What is Christmas at Bute Park?
For those of you who are yet to experience the UK’s biggest-selling light trail outside of London, Christmas at Bute Park is an annual festive installation in the heart of Cardiff. With over 100,000 visitors per year, it has become Wales’ biggest festive light trail, allowing audiences to journey through a spectacular range of illuminations, sculptures and special effects.
Christmas at Bute Park is delivered by From the Fields, an agency which organises contemporary festive experiences across UK cities. Each of their light trails aims to immerse audiences in an audio-visual experience which can be playful and fun, or bold and striking.
Opportunity to design an installation for this year’s light trail in Cardiff
This year, From the Fields has announced two design commissions for Wales-based artists, one for final-year students / recent graduates and one for emerging artists. This is part of the Ignite Cymru scheme, supported by Event Wales.
From the Fields Creative Producer, Lizzie Rayner, said:
We are so excited to be able to offer these two great opportunities as part of the Ignite Cymru scheme. It is so important to us that Welsh artists are being represented and championed within winter events. Wales has such an abundance of incredible creative talent, we look forward to being able to highlight it at Wales' largest light trail where we hope to welcome over 100,000 visitors for the fourth year running.
Final year student / recent graduate commission
This commission will provide a final-year student or recent graduate (graduated in 2022, 2023 or 2024) with the opportunity to create their own installation for Christmas at Bute Park.
Supported by the From the Fields creative management and production team, they will be offered the opportunity to experience what it is like to create an installation for an immersive light trail that they would then be able to take on and display at other light trails in the future.
The budget for this project is £7,575.
Find out more about this commission, eligibility and how to submit a proposal.
Emerging artist commission
Open to emerging talent (regardless of age), From the Fields is looking for an artist or designer to create a piece that can be taken forward to be shown at other light trails or events after Christmas at Bute Park. The creative team can facilitate contacts to the artist to encourage this to happen.
The budget for this project is £10,000.
Find out more about this commission, eligibility and how to submit a proposal.
Head of Creative Cardiff, Jess Mahoney, said:
Creative Cardiff is thrilled to be working with From the Fields and supporting these exciting new commissions that will meaningfully connect some of the city’s emerging creative talent with the Christmas at Bute Park team to gain practical skills and experience in immersive public art activation. We know that Cardiff is brimming with innovative creative ideas and can’t wait to see what brilliant responses are submitted.
More information
Two possible locations within Bute Park could be used for these installations, both are around 25m of hard-standing pathway with trees on either side of the path.
If you require any further information about these commissions, download the briefing packs – student / recent graduate commission and emerging artist commission– or email Lizzie@fromthefields.co.uk
The deadline for both opportunities is Friday 23 August 17:00.
