Bedford Creative Arts (BCA) has been commissioned by Bedford Borough Council to re-paint a mural on the subway/underpass between The Embankment and Aspects Leisure Park in Bedford town centre (what3words reference: gallons.punchy.nature). 

There is currently a mural on two walls that depicts a riverside scene. This project will paint over the existing mural and extend a new design onto the ceiling, walls and entryways walls to the underpass (currently painted white).  

The mural will be painted with support from local volunteers recruited through the Bedfordshire Youth Offending Service to help them to have ownership of the mural. These young people will also have the chance to have some advance painting workshops to learn painting techniques.   

The painting will ideally take place in February 2025 (subject to weather and artist availability).  Proposed delivery week commencing 3rd of February 2025.   The project needs to be competed and evaluated by 31 March 2025.

We’d like this opportunity to go to a local artist (Bedfordshire) with experience and skill in designing and delivering large-scale exterior murals in public locations. We welcome artist collaboration.

The artist/s also needs to have experience of community engagement, especially young people and will be subject to an Enhanced DBS check.

We are looking for someone able to design and paint a vibrant mural that could be abstract, multi-faceted and/or have themes that relate to nature and the environment.  The design needs to enable others to be part of the process of painting the mural (e.g. it might use stencils or block colours that can be marked out by the artist but completed by other painters). 

The project is funded by Bedford Borough Council and funding awarded by BLCF as part of the Safer Bedfordshire Community Fund. 

Application deadline: 10am, Monday 30 December 2024  

For more information and details of how to apply, visit our website and download the full artist brief: https://bedfordcreativearts.org.uk/work-with-us/job-opportunities/