OVERVIEW

Coventry Business Improvement District (BID) and Coventry City of Culture Trust (CCCT), are working together on a series of commissions as part of The Show Windows Programme during Coventry City of Culture 2021. The particular open call is to spotlight and celebrate ten of Coventry’s poets and sound artists and creatives with a CV postcode or a Coventry association who we are inviting to respond to the windows being produced, its overarching theme and Coventry’s city centre.

The Show Windows overarching theme is inspired by L Frank Baum (author of the Oz books) who wrote a book (The art of decorating dry goods windows and interiors) about the art of shop window displays, within which he described these windows as ‘show windows’.

COMMISSION

Coventry BID and CCCT, with curator Charlie Levine, are inviting poets and sound artists, from or with an
association to the CV area, to spotlight and celebrate Coventry City Centre, The Show Windows programme and artists, and L Frank Baum’s book as mentioned above. We want the commissioned artists to create an extension to our programme to be experienced as an audio piece or text on the Smartify app, who are The Show Window’s main interpretation host.

The works created should be a portal or story-telling and narrative device that highlight The Show Windows artists, windows and locations.

Objectives

• Create a new poem (written or audio) or soundscape / audio piece that is inspired by The Show Windows
• Create a piece for sharing via The Show Windows interpretation pages on Smartify and social media channels
• Create social media ‘snippets’ to accompany the launch of the pieces
• Be available to our Digital Content Manager to create additional content, e.g. interviews / behind the scenes sketches / mock ups etc., online content, as well as other social media / digital assets as and when requested
• Be an advocate for the project and positive spokesperson for The Show Windows, to include social media posts and being on Coventry 2021’s marcomms list of people available for interview, and to be open to engaging with your allocated shop / business staff

AMBITIONS

Our ambition is that The Show Windows project builds new partnerships with businesses and stakeholders from Coventry, promoting new ways of working. It will be ambitious, iconic and impactful, putting the work of artists directly in the public eye to reach a broad range of new audiences.

The Show Windows will be high profile and a visually iconic and impactful part of the 2021 programme.
Changing public perceptions of the city and influencing public opinion on the value of artists’ work, the project should attract audiences from the city as well as visitors from beyond. It should be inclusive and engage a broad range of groups and audiences; we want to develop a project that will speak across cultures and generations.

The Show Window name is taken from Wizard of Oz author L Frank Baum’s book entitled The Art of Decorating Dry Goods Windows and Interiors, which was published the same year as the first famous Oz book, 1900. The link to Baum also encapsulates the idea that these windows are to be portals to other worlds, to inspire imagination, adventure and hope.

WE WILL NEED ON 06 SEPTEMBER 2021:

• A short artist bio to include links to website and social media (max 500 words)
• A profile image and minimum of 2 examples of previous works
• A short introduction to your approach / any initial thoughts of what you would do for this commission (max 500 words)
• A short sentence on your thoughts about Coventry 2021, to be included in press & communications
• An Equal Opportunities Monitoring Form
• Please send completed applications to culture@coventrybid.co.uk by 6th September
  

Fee

Artist fee: £500 + VAT

There are ten commissions available. We may invite applicants for more than one commission.

Payment schedule: 100% of total fee provided upon installation. Invoices should be sent to Coventry BID

Timetable

• 06 Aug Project Invitation/Open Call
• 10am 06 Sept 2021 Deadline for Proposal Submission
• W/c 20 Sept 2021 Commissioned
• 20 Sept – 18 Oct 2021 Develop new pieces inspired by The Show Window team. Deliver digital content with Digital Content Manager
• W/c 18 Oct 2021 Deliver final pieces for sign off
• Nov 2021 Share pieces online & Smartify

Project team & Management

The Management Team for this project includes:

• Charlie Levine, Curator, Independent
• Trish Willetts, Director, Coventry BID
• Cara Pickering, Visual Arts Programme Producer, Coventry City of Culture Trust

For more information, download the accompanying PDF