The search for Birmingham artists to transform a city centre site into a mural to highlight help available for those experiencing domestic abuse, is launched.
A 20-metre wide hoarding, on the corner of Hurst Street and Smallbrook Queensway in the Southside District, will become a canvas to draw attention to how women can access vital services.
It is part of the council’s Inform Women, Transform Lives campaign, funded by the Carter Center in the US – which will provide $10,000 (approx. £7,900) in funding to the successful artist to create a colourful piece of street art.
Birmingham was chosen as one of 12 international cities to take part in a global campaign led by the Carter Center, which aims to educate and enable women can access information and play an active role in society.
The site is wrapped around the former Oceana nightclub, approximately 20 metres wide and two metres high – and designs should be at least 10 metres wide.
The campaign in Birmingham focuses on domestic abuse support services, though designs must reflect the aims of the global Inform Women, Transform Lives campaign, highlighting the importance of improving women’s access to information.
Cllr Nicky Brennan, Cabinet Member for Social Justice, Community Safety and Equalities, said: “The ability for women to access the right information, at the right time, safely – especially for those looking to escape domestic abuse – is absolutely vital.
“Through funding already secured from the Carter Center, the council has already launched an online portal where links to support services can be found.
“I am sure many of our city’s creatives will submit some stunning ideas for this mural, which aims to highlight the support available.
“Southside District have donated this site, where the winning mural will be seen by around 300,000 a week, which will really help promote the help available across the city.”
Submissions should include a resume, several examples of artwork, as well as a proposed design and timeline for the project by 29 March 2024. The winner will be notified in early April.
A panel made up of city council, service provider, Carter Center and Southside District representatives will meet to consider all applications before commissioning the successful artist next month.
The project must start by 30 April 2024 and be completed by 24 May 2024 – ahead of Birmingham Pride weekend. It will remain in place for at least 18 months.
All applicants must live or work in Birmingham, have experience in creating large-scale murals and working with local communities.
Full details of the design brief and requirements can be found on the council’s website Deadline for submissions is 29 March 2024.
The 11 other cities taking part in this year’s Inform Women, Transform Lives campaign are Bogota, Colombia; Casablanca, Morocco; Dhaka North, Bangladesh; Freetown, Sierra Leone; Maputo, Mozambique; Montevideo, Uruguay; Nairobi, Kenya; Paris, France; Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic; Tunis, Tunisia; and Washington DC, United States of America.
