Youth-Led Artist Commission – Arun

Context

The Young Cultural Changemakers Programme is putting creative place-making power in the hands of young people. Young people across the south east are empowered to lead on significant creative projects in their local area, transforming their lives and those of their neighbours. Working with local communities and with a range of partners we are listening to the views, experiences and ideas of children and young people and supporting them to explore creative ways to make change happen in their areas.

Brief

Artswork Young Cultural Changemakers programme is working in partnership with young people in the West Sussex Youth Justice Service to design an artistic intervention/​s to transform the experience of the Waiting & Consultation Room in the local youth custody suite (please see images below). Young people have described the current room as plain, boring and basic. The space is ​‘too white’ with ​‘nothing to look at’ and nothing to do or feel interested in while waiting in the space.

They would like to transform the space to make it feel more youth-friendly, exploring qualities like adding colour, interactive visual elements that can be explored, details or features that can hold your interest, that might change over time and that can encourage a calmer state without being too ​‘cute’ or ​‘friendly’. (One user described a wish for ​‘cat energy’ – ​‘independent without trying too hard’.) 

The brief is to work over the summer holiday period through small regular weekly 90 minute – 2 hour sessions attended by young people (aged 11 – 18) with their key workers. Each session will be run twice, allowing 2 separate small groups (c6 young people) to engage separately. 

Sessions would like to explore a range of art-making techniques that might include:

• Line drawing
• Paint pouring
• Stencils and street art styles 
• Patterns and print making
• Watercolours
• Clay /​modelling
• Other art forms according to participants /​lead artist/​s interests

Sessions will have three ambitions:

• To build towards a considered and ambitious youth led design or designs for the space that will be ​‘pitched’ to the building management toward the end of the programme and which meet all Health & Safety requirements for a Custody Suite waiting room. 
• To develop young people’s skills in communication, confidence and using their voice (these skills will be digitally badged with full training provided to support digital badge delivery) 
• To share art making skills with key workers attending which may be used in other Youth Justice contexts after the project 

Some planning /​provision for working at home on some of the sessions for young people who are not able to join group work would be helpful (a separate budget will be provided for materials for at-home working)

The final art work may be created /​installed by the commissioned artist, potentially with young people from the group, or contracted to be professionally fabricated (the commissioned artist will be expected to provide final design files for production). It may feature pieces created during the workshop sessions or be an entirely standalone concept, developed from the young people’s ideas. 

Submit a Proposal

To apply please send a short (2p A4 maximum) expression of interest responding to the Artist Specification above and a CV which can include up to 5 images or a link to a website.

Applications must be received by email to rebeccaeast@​artswork.​org.​uk by 10:00 6 July 2026

Applicants will be scored against the criteria above by the selection panel which aims to include young people involved in the project.

Shortlisted candidates will be invited to interview on Friday 10 July 2026. Interviews are likely to take place online – please let us know if we can offer any access support to facilitate your attendance. 

Find out more about the work we have been doing in Arun.