Call For Artists

We are excited to announce that our call for artists is now live (as of 21/05/2025)

Creative direction

We are seeking to commission 5 suitably experienced artists, each to deliver a mural with their unique interpretation of the brief below: 

North Shields is a much-loved town, full of gritty northern character and with a colourful history. Occupying a strategic location at the mouth of the famous River Tyne fishing has been a mainstay of local culture, along with other seafaring connections, plus diverse industries from salt and coal to music and comedy. 

Artists therefore have a wealth of fascinating material to delve into and from which to conjure work of remarkable quality that represents a piece taken from this flow of 800 years of time. This could be, but is not limited to: 

• A person or people – ancient or recent – lived or imagined 

• A creature or similar image drawn from the land, sea or sky

• Any of the many industries that once thrived in the area 

• Words or ideas found in local poetry, songs and literature 

• Or anything else about this feisty northern riverside community that might capture your imagination! 

Whilst we don’t expect residents and visitors to think like art critics, nor do we under-estimate their capacity to appreciate content that has some depth and to engage in reflection about layers of meaning. We hope to find a balance between work that resonates on a surface level whilst also drawing audiences deeper.

Stylistically, we are open to all forms and interpretations, from the realistic to the abstract and everything in between. 

Fees 

Fees for each of the murals range from £2500 to £4000. Please download the Artist Brief for full details of inclusions and exclusions (section 5). 

For full details please download the Artist Brief using the link at the bottom of the page. 

• The deadline for applications to be received is 5pm on Tues 10th June 
• Any questions should be directed to hello@elevationcio.com or use the contact form on this website, by 5pm Mon 9th June

All proposals must be made using the online form below. 

Please do not wait until the last minute to submit. Allow time for last minute technical hitches!

Click here to open the application form 

Click here to access a high level summary of feedback received by a community engagement worker we tasked to find out what local people feel about the town. 

Click here to read an eclectic factsheet about the people and goings on in the town down the centuries.