People with a very wide creative streak are being invited to fill some large canvasses to help engage others in the arts.
Transported, the Creative People and Places programme from Arts Council England for Boston Borough and South Holland, is inviting commissions from artists and designers for a series of custom designs to grace the sides of FreshLinc lorries.
The community focused arts programme is called Transported because of its overriding aim to “transport” great art to new people and because it references Lincolnshire’s long-standing role in transporting goods to and from Europe.
From this came the idea of using the large and portable canvas a lorry could provide as a way to bring art to local people as they commute and use the area’s roads.
To this end, Transported is working in partnership with FreshLinc Ltd, a Spalding-based haulage company with four other operating centres in the UK.
The commission is to create a series of custom designs celebrating South Holland and Boston Borough which will appear on FreshLinc lorries.
The designs will be seen by millions as they pass through the area and beyond, to countries such as Spain, Holland, Belgium and France.
The designs will celebrate the area’s unique landscape, culture and people.
Ashley Holland, commercial manager of FreshLinc, said: “We are so excited and proud to be supporting Transported and having the chance to celebrate the local community and area through the artwork exhibited across the UK and Europe.
“This is a unique opportunity for both the artist and FreshLinc as a haulage company to encourage future collaboration between artists and industry”.
Transported is also working in collaboration with FreshLinc and local artist Katie Smith on a project called “The View from Here”, exploring how FreshLinc drivers personalise their lorry cabs with mementoes, both as reminders of home and where they have delivered to around the UK and Europe.
Katie said: “As a socially engaged artist I have a great deal of experience of working with people from a different backgrounds through a broad range of creative projects.
“This is the first project however where I will be working with people at their place of work.
“I am expecting this to bring some interesting challenges and exciting creative opportunities and am looking forward to collaborating with Freshlinc’s drivers.”
Working with Katie, drivers will be bringing back images and sounds from the places they travel to which will then form an exhibition.
The closing date to apply for this commission is Monday, April 28 at 9am. To download the brief, visit www.transported art.com/jobs-and-commissions.
- For more information on Transported, go to www.transportedart.com or call 01406 701006 or 701013.