CALL FOR TEMPORARY PUBLIC ART INSTALLATION (2023)

The Valletta Cultural Agency is inviting artists to submit one or more artistic proposals for Street Installations, as part of its 2023 Cultural Programme. This call aims to celebrate the power of art in public places, transforming the streets into a fun and colourful artistic installation, through work of arts that harmoniously blend with urban environments open to passers-by.

The VCA is seeking porposals for two (2) street installations to be part of its 2023 Cultural Programme. Artists are being invited to submit proposals for street art installations that with vivid, rich and bright colours invite passing patrons to walk underneath them and experience the artworks.  Artists may submit up to three proposals each.

Location: the two installations will be located in South Street, Valletta.

Installation period (dates to be confirmed)

The first installation chosen must be installed by the 3^rd March 2023;

The second installation chosen must be installed by the 3^rd November 2023; (this proposal must create a warm end-of-the year feeling of festivity and hospitality)

Deadline for submissions for the first installation – 7^th January 2023 12:00 (GMT+2/CEST).

Deadline for submissions for the second installations – 20^th March 2023 12:00 (GMT+2/CEST).

The Agency will collaborate with the selected artist/s in the production of the proposal.

We’re interested in proposals for artistic installations which…

• Are colourful and/or impactful and attractive, both during the day and at night;
• Are inspired by Valletta: its history, present, old and new traditions, architecture, etc.
• Are sturdy enough to be on display for 4 months and can withstand weather conditions such as strong sun, wind and possible rain showers;
• Are installed overhead, allowing people to safely walk underneath while not obstructing the narrow streets;
• Are physical, not digital. Designs which include a multi-sensory effect will be considered a plus. The design must respect the fact that this is a residential area;
• Are environmentally conscious in their implementation, including in the choice of materials. The use of plastic is discouraged unless it is re-used or recycled and a plan is in hand for its environmentally conscious disposal at the end of the display period. Materials may include metal, wood, glass, textile, ceramic, lights etc
• Irreversible interventions in the street or the building facades, including installing nails or bolts, are strictly prohibited.

The Main Applicant Must:

• be at least 18 years of age at the time of application;
• be the Lead Artist of the Project; and
• have a VAT number.

Government organisations or private organisations receiving funds through a Government Line Vote are not eligible to apply for this call.

HOW TO APPLY

Your proposed artistic idea should include the following:

• Proposed project concept, description, and sketch;
• Proposed list of participating artists, if any;
• Proposed preliminary budget, as in ‘Fees and Other Costs’ in the application, which must include artist fees and costs associated with the technical rider, cost of materials. This budget will then be discussed and further developed with the VCA in case the project is selected;
• Supporting documents.

Additionally, please submit the essential documents listed below:

• a copy of the ID card of the Lead Artist as main applicant;
• a copy of the VAT certificate of the Lead Artist, or a copy of a blank VAT receipt from an official VAT receipt book with the Lead Artist’s details, as main applicant;
• a CV and artistic portfolio of the Lead Artist as main applicant;
• A short bio of any other artists involved;
• in case of the use of an existing copyrighted work within the new Project, in whole or in part, a confirmation of the license holder that the same work may be used and/or a quote for the licensing fee.

We kindly ask applicants to submit the relevant documents as PDFs via email or file transfer links (e.g. wetransfer.com). Links to cloud storage systems such as Google Drive or One Drive will not be considered.

Should one or more of the listed requirements be missing, the submitted application will not not be considered.

What the Agency will provide:

In collaboration with the Artist, the Agency will be responsible to produce the project including providing technical expertise, labour, permits and other logistical requirements for both installation and dismantling. All  marketing and communication will be handled in-house by the Agency.

Each selected project idea must be realised using the sum allocated by the Agency.

The Agency is allocating up to Euro 14,000 inclusive of VAT for each selected project. Although most of the production will be in the Agency’s hands, the applicant is required to provide an estimate within the application to show that the proposed installation can be carried out within the available budget. The estimate must include:

• Artist/s fees;
• Procurement of Materials;
• Transportation, labour and installation costs (including high up trucks);
• Technical equipment such as light;
• Accommodation and travel for international artists, if required; and
• Other production costs including freight, any licensing fees,

In addition to the above allocation, the Agency will provide:

• Power supply and electrical consumption
• Public Liability Insurance
• Health and Safety Risk Assessment
• Consultation and certification by Engineer.

Submit your proposed project idea and all requested documents via email to opencalls@vca.gov.mt .

EVALUATION AND T&Cs

An evaluation committee will assess the strengths and merits of proposals submitted. The Evaluation Committee reserves the right to request an interview, online or in person, with any or all applicants to request clarifications on the proposal.

Evaluation Criteria

A minimum of 70 points must be obtained for a proposal to be considered eligible.

Concept (60 points)

• Is the installation proposed in line with the requirements set in the call ( (see page 1 of this Call)
• How strong will the experiential impact of the proposed project idea be on its public?
• Is the design technically feasible, including appropriateness of scale, durability and maintenance?
• How well do the proposed design and materials provide for its survival over the 4 months of the display?
• Is the proposed installation and its implementation environmentally sustainable?

Production and Financial (40 points)

• Is the proposed preliminary budget accurate and in line with the market prices? Is it reasonable in relation to the proposed idea?
• Has the applicant considered logistical and production issues in the creation of the proposed project idea?
• Is the proposed timeline for the production of the project idea effective and realistic?
• Does the artist have the expertise to develop the project?

Terms and Conditions

• Submissions must fulfil all obligations of the application to be considered eligible. Any omissions or missing information will render the proposed artistic idea and related submitted documents
• Submissions will be evaluated in accordance with the Evaluation Criteria specified in this call by an evaluation panel against the timeframes indicated.
• All queries submitted to the Agency in relation to this Call will be published as an FAQ document, which will in turn be made available for all the applicants and general public on vca.gov.mt. The answers to these queries form part of this application process and are thus considered part of the terms and conditions for the same.
• Government organisations or private organisations receiving funds through a Government Line Vote are not eligible to apply for this call.
• Once selected, the Lead Artist will be meeting with the Programming and Production Department of the Agency, to further develop the idea and finalise the content, budgets and production of the project in collaboration with the Agency.
• Subsequently, the Lead Artist will enter into a Contract for Service with the Agency. The selected Lead Artist will receive the fee for their respective services, with a final percentage being paid upon satisfactory completion of the project (due not later than 1 month after the event).
• All marketing and communications material and campaigns will be created and managed directly by the Valletta Cultural Agency.  Costs for marketing and communication do not fall under the  budget available for each installation.
• Any sponsorship or collaboration initiatives will be managed by the Valletta Cultural Agency, according to the nature of the proposal. Proposals including third-party funding or self-funding will be considered ineligible.
• The Agency reserves the right not to select any project ideas should none of the submissions satisfy the set criteria.
• Applicants’ personal details will be retained by the Agency for up to one year after the closure of this Call for Proposals, for the purposes of this call and other similar initiatives.