Brief for HDRC Artist
Rosehill is excited to be working in collaboration with Cumberland HDRC (NIHR Health Determinants Research Collaboration) on a new community wellbeing and creativity project, ‘The Art of Wellbeing’. This project seeks to understand what health and wellbeing in Cumberland looks like, to the people in Cumberland. We want to ensure that this project is collaborative in design and work with local artists and facilitators to achieve the above brief.
We are seeking an experienced creative to co-create a new piece of public art with people based in each of the Cumberland Community Panels. Over the course of 16 sessions, you will use your own creative practice to engage and inspire participants. You will work with these groups to create a response to prompts that will be devised in collaboration with Rosehill and the HDRC to creatively explore health and wellbeing.
The output of the workshops should be a new piece, co-created with participants, which has been professionally fabricated to a standard suitable for public display. Participants should be able to recognise their contribution to the final work, for example, a sampler included in a larger textile work, their design included as part of a stained-glass window or clay work. These are only examples, and we welcome applications from creative practitioners in any discipline.
It is vital that the workshops are family-friendly and as accessible as possible – all participants should be able to safely and actively participate in the process of responding creatively to the prompts. The artist may use the work created in the sessions to inform the final work or include it directly.
Project Objectives:
1. Raise awareness about the impact of health determinants on community life.
2. Promote mental wellbeing by providing space for self-expression and creative engagement.
3. Encourage community participation, bringing together people of all ages, backgrounds, and abilities.
4. Foster connections across Cumberland, using art as a tool to bridge divides and create a supportive environment for discussing health-related topics.
5. Create lasting artwork that will represent the Cumberland’s collective commitment to health and wellbeing.
HDRC Project Overview and Aims
The Art of Wellbeing project aims to engage communities across Cumberland to co-produce a collaborative, countywide artistic piece that fosters awareness and discussion around health determinants and the HDRC. The project will use the power of visual arts to create meaningful expressions of health, both physical and mental, and explore how creativity can be a tool for individual and collective wellness as well as health research. The project will culminate in an exhibition of the community-created artwork.
HDRC overall objectives:
1. Begin building relationships to recruit community co-researchers and participants for research.
2. Build public understanding about the HDRC and its aims.
3. Strengthen our partnership working with third-sector organisations and community groups to improve community engagement.
4. Create an open, accessible environment for the community to learn, discuss, and ask questions about HDRC.
Budget
- Artist fees of £3500 + material costs of £2000
- The fee should cover the prep, travel and delivery time of the 16 workshops, as well as the creation of the final piece
- Please let us know of any additional measures you may require for accessing work
Scope of artist’s work
- Work with the Producer to devise the creative sessions.
- Deliver 16 creative workshops of 1.5 - 2 hours across Cumberland, over the summer holidays. The venues and groups will be coordinated by the Producer, and schedule agreed on with the artist.
o Some additional sessions (with additional budget) may be added depending on demand
- Assembly/creation of the final piece using work created in the sessions for a display in October.
- Assistance with evaluation of the project by contributing a written or creative reflection on the process and outcomes of the project. This may take the form of a journal, artwork, or other form of reflection.
Access to your own transport is necessary.
Rosehill’s role
Rosehill is the lead partner on this project and will be managing all aspects of creative production and project management including:
- Working with the artist closely to design and develop the workshops
- Liaising with Cumberland HDRC
- Coordinating all the venues and partner organisations
- Managing the schedule for the workshop delivery
- Assisting the artist with materials acquisition
- Managing the budget
- Managing all marketing and communications
To apply
Send your portfolio to Hannah Kessler, hannah.kessler@rosehilltheatre.co.uk, along with a short statement of why this project interests you, what skills and experience you would bring to the project, and a brief outline of how you would translate the community’s work into a final piece.
This may take the form of a video, voice recording, or written statement.
If you require any further support to make this opportunity accessible to you, please don’t hesitate to contact Hannah to discuss your needs.
Please note, this contract will be subject to a DBS check.
Deadline for applications: Thursday 29 May 2025, 09:00
Provisional interview date: 04 June 2025
Note: Interviews will be held via Teams
Further information
Rosehill
We are a cultural organisation based in West Cumbria which works collaboratively with regional and national organisations to provide cultural experiences and opportunities for the communities of West Cumbria and beyond.
Our vision is to bring about positive and lasting cultural and social impact in West Cumbria, where everyone can access quality arts and cultural experiences.
We aim to promote well-being, enjoyment, and togetherness through socially responsive, community-minded, thought-provoking, and place-inspired cultural experiences and development opportunities. We are “social gardeners” who strive to nurture connections and creativity.
Our values
• We encourage artistic excellence, integrity, and creative risk-taking.
• We nurture new artists and visionary leaders and support the local cultural infrastructure.
• We promote inclusion, access, and a commitment to anti-racism.
• We foster dialogue with our communities and seek to create equitable cultural spaces.
• We care for the health and well-being of our community and each other.
• We look after our environment and work towards a carbon-neutral future.
• We are committed to improving the quality and appeal of what we do.
Cumberland HDRC
The NIHR Health Determinants Research Collaboration Cumberland is part of the NIHR and hosted by Cumberland Council. NIHR Health Determinants Research Collaborations enable local authorities to become more research-active, embedding a culture of evidence-based decision-making. The NIHR has awarded £150 million to 30 HDRCs across the UK to provide the capacity and capability for local authorities to undertake public health research to address the wider determinants of health and health inequalities. Health Determinants Research Collaboration Cumberland (HDRC) will help us better understand the health issues in our area. For more information about the HDRC, you can contact us at hdrc@cumberland.gov.uk
Cumberland HDRC works in collaboration with CVS, Healthwatch, University of Cumbria, and University of Lancashire, with Dr Suzanne Wilson, Research Fellow at University of Lancashire, supporting us on our community engagement work.
cumbriaobservatory.org.uk/health-determinants-research-collaboration-hdrc
