"Our Creative Lives" : Community Artist Call Out (Paid Commission), Gorse Hill Studios

This is a Trafford-wide programme supporting creative and cultural activity in local areas. This commission is about place. We're interested in work that explores the stories, identities and everyday life of Gorse Hill and Cornbrook. That could be people, history, change, or what it feels like to live here now.

We're open to any artform. This could include audio, film, photography, performance, visual or participatory work. What matters most is a strong idea, a genuine connection to place, and a thoughtful approach to working with people.

£3,800 total budget (inclusive of artist fee and project costs)

The artist commission will seek to explore 2 key questions:
1) What are the Stories of Place that we would like to celebrate in a future Year of Culture?
2) Keeping in mind those who are identified as not currently involved, what would we want to see happening in a future Year of Culture?

Examples of previous commissions:

1) Stretford Stride Project
Through a combination of polls, creative workshops, and pop-up spaces for informal conversation, this group engaged a wide and diverse range of participants. These methods generated a rich body of material, including personal stories, and visual documentation of people and place. Together, these contributions reveal what is valued in Stretford, what is felt to be missing, and what residents and visitors see as possible for the town's future.

2) OT Creative Postcard Project
OT Creative produced and printed 3000 postcards onto which residents of Old Trafford were inspired to capture by writing or drawing a story of Old Trafford to celebrate. Local residents including schools created their own individual postcards to tell the story of Old Trafford.

Output:
The artwork could range from digital, physical, or public-facing work.

Timeline
All work must be completed and reported back to Trafford Council by August 31st 2026.