Community Artist: ‘Collecting Our Future’, May 2026 – April 2027

As part of ‘Collecting Our Future’, we seek to commission a socially engaged artist* to creatively explore what objects represent life in Chelmsford today. Working in collaboration with Spark! Young Cultural Changemakers, the Museum of Chelmsford, Culture Chelmsford, and the Cultural Connectors, the artist will explore the question:

“If the Museum of Chelmsford could collect just ONE object to show what your life in Chelmsford is like today, what would it be and why?”

The artist will creatively ask the question through leading a series of community workshops. After this, the project partners will gather themes from the workshops and responses to an existing city-wide survey. The artist will then make co created artwork with local communities in response to the themes of the survey.

The project will culminate in a co produced exhibition, celebrating and representing the stories collected, in the museum’s Our Chelmsford Gallery. This exhibition will be brought to life further through a small public programme, including talks, workshops and events.

Collecting Our Future aims to:
– Reach communities who are underrepresented in the museum’s current collections
– Engage people who are often marginalised or face barriers to cultural participation
– Ensure the project is culturally sensitive, responsive and inclusive
– Involve people who live, work, study, volunteer, create or visit the district

We particularly want to engage young people and groups who have historically been excluded from cultural decision making. Including:
Global Majority communities
Women and girls
LGBTQIA+ individuals
People with visible and hidden disabilities
People from lower socioeconomic backgrounds

Fees & budget
Artist fee: £10,000 (inc. VAT & all travel/subsistence costs)
Project budget: Up to £4,300 (inc. of VAT) for community workshops, artwork costs, exhibition costs, & public programme delivery.

*We also welcome joint applications