LyvedenReconnected–Artistcommission

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LyvedenReconnectedLyvedenManor

ArtistCommissionBriefDeadlineforsubmissions9am10thJune2019

Introduction

AtLyvedenweareabouttoembarkuponaprojectlikenootherintheNationalTrust.

LyvedenisoneofthemostimportantanduniquegardensinEngland.Itrepresentsoneman’sexpressionofhisfaithandbeliefatatimeofgreatinstability,changeanddanger.Aspartofourambitiousprogramme,weareseekingasociallyengagedartisttohelpourvisitorsexplorethebigthemesthatLyvedenrepresents.

TheunfinishedgardenlodgeatLyveden

AboutLyveden

LyvedenisamysteriousandrareElizabethangarden,deepintheheartoftheNorthamptonshirecountryside.BegunbySirThomasTreshamin1595butnevercompleted,itcomprisesmoats,terraces,spiralmounts,anorchard,meadows,alabyrinthandthedramatichalf-builtgardenlodge(picturedabove).Riddledwithreligioussymbolism,thegardensgaveSirThomassolaceataverydifficulttimeforEnglishCatholics.

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RockedbydramaticchangesinEnglishsocietyandthreatenedbypersecutionforpersistinginhispersonalbelief,SirThomasdesignedhissymboliclandscapeandgardenlodgetostandintestamentofhisfaith–asanactofresistance.

TheNationalTrustacquiredthelodgeatLyvedenin1922.TodaytheNationalTrustlooksafter110acresatLyvedenincludingtheGrade1listedElizabethanlodge,theScheduledMonumentprotectingtheElizabethanearthworks,theGrade1RegisteredParkandGarden,theGrade1manorbuildingandtheGrade2cottage.AsararesurvivingexampleofElizabethangardendesign,Lyvedenisofnationalsignificance.

Todaynearly34,000peoplevisitLyvedeneveryyear.

LyvedenManorHouse

LyvedenManor

AcquiredbytheNationalTrustin2013,LyvedenManor(picturedabove)isallthatremainsofamuchgranderJacobeanmanorhouse.Thecurrentbuildingisbelievedtohavebeenlargelyconstructedin1615bySirThomasTresham’ssecondson,Lewis.Thedeclineinstatusofthebuildingbeganasearlyasthe18thcenturywhenitbecameafarmhouseratherthanaprinciplefamilyseat.Furtheralterationstothebuildingoccurredinthe20thcenturywhentheextensiveeasternrangeandoutbuildingswherealldemolished.TodayallthatremainsistheoriginalJacobeansouthernrangewithadditionallate-twentieth-centuryextensionstotheeastandwestofthebuilding.Littleremainsofthehistoricinteriorexceptsomeintriguingarchitecturaldetailssuchasaredundantdoorwayintothelosteasternrange,thegroundfloorfireplaces,anda20thcenturyreplicaoftheoriginaloakstaircase.

ThesignificanceofthebuildinglaysinitsassociationwiththeTreshamfamilyanditspositionattheoriginalentrypointtoSirThomas’garden.

ThoughLyvedenManorisaGrade1listedbuildingithasbeenmodernisedandgreatlyalteredbypreviousowners.NowinthehandsoftheNationalTrust,thebuildingwillbepermanentlyopentothepublicforthefirsttimeaspartoftheLyvedenReconnectedproject.

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LyvedenReconnected

TheacquisitionofLyvedenManorandsurroundinggroundsprovidesanopportunitytotransformthevisitorexperienceatLyveden,toprotectandconservetheuniquehistoricallandscape,andtocreatenewvisitorfacilitiesthatwillsustainfuturegrowthattheproperty.

LyvedenReconnectedincludesthephysicalre-orientationofthepropertyandcreationofnewvisitorfacilitiesatthemanorhousethatwillfacilitateourvisitorexperienceambitionandhelpconservethesite.Openingupcurrentlyunusedareaswillenableustodispersevisitorsacrossthesite,toprotectthemostsignificantconservationareas,andtoretainthepeaceful,otherworldatmosphereoftheunfinisheduppergardens.AtthesametimewewillusethenewlyimaginedspacesinthemanorhousetorevealandcontextualizetheemotivestorybehindLyveden’screation,toexplorewiderthemesincludingreligiousdifferenceandhowitshapesourownsociety,andtoinvitepeoplefromallbackgroundstoexpresstheirownbeliefsandtolistentothoseofothers

LyvedenReconnectedseeksto:• Reconnectandre-orientatethesitetoallowSirThomas’designtospeakforitself• ReconnectvisitorsemotionallywithLyvedenandseeknewwaystomakeSirThomas’

storyrelevanttothemodernworld• ProtectandpreservethesurvivinggardenfeaturesatLyvedenforfuturegenerations• Provideimprovedvisitorfacilitiesthatsupportgrowingvisitornumbers,maximise

potentialrevenuestreamsandmaintainfinancialsustainability• Placeourpeople—staff,volunteersandvisitors—attheheartofwhatwedotocreate

compellingexperiencesandasustainableoperationalmodelforLyveden• Explorenewopportunitiesforparticipationthroughtheprogrammingandexperiences

wecreateWiththereorientationofthepropertyandthecreationofnewvisitorfacilitiesatthemanorhouse,visitornumbersareexpectedtogrowto100,000peryear.

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ImpressionofthereorientedsiteatLyveden

Artistcommission

TocoincidewiththereopeningofLyvedeninSpring2020,wearecommissioninganartisttocreateaboldnewoutdoorwork.

Scaleandlocation:Thereareanumberofoptionsforlocationoftheartwork,whichmayuseasinglelocationormultiples–oritmaynotuseaphysicallocationatall.Ourambitionisfortheartworktoofferanewexperienceinlessusedpartsofthelandscape,awayfromtheScheduledMonument.Thiswouldbeagreedwiththeartistduringdevelopment.Optionsinclude:

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ManorMeadowWest TowardsthemanorfromManorMeadowwest

OuterMeadow TowardsthemanorfromOuterMeadow

ParterreMeadow TowardstheLodgefromParterreMeadow

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Theworkwillbeinstalledforupto6months.

Thescaleoftheworkshouldbalancetheneedforimpactinasweepinglandscapewiththerestrictionsofthebudget.

Media:Weareopentoproposalsinarangeofmediafromsculptureormixedmediatosound.

Participation:RunningthroughourapproachtoLyvedenReconnectedisaninvitationtovisitorstoconnectwiththestrangeandgloriouslandscapeandtheemotivestorybehinditscreation.Wewanttogivevisitorstheopportunitytoparticipate,andbepartofthestory.Thecommissionedworkshouldembodythisethosandgivevisitorstheopportunitytoparticipatethroughphysicalactionandtouch,orthroughacontributionorresponsetotheartworkinsomeway.Akeypartofthecommissionistocreatepossibilitiesforcommunityengagement.Theformthistakesisflexibleandcouldinvolveindepthco-productionwithparticulargroups;orlightertouchinvolvementinresearchanddevelopmentofthework,orprogrammingoncetheworkisinstalled.Theme:Lyveden isatonce spiritualanddramatic;playfulandcontemplative;provocativeand thought-provoking. Thebeauty of the landscape and thedesignof the garden feed the imagination andrefresh the senses.Thisnewartworkwill be inspiredbyLyveden itself and the contextof theTreshamstory.Thekeyconceptsthatwearekeentoexploreare:

Artistprofile

Wearelookingforanartistwithastrongvisionforhowtomeetthebrief,andaninterestintheLyvedenthemes.Inparticularyouwillbeabletodemonstrate:

• Experienceofcreatingoutdoorwork• Experienceofsociallyengagedpracticeand/ormassparticipation• Acollaborativeapproach• Animaginativeresponse

Budgetandschedule

Thetotalbudgetforthiscommission–includingartistfee,expensesandallproductioncosts-is£25,000+VAT.

Comingtogether,

findingcommonground.

Viewpoints–physicalviewpoints

aswellasdifferentpointsofview

Creativeactofrebellion

Spirituallandscape

Toleranceanddialogue

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Activity Date

Deadlineforsubmissions 9am10thJune2019

Interviews 21stJune2019

Researchanddevelopment July-September2019

Participation/workshops(whererelevant) September-December2019

Production January–March2020

Installationonsite* March2020

Publicopening* April2020

*ThesedatesaredependentonthewiderconstructionscheduleforLyvedenReconnectedandaresubjecttochange.

Submissionsandselection

Part1

Tobeconsideredforthiscommissionpleasesendthefollowingtobecca.connock@nationaltrust.org.ukby9am10thJune2019

• YourCV• Linkstoexamplesofyourwork(pleasedon’tsendlargefilesasattachments)• Ashort(500word)summaryofhowyoumightapproachthecommission• Budgetbreakdown

ShortlistedartistswillbeinvitedtointerviewatLyvedenManoronFriday21stJune.

Part2

Subjecttotheoutcomeoftheinterviewswemayalsocarryoutstudiovisitsand/orselectasmallnumberofsubmissionstoreceiveafeeforfurtherdevelopmentbeforefinalselection.

You arewelcomeemailBeccaConnock, CreativeProducerusing the above address if youhaveanyquestions.