Lancaster Arts is looking for a small group of artists, illustrators, designers and visual practitioners to help us tell the story of our interactive creative events in different ways.
Many of our projects bring together people who might not otherwise meet, creating spaces for conversation, creativity and new ways of thinking. We believe that the most meaningful parts of these experiences are often difficult to capture through photographs, reports or meeting notes alone, especially for those who were not there.
This brief sits somewhere between documentation and artistic interpretation. Rather than creating a comprehensive record of an event, we’re interested in work that identifies the threads running through a conversation, notices what matters, and shapes these into compelling visual work that invites reflection.
We’re looking for people who can attend these events, listen deeply and create thoughtful visual responses. These will be shared with participants, helping them reflect on and recognise something meaningful about their shared experience. They will also be shared more widely, offering others a glimpse into the ideas, atmosphere, relationships and moments of connection that emerged.
What we’re looking for
We’re creating a pool of 3 to 5 people based in north Lancashire or south Cumbria.
You don’t need previous experience of creating visual interpretations of events. We’re more interested in your ability to:
- listen with care and curiosity
- notice patterns, relationships and significant moments
- distil complex ideas into clear visual communication
- bring your own artistic voice to your work
- create thoughtful, engaging work that invites reflection
The final work might take the form of drawing, collage, painting, print, mixed media or another visual approach. We’re less interested in the medium than in the quality of attention, interpretation and visual communication.
You’re welcome to make notes or sketches during an event, but we don’t expect the final work to be produced live. We value thoughtful interpretation and reflection over real-time documentation.
For each commission, we’ll invite the person whose practice feels the best fit for that particular event. You’ll receive a short online briefing beforehand, attend the event, and submit a draft visual interpretation within one week. We’ll then have a short conversation before the work is finalised, allowing space for reflection and refinement.
Once finalised, the work may be shared with participants, published online or used to share the story of Lancaster Arts’ programmes. All contributors will be fully credited.
Our first commission will take place during Festival of Dissent on 5 September 2026.
For all the information on how to apply, a timeline and examples of previous works, click here.
