A 10-metre exterior wall of the soon-to-be-built Multi Arts Place in Speers Point Park is set to provide a giant blank canvas for artists, designers or other creatives.
Lake Macquarie City Council Manager for Arts, Culture and Tourism, Jacqui Hemsley, said the facade would be constructed from a material that allowed for creative applications and could be patterned to capture shadow and shade, incorporate a repeated motif or be a free form design.
“The design could also be a narrative that reflects Lake Macquarie’s natural environment or the city’s cultural and social heritage,” she said.
More than 400,000 people visit Speers Point Park annually, with the precinct a focal point for major events, family outings and tourism.
Ms Hemsley said the new Multi Arts Place (MAP) would be the first of its kind in NSW, if not Australia.
“MAP is designed as a multi-dimensional, flexible and intuitive multi-media creative hub, where even the exterior is a canvas for creative applications,” Ms Hemsley said.
“MAP will present a variety of creative performances, from theatre and live music to contemporary installations and immersive art experiences 24 hours a day, seven days [a week].
“This is a unique opportunity for creatives to have their work become a prominent feature of the Lake Macquarie arts scene, and I strongly encourage artists to submit their design.”
Expressions of interest have opened for concept brickwork designs for the wall, with $1,000 awarded to the selected entry.
Artists are invited to submit two concept designs for the blockwork to the external north facing wall of the proposed facility on a pre-scaled application form, and are required to include a statement describing their thematic approach and inspiration for the concept.
Applications close on Friday 5 June.
Visit the council’s website to download the information package and application form.
Pending approvals, construction of MAP is expected to start late this year.
The project is funded by the NSW Government’s Regional Cultural Fund and Council.
