Artist Commission: Lost in Music

Artist Commission ‘ Lost In Music’
Interactive installation and engagement activities at Gloucester Guildhall
Dates: 26th – 30th August (5 days)

£6k Fee To cover all costs of the commission, including artist fees, materials, travel, and
expenses (inc. accommodation).
Deadline for proposals: 14.05.26, 9am

Overview

Gloucester Guildhall invites proposals from artists, designers, and creative collectives to create joyful, high-impact installations and activities that transform Gloucester Guildhall for our annual five-day family festival Lost In Music in August, part of the city-wide Summer of Sound programme and coinciding with coincide with the city’s popular Retro Festival. 

The installation should be open-access, with additional ticketed engagement activities.

The Commission

We are seeking cohesive, high-impact interactive installations and activities or that transforms
the Guildhall Gallery and adjoining spaces into an immersive ‘playground’ and/or ‘festival’ for 5 mornings in the summer. The work should be visually striking, interactive or playable, suitable for families and intergenerational audiences, capable of handling high footfall, and respond creatively to the theme Lost in Music.

The Guildhall Gallery is a great opportunity for a bold, playful centrepiece. Proposals are also
encouraged to extend playfully into smaller and transitional spaces across the Guildhall including lift lobbies, corridors, stairwells, toilets and activate our adjoining meeting spaces (see appendix).

The commission should include some meaningful community co-creation, with opportunities
for local children, families, and partners to help shape or activate the work through accessible
making, workshops, performances, or playful moments, encouraging adults to play too.

Gloucester Guildhall will support artist(s) through local partnerships and engagement
facilitation. Gloucester Guildhall will support the selected artist(s) by connecting them with
local organisations and assisting with engagement sessions.

Theme: Lost in Music

Purpose: To immerse people, particularly families, in our amazing heritage through shared
moments of music and dance, creating joy, escapism, connection, and belonging, while
complementing wider city cultural programmes during the week

Ambition: We welcome playful, imaginative, contemporary, unexpected and sensory responses that explore rhythm, play, sound, nostalgia, movement and the joy of getting “lost” in music. We love the idea of surprising moments in unexpected spaces. We are committed to Equality, Diversity & Inclusion and actively seek creatives that push boundaries and make positive change

Audience: Family focused but we welcome ideas around activating the installation for ‘big kids’ for us to widen our engagement across the week. 

Dates /Times: 25th – 30th August . Open access 10am-2pm including designated relaxed times.  There is also scope for activating the spaces outside these times for different audiences.

Spaces: Gallery, Bluecoat Room, George Hunt Room, cinema (while retaining cinema
functionality) and unexpected spaces eg. Lifts, toilets and nooks. See Appendix 1 for more
detailed information