Agenda item

            The Committee considered the undernoted report:

 

“Relevant Background Information

 

      The Broadway Junction Art Piece project has been taken forward, since 2005, through a partnership between the Department for Regional Development (Roads Service), Belfast City Centre Regeneration Directorate (Department for Social Development), the Arts Council for Northern Ireland (ACNI) and Belfast City Council (BCC).  The Roads Service is responsible for the ongoing structural work relating to the roundabout/junction which is part of the M1/Westlink improvement scheme, and the Arts Council and DSD are providing the majority of funding for the project. 

 

      The commission was awarded through an international competition and a two stage selection process.  Phase 1 involved an invitation of expressions of interest from potential artists, from which seven were selected and Phase 2 involved the short?listed artists responding with design concepts to a detailed project brief.  The BCC Artist-in-Residence consulted with Community groups in the formulation of this brief.

 

      The Development (Arts) Sub-Committee was advised on 5 October 2005 that Ed Carpenter, an American artist, had been selected by the judging panel (which included invited community representatives) to carry out the commission. 

 

      The Development Committee of 16 November 2005 agreed BelfastCity Council would take on responsibility for the future maintenance of the art piece and at the Development Committee meeting of Wednesday 14 February 2007 it was agreed:

 

-     That the Project Management Unit undertake the project management role up to a cost of £50K spread over the 07/08 and 08/09 financial years.

 

-     To commit to a contribution of £20K to the capital cost of the project during the 08/09 financial year.

 

      The construction of the Art Piece was to be co-ordinated within the programme for the construction of the roundabout over the M1/Westlink tunnel, which was initially due to be completed in Autumn 2009 but was subsequently brought forward to Spring 2009.

 

      In the period since the selection of the Artist, the roles and associated responsibilities and level of financial project commitments from the project partners has been clarified.

Also within this period:

 

-     BCC undertook an Economic Appraisal (funded by DSD) carried out by KPMG in June 2007 approved by DFP in October 2007;

 

-     The financial contribution from DSD was confirmed as £300k;

 

-     Further resources were secured from the ACNI to meet the shortfall in the projected budget of £400,000 (excluding in-kind costs);

 

-     Progression of the project was to include continued community engagement.

 

      The Development Committee of Wednesday 12 December 2007, approved the terms of reference for the Broadway Junction Public Art Board and Steering Panel and agreed that the Chairman and the Deputy Chairman (or their nominees), together with one Councillor from each of the Balmoral and Lower Falls Electoral Areas, be appointed to the Project Board.  The Broadway Project Board met  on 17 June 2008 where it was confirmed that, due to a significant increase in the costs of construction materials (steel in particular) since the commission was originally awarded in 2005, the total estimated project cost for the Trillian proposal was now at least £625,000.  The Project Board regrettably but unanimously agreed to abandon the current Trillian proposal from the selected artist Ed Carpenter and to relaunch the project as a new open competition, with a fixed total budget of £400k.

 

Key Issues

 

      Project Update

 

      This new competition was advertised on 11 July 2008 and 1 August 2008 in the Belfast Telegraph, Newsletter, Irish News and Visual Arts Ireland.  The invitation was also placed on Belfast City Council’s and other various relevant websites.  In addition, a press release was issued on the 18 July 2008 outlining the cancellation of Trillian and the reopening of the competition.  The deadline for expressions of interest was 3pm on Friday 22 August 2008.

 

      A total of 34 expressions of interest were received on the closing date of 22 August 2008. The Broadway Project Board met on the 3 September 2008 and seven artists were short-listed; Mick Thacker (Renn & Thacker Partnership), Stephen Broadbent, Wolfgang Buttress, Martin Donlin, Ed Carpenter, Eilis O’Connell and Malcolm Robertson. The artists were provided with a detailed project brief and asked to respond with design concepts by Friday 10 October 2008.

 

      At the closing time of 3pm on Friday 10 October 2008, Belfast City Council Procurement received five submissions.

 

      The Broadway Project Board met on Tuesday 14 October to discuss interview questions and to confirm the interview panel. The interview panel was as follows:

 

      Councillor Bob Stoker

      Councillor Bernie Kelly

      Councillor Marie Moore

      Ronan Corrigan (DSD)

      Tom McCourt (Roads Service)

      Tim Husbands (BCC)

      Deirdre Robb (BCC)

      Iain Davidson (ACNI)

 

      On Friday 24 October 2008 the following five artists were interviewed:

 

      Mick Thacker (Renn & Thacker Partnership)

      Stephen Broadbent

      Wolfgang Buttress

      Martin Donlin

      Ed Carpenter

 

      The winner of the competition is a piece called ‘Rise’ by Wolfgang Buttress which is a 37m high by 30m wide representation of the sun as a beacon of light, with one circle within a circle, but which will appear to hover over a glade of structurally supportive trees/grasses and which will be seen in the day and night from many miles.

 

      It is anticipated that the project will be completed by April 2009.

 

Resource Implications

 

      Financial Implications

 

      The overall cost of the ‘Rise’ sculpture will be £400k (excluding in-kind contributions).

 

      This budget comprises the following amounts:

 

ACNI                 £80,000

DSD                  £300,000

BCC                 £20,000 (excluding in-kind Project

                          Management costs)

Total Budget   £400,000

 

Recommendation

 

      It is recommended that Members note the information contained within the report and  endorse the decision of the Broadway Project Panel regarding the Broadway Junction Public Art Project.

 

Abbreviations

 

DRD  -   Development for Regional Development (Roads Service)

ACNI  -   Arts Council Northern Ireland

BCC  -   Belfast City Council

DSD   -   Department for Social Development

DFP   -   Department of Finance and Personnel”

 

            The Committee adopted the recommendation.