With Down to Earth, we’re looking for a community group to host each commission and to support the lead artist to meet your communities and create artworks that celebrate and re-imagine our shared places.

Here are some things to bear in mind before applying:

The artwork will:

• Be a celebration of something significant to local people, this could mean history, nature, an individual or an idea or attitude that needs celebrating locally
• Be made in partnership with local people, so your communities should have a clear impact on the final outcome
• Happen in a busy public place, so that lots of people get to experience it
• Be in the same place for a sustained period (potentially months or years)

Your group will agree to:

• Host the artist – introducing them to the communities that share your place and support them to make a piece of artwork that has local impact
• Be flexible – we want a group to explore a subject in collaboration with the artist and their wider communities, we’re asking you to keep an open mind about where and what your artwork might be
• Be custodians of the final artwork/project, supporting local people to engage with it and enjoy it

Role of Down to Earth and Beam:

• Down to Earth will hold a budget for each project and contract the successful artist for the work they deliver
• Beam and Down to Earth will support you with finding a suitable site for your final project/artwork
• Beam will provide a programme of support for each community group, particularly around the areas of artist recruitment and logistics of installing the new artwork
• Down to Earth will support a peer network for the lead groups to share learning and experiences
• Down to Earth will support with a celebration event for each artwork as part of a festival of art in public spaces in March 2026

Timeline:

Initial meetings and site visits – September 2025

Artist selection – November 2025

Artist begins working with communities – January 2026

Final concepts approved & Festival of Public Art Activity – March 2026

All artworks finalised – Spring 2026

Express your interest at: downtoearth@groundwork.org.uk

Applications close: 9am Monday 11 August 2025