We are seeking an experienced and passionate Freelance Curator for our new permanent Ceramics, Art and Design gallery at Poole Museum opening in Summer 2025.
A. Background
- Poole Museum is completing a major capital project, with over £10.3m invested in new galleries and visitor facilities. The re-launched museum, a stone’s throw from Poole Harbour on the Historic Quayside, will have a major maritime and maritime archaeological focus. Three new permanent galleries over two floors will showcase our significant maritime and maritime archaeology collections.
- We will also be opening a new GIS temporary exhibitions gallery which willhost a high-profile programme of touring and temporary exhibitions.
- With Arts Council England funding, and support from The Headley Trust and The Steel Charitable Trust, there will be a new Ceramics, Art and Design Gallery with a floor area of 130m2. This gallery is located on the third floor of the museum.
- There is an adjoining light and airy studio space opening from the gallery and out onto an elevated terrace with super views down the historic high street and out to the harbour – we're calling this the ‘Creative Space and Terrace’.
- The Ceramics, Art and Design gallery will showcase Poole Museum’s ceramics collection, with a particular emphasis on Poole Pottery, as well as displaying works from the fine art and design collections.6. The museum is seeking an experienced and passionate freelance curator to work with the curatorial team and lead the development of the content and interpretation for this new exciting space!
B. New Gallery Space
- A design for the Ceramics and Art Gallery has been developed by our Architects and Exhibition Designers, ZMMA. Please see the floor plansattached.
- The design delivers a new gallery which we anticipate will house up to 120 collection objects. The gallery is subdivided into two sections, one dedicated to the ceramics display at approx. 90m2 and the second to art at 40m2.
- The main display area will contain bespoke display cases of various sizes, two of which have desktop-level drawers which will be visitor-operated, ideal for displaying smaller and/or more delicate objects of the collection. It also includes a 7m-long bespoke full-height display, fitted with shallow shelves, referencing the construction of a ceramics kiln.
- The art display area is carved out from the main gallery space, dedicated to 2D artwork display. It includes new partitions for hanging artwork and creates a more intimate and protected setting for the pieces on display. This is a 40m2 space with available wall displays of approx. 22m of total length.
- Both gallery areas will be fitted with adjustable track lighting to accommodate the needs of the collection.
- The Creative Space and Terrace (64m2 each) provides a light and airy, indoor/outdoor space suitable for artists residencies, workshops, with wall space for open display. We imagine this to be a vibrant, thriving, flexible, working, sometimes messy space, brought to life with contemporary practitioners responding to our collections, developing new interpretation, and sharing their work with our audiences. When not peopled and in use, wall displays with flexible changing components should engage visitors deeper with the collection and contemporary artistic and creative practices. There is an area of wall space in the Creative Space which may work well with home large objects from the collection displayed at a high level to dramatic effect.
- The Ceramics and Art Gallery base build is by Greendale Construction Limited, and the exhibition fit out will be by Marcon Fit Out. Conservation, framing, and mounting packages will be carried out by a separate contractor(s).
C. Collections
- Summary of the ceramics collection
Poole Museum has a large ceramics collection, highlighting the town's vast and international renown heritage of clay working. The ceramics collection is comprised of predominately the products of Poole Pottery and Carter & Co. A large proportion of the collection, as well as Poole Pottery archival material (on deposit at the Dorset History Centre), was acquired from the sale of the Poole Pottery Museum collection in 2004. This museum displayed key examples of production, from the earliest beginnings of Carters in 1873, right through to the potteries closure in 2003.
Key collection pieces include one-off creations in celebration of royal visits, while works by visiting and resident artists such as Edward Bawden, James Radley Young, Sally Tuffin, Lesly Elsden, Tony Morris, Ruth Pavely, Truda Carter and Sir Terry Frost are also well represented. Large scale friezes and tile panels provide grandiose visual additions, including the celebrated ‘Welcome to Poole’ panels. Poole Museum’s magnificent holdings of Poole Pottery stand out as the largest and best public collection in the world.
Poole Pottery’s many distinctive styles over the years are admired and collected globally, and international visitors flock to see the Museum’s displays. Although Poole Pottery is no longer manufactured in Poole, there is a strong community legacy of families associated with the company and intense local pride in Poole’s ceramic heritage. Our unique ceramics collection allows us to tell a new story of innovation and ability to adapt to changing styles and fashions, rather than simply displaying a chronology of shape and forms. By shifting the narrative towards the people behind the work, we can highlight how the surrounding landscape and environs of Poole inspired designs, while equally placing a spotlight on the talented painters that made Poole Pottery so successful and popular.
Other local decorative wares, such as Green Island, Crown Dorset, andBroadstone are abundant, along with the architectural and structural wares of Kinson Pottery, Boure Valley Pottery and Southwestern Pottery. Southwestern pottery is famous for the production and worldwide export of sanitary pipes and decorative finials, including the terracotta eagle found on many park gates around Britain.
2. Summary of the Fine Art and Design collection
At the heart of Poole Museum’s art collection are the paintings produced by two generations of former Slade School of Art students who left London to discover the charms of Dorset, Poole Harbour and Poole Old Town. From the early 1900s these artists coalesced around the magnetic personality and talents of Augustus John, who brought his family to live in Poole from 1911 and became, while living here, one of the world’s most celebrated artists. The Poole Museum collection of these artists centres on an outstanding group of paintings and works on paper by John and his friend and rival, Henry Lamb. Both painters and their friends had strong links with the Bloomsbury Group and with other artists who made Poole Pottery famous for its design-led ceramics, as well as with the prominent local art societies and art colleges. These were the foundation of the art and design courses provided by Bournemouth and Poole’s leading universities and college - a liaison which remains close today.
D. Scope of Services
- Carry out research and develop exhibition content including commissioning one digital interactive (AV software) and required illustrations.
- Select objects to be included in the exhibition, including objects to be mounted in the Creative Space.
- Image and photo research including copyright.
- Design layout of the exhibition including working with mount makers to develop requirements for in-case architecture (simple blocks and bridges) and mounts.
- Negotiate any loan items with museums, private lenders, and other external organisations (if required).
- Produce the exhibition text for gallery panels and object labels – we anticipate around 5,000 words – working with our existing 2D hierarchy.
- Assist with the installation of the permanent exhibition (i.e. overseeing the hanging of artworks, assist with decisions on final placement of works).
- Assist in the writing of a publication linked to the exhibition. The specification for the publication to be agreed by the Client and the Curator, we anticipate this to be about 1,000 words.
- Contribute to the press and PR campaigns for the exhibitions by helping to draft press releases and specify imagery suitable to promote the exhibitions (being aware of possible copyright restrictions). Contribute to other publicity materials such as text for leaflets.
- Assist with specifying merchandise for the museum shops (especially books relevant to the exhibitions).
- Assist with input and inspiration for educational resources, informal learningsessions, and public programming – in particular programming of the Creative Space and Terrace.
- Contribute to programming by providing two specialist talks (which could be in person or recorded/online).
To be coordinated by the Freelance Curator but provided by others
- Copyediting
- Art working
- Illustration
- AV software
- Graphic Design
- Easy read/large print
E. To respond to this tender opportunity please prepare a proposal covering the following questions in E1 (Quality) and E2 (Supplier information, programme and fee proposal):
Proposals will be evaluated on 100% quality using the weightings given for each question in E1 below.
E1 Quality questions:
Question Page
| |
Question
|
Page Limit
|
Score
|
| A |
Please provide a CV detailing your relevant qualifications and experience |
3 |
10% |
| B |
Please detail three recent exhibitions where you have carried out similar work- please include examples of your writing (not included in page limit)- please include images of exhibitions (not included in page limit) |
3 |
30% |
| C |
Please set out your method and approach to the scope of services- please use this question to identify any risks, challenges and opportunities- please include EDI considerations. |
4 |
30% |
| D |
Please explain your initial creative response- we would like you to cover EDI considerations here too. |
4 |
20% |
| E |
Please explain how both your working practices and the new exhibition will be environmentally sustainable. |
2 |
10% |
E2 Supplier information, programme and fee proposal
- Your name/company name (and registration number) and address, with email and phone contact details
- Please provide your outline programme, noting key milestones, and number of days resource allocated to each task. Please confirm you can meet the requirements in the timetable in G below.
- Please provide your fixed fee proposal not exceeding the maximum budget in F below.
- Please provide details of insurance held and two references
F. Budget
The maximum budget is £12,500, inclusive of all travel and expenses.
G. Timetable
- Deadline for submitting a bid: 5pm Friday 6th December 2024
- Interviews w/c Monday 9th December 2024
- Appointment expected to be made before Friday 20th December 2024
- We anticipate the following milestones:
- End March 2025 draft exhibition content
- End May 2025 art working
- End June 2025 exhibition installation
H. Tender process
- Your tender should be submitted as a single PDF providing responses to each of the points in section E above. Please use Arial 12 and do not exceed the page limits specified. Please check you have provided answers to E1 (A-E) AND E2 and labelled your responses.
- We encourage everyone to get in touch to discuss the opportunity and come to see us on site. Site visits and informal conversations can be arranged by contacting Jenny, jennifer.fawcettgray@bcpcouncil.gov.uk or telephoning 01202 1262083.
- Please submit your tender by the deadline specified in the timetable avove by email, to Jenny, jennifer.fawcettgray@bcpcouncil.gov.uk
I. Other information
Bournemouth Christchurch and Poole (BCP) Council will check the successful bidder’s employment status for tax.The council’s standard terms and conditions for the supply of services will apply to this opportunity