Artist needed to create design for Eastern Road sea defence walls

Portsmouth City Council and the Eastern Solent Coastal Partnership are looking for an artist, or a group of artists, who are interested in creating a long-lasting and attractive design to enhance the proposed sea defence wall along Eastern Road in Portsmouth.

Due to rising sea levels, new coastal defences are being built at Eastern Road as part of the North Portsea Island Coastal Flood Defence Scheme. The defences will include road raising near Kendall’s Wharf, construction of an earth embankment, and a sea wall along 2.1km of coastline at Eastern Road.

As the sea wall will be made of concrete panels, it offers a 'blank canvas' for the artist(s) who will be successful in their bid.

The panels should be enhanced with images or graphics to make the wall more visually appealing and interesting to passers-by on the coastal path as well as drivers using the Eastern Road.  Designs will be applied through stencils that are grit/sand blasted onto the concrete face and overlaid with dark grey/black masonry paint to strengthen the contrast.

The artist(s) will need to have experience in delivering inspirational art within a set budget, and to a reasonable timescale, with design completion by 1 May 2020. The wall will be built over 3 years and the artwork would be applied during each phase of works.

Portsmouth City Council invite all interested artists to an event that will take place on Tuesday, 17 December 1.00pm - 3.00pm at Andrew Simpson Watersports Centre, Eastern Rd, Portsmouth, PO3 5LY. Copies of the brief will be provided at the event and submissions must be received by 2.00pm on Tuesday 21 January 2020.

For more information and to download the detailed brief, as well as to reserve a space at the information event, please go to www.portsmouth.gov.uk/NorthPortseaIsland

For more information on the North Portsea Island coastal defence scheme please go to https://www.escp.org.uk/portsmouth-1