Signal Box

⁠⁠⁠The City of Hobart is looking for a new external provider to collaborate with us to manage our Signal Box Program for an initial 3-year period, with an option to extend.

The City has worked in collaboration with an external provider for the last 10 years to provide a model of project management (including artist management, artist insurance, safety management and materials provision) for the Signal Box Program. This program is structured to be accessible to artists with a wide range of skills and is intended to reduce the barriers of entry for creative participation in the city. This might mean that signal boxes are completed by a school group of 6-year-olds led by a class teacher, a 13-year-old solo artist, supported artists working with a disability, a local community group, solo emerging artist or solo mid-career artists.

It is important to note that this is not a typical street art project, and artists are selected to present artworks in styles that represent a range of ideas and aesthetic approaches. Participants are encouraged to respond to the characteristics and particularities of the site where the artwork is to be completed. This aspect of the program bolsters its accessibility to the public. Each year, the city commissions 12 new boxes to be painted, with 4 of these committed to community groups and the remaining 8 solo artists. Artists or community groups are to be paid a small commission fee to produce the artwork of $500.

The Signal Box program runs across the summer months, which are the best conditions for painting outdoors in the City. An expression of interest for new artists is run in September, with the aim of having approved artist proposals from selected artists by early November. This enables painting to start in November/December, finishing in March of the following year.

SCOPE

We are currently looking for a provider for this service, which will be an annual commitment. The role of the provider will be to execute the following:

1. Develop a commissioning EOI brief in collaboration with the City of Hobart.

2. Advertise EOI brief through local channels (in collaboration with the City of Hobart Public Art team).

3. Receive EOI’s, ensure compliance with submission criteria, organise information submitted and provide to the City of Hobart in a form that enables the Public Art team and their nominated panel to select each of the artists and community groups for participation in the upcoming program.

4. Contact and contract all selected artists and community groups for the program.

5. Provide appropriate Insurance cover to all participating artists.

6. Project manage artists/community groups through the entire process of commissioning to completion, including receiving developed proposals and providing these to the City of Hobart’s Public Art Officer for approval.

7. Ensure safety of commissioned artists and groups throughout the painting process including timetabling traffic management specialists throughout the painting period.

8. Ensure each artist completes their proposed artwork according to their proposal and with the appropriate UV coating etc.

9. Timetable the City of Hobart’s painting team to prep boxes prior to painting and anti-graffiti coat them at the approved completion of the artworks.

10. Have artists capture all sides of their completed works, as a record of the program.

11. Offer artists a model where they feel supported throughout, including ongoing resolution of any queries and managing and reporting any incidents that occur.

12. Provide a final report to the City’s Public Art team regarding the completion of the program including feedback from participating artists.

13. Develop a publicly accessible archive of painted boxes including imagery, location and artist.