images of previous works 

TERMS AND CONDITIONS  

By submitting your proposal you agree:  

• That you are an artist with the right to work in the UK. 
• Your artwork will be ready for exhibition at our 2024 festivals 
• Your work is deliverable within the timescale of the programme and will be delivered on budget.  
• To attend an initial induction, production meetings and site visits where reasonably required.  
• You must have relevant Public Liability Insurance for your activity, to a minimum £10 million cover.  
• To supply, in advance, copy and images for marketing purposes as and when required   
• To provide evaluation feedback on completion of the commissioning fund, in line with the framework provided