Cycle Arts Renfrewshire Artist Commission Call Out 2025

Artist Call-Out: “Growing a New World”

This is our commission for a site-responsive public artwork for the Elderslie, Johnstone and Kilbarchan section of shared use path on National Cycle Network (NCN) 7.

Commission Fee: £3,500 (inclusive)

Timeframe : to be delivered between August and October 2025 (flexible delivery date)

Deadline for Proposals has been extended to : Mon 28th July 2025 at 5pm

Presented by Cycle Arts Renfrewshire CIC.

The maze at Parkhill woods

About the Commission

Cycle Arts Renfrewshire are seeking an artist or group/collective of artists to develop a growing or evolving public artwork that responds to the natural environment, communities, and heritage of the National Cycle Route between Elderslie, Johnstone, Kilbarchan.  We are looking for a contemporary artwork that is place specific and will inspire artists and audiences to look again at the local biodiversity and the potential of the natural world to transform our lives. This outdoor contemporary artwork that grows with it’s place could mean:

• A participatory growing piece shaped and grown with the local communities
• An installation that evolves or grows and transforms over time.
• A collaborative process that starts before the Festival and comes to life during it in mid September.
• A work that embeds to a specific location and reflects that place, connecting to local histories, biodiversity, people in that area.
• The artwork should be environmentally conscious in materials and process.
• Be low-maintenance and suitable for outdoor presentation weather durable and climate suitable.
• Be welcoming, inclusive and provocative – able to be the focus of community dialogues now and in the future.
• Artists should look at greenspace areas adjacent to the Cycle Path in the locations for their proposals  ensuring viewers can step off the cycle route to view the installation.

The commission will form part of Cycle Arts Festival 2025 — a site-specific, outdoor celebration of creativity, climate awareness, Artists and cycling taking place between the 12th to 14th  September 2025. The commissioned artwork should be emergent by this point and stand alone as special to its location.

About Cycle Arts Renfrewshire: 

Cycle Arts Renfrewshire aims to celebrate Renfrewshire’s Cycle Routes and the creative engagements and biodiversity that can be found along this unique urban and rural network. We aim to encourage everyone to cycle, walk and wheel more, to explore our shared use paths, to take a closer look at our natural world and value these unique local environments. Recognising climate change, adapting to it and changing how we engage with and value our natural world is becoming much more important for our future.

Renfrewshire hosts one of the most beautiful off-road paths in Scotland on the NCN7 between Paisley and Lochwinnoch and this route is where we plan to host an annual Cycle Arts Festival in collaboration with our local communities along the route.

For more information about our environmental arts events see: https://cycleartsrenfrewshire.co.uk/

Who Should Apply

We’re particularly interested in artists who:

·       Have experience in socially engaged, participatory or site-specific practice.

·       Can demonstrate a track record of creating accessible, place-based work.

·       Are based in or have strong links to Renfrewshire or the West of Scotland.

The Commission Includes:

• Artist fee, materials and all associated costs (up to £3,500)
• Production support with installation of the Artwork from Cycle Arts Renfrewshire and Sustrans.
• Installation during or prior to the Cycle Arts Festival 2025 in September (with potential for public engagement sessions)
• Inclusion and artists promotion in the Festival programme and documentation.

How to Apply

Please send the following information by email;

• A proposal, maximum 2 sides A4 describing your idea and approach, including an outline budget for your proposal.
• A brief statement on sustainability values in your practice.
• Up to 5 images of recent or relevant work (via Dropbox link, WeTransfer or other platform)
• A short biog or CV (max 2 pages)
• Completed Monitoring Form to download : Equalities Monitoring Form 2025 Cycle Arts Renfrewshire CIC

Submit to: festival@cycleartsrenfrewshire.co.uk
Deadline:Monday 28th July 2025 at 5pm

If you’d like to chat through the opportunity before applying, email:
Muriel Ann Macleod:  festival@cycleartsrenfrewshire.co.uk or call / text: 07789117740.