Artists invited to apply for new coastal heritage artwork commission
Application deadline: Friday 22nd May 2026 at 5pm.
Overview
Storytellers invites proposals for a new, community-focused artwork that brings people together through shared experience, creativity, and storytelling. We are seeking an artist or collective to develop an engaging, inclusive work that incorporates both illumination and sound as integral elements of the piece.
This commission prioritises openness in concept and approach, encouraging innovative responses across disciplines while maintaining a strong emphasis on community collaboration.
Who are we?
Story Tellers is an Arts Council England National Portfolio Organisation (NPO) celebrating the heritage, culture, and communities of South & East Lincolnshire through creative projects, public events, and artist-led collaborations. Working across disciplines, Story Tellers supports artists and cultural practitioners to develop bold, community-connected work that explores local stories, place, and identity through contemporary arts and heritage activity.
Theme
This commission is inspired by the lost forests of the East Coast and the changing landscapes of East Lindsey, with a focus on celebrating the heritage and identity of the local area and coastline.
We are interested in how places hold memory—how they change, disappear, reappear, and are reimagined over time. The submerged forests along the Lincolnshire coast are one starting point, but the theme also extends to wider ideas of landscape, history, and coastal identity.
We welcome creative responses that treat landscape as fluid rather than fixed. This could include memory, folklore, environmental change, heritage, or speculative ideas. We are especially interested in storytelling that connects land, history, and place, while reflecting the character of East Lindsey’s coastline.
Artists are encouraged to respond freely using forms of narrative that suit their practice. The emphasis is on creating space for reflection and imagination, alongside a celebration of local heritage and identity.
Consider how light and sound might suggest presence, absence, and transformation, creating atmospheric and immersive work that allows audiences to form their own interpretations.
Key Requirements
The artwork must include a meaningful use of bold light/illumination as a core component (this should be
self-contained and not rely on projection onto existing buildings or structures).
The artwork must incorporate sound, whether through composition, interaction, or environmental audio.
The work should be safe, durable and transportable for the event and suitable for public engagement.
The event will run over 3 separate locations: Sutton on Sea, Spilsby and Chapel St Leonards on
separate dates.
Proposals should consider accessibility, inclusivity, and broad audience appeal.
Fee
The total budget of this commission is £20,000, inclusive of travel, accommodation, artist fee and material costs. Outside of the budget, we will provide a dedicated production company, steward support, established partnerships with community groups, marketing and comms.
Community Engagement
A central aim of this commission is to embed the creative process within the community. Artists are required to design and deliver a programme of community-based workshops that:
Engage diverse local participants
Contribute meaningfully to the development of the final artwork
Encourage storytelling, co-creation, or shared authorship
Are achievable within the allocated budget and timeframe
Workshops may include (but are not limited to): creative sessions, storytelling gatherings, sound collection, light-based experimentation, or collaborative making.
Artistic Approach
We welcome proposals from artists working in any medium, including (but not limited to): installation, sculpture, interactive work, digital art, or hybrid practices. The selection panel is particularly interested in:
Innovative and imaginative use of light and sound
Strong conceptual grounding in storytelling, narrative or heritage
Approaches that centre community voices and lived experiences of the area
Work that can adapt to or reflect the specific local area and heritage
Budget & Deliverables
The proposal must demonstrate how the artist will:
Deliver the final artwork
Design and facilitate the workshop programme
Cover all associated costs (materials, production, travel, facilitation, installation, documentation, etc.) within the available budget.
A clear outline of costs and timeline should be included in submissions.
Submission Requirements
Applicants should provide:
A short proposal outlining the concept and approach
Initial ideas for integrating light and sound
A proposed community engagement plan (including workshops)
Examples of previous relevant work and experience of delivery projects at this scale, reach and level of engagement
A budget breakdown and timeline
Please email applications through to NPO@e-lindsey.gov.uk Closing date is Friday 22nd May 2026 at 5pm. For any queries or access requirements please email: emilie.nunn@e-lindsey.gov.uk
Selection Criteria
Proposals will be assessed based on:
Artistic quality and originality
Feasibility and clarity of delivery
Strength of community engagement approach
Effective integration of illumination and sound
Value for money
Closing Notes
Storytellers NPO is committed to supporting artists in creating work that resonates deeply with communities. We encourage bold, thoughtful, and inclusive proposals that invite participation and spark shared experiences.