This is a part of partnership project, Trent Valley Past & Present, funded by the National Lottery Heritage Fund, which will encompass an exploration of the natural heritage, cultural heritage, and community engagement opportunities within the project area.

We are looking to work with a creative consultant with proven experience of engaging communities and community groups through art, and who has local knowledge of the people and places of Staffordshire. The project takes place in the Staffordshire Trent Valley with a key focus on Burton-upon-Trent, Stoke-on-Trent, and Stafford, however we are open to proposals that focus on one or all of these places.  

We are looking for an artistic interpretation of the brief below, and are open to all artistic forms with a clear methodology and rationale. The narrative of the project is based around our local heritage and how it has formed and shaped the local landscape from prehistoric earthworks to post-industrial landscapes. The project team has been exploring riverscapes, archaeology, ritual landscapes, historic buildings, folklore / local stories and old tithe maps.

The successful applicant will work with a minimum of three community groups, with 30 to 50 individuals participating. Physical and / or digital artworks interpreting local heritage of Staffordshire Trent Valley will be produced. Output will be robust and transportable by car or small van - to be taken on an exhibition tour around the county - and constitute more than a poster display i.e. be tactile / interactive.

Full details can be found within the tender brief document below.

Deadline for quotes: Thursday 30 April 2026

The contract will be awarded by 14 May.

Artwork completion date: 30 September 2026. Please note that the contract is up to the point of creation and does not include touring the exhibition.

Questions and quotes can be sent to Susan Kneill-Boxley: 
s.kneill-boxley@staffs-wildlife.org.uk