Milton Keynes Arts Centre, working with Sherington Village residents, are looking to appoint an artist to create a new, permanent public artwork for the village of Sherington. Milton Keynes Arts Centre ran consultation sessions with residents of Sherington from November 2024 which identified the following priorities for a public artwork for the village.
• Respect the rural location and its surrounding countryside
• Celebrate the village identity and sense of community
• Engage the local community in creating the artwork
• Be made from natural materials
• Be permanent
Through the consultation process, two potential sites by residents were identified for the installation of an artwork. These sites are not finalised and there is an opportunity to explore other potential locations.
Opposite Manor Farm: ///bumps.cheese.flinches
The Knoll: ///retraced.seasonal.boater
Residents were presented with examples of public artworks, from which they selected which works they most liked. There was a preference for natural materials. Stone carving and text-based works featured strongly as artworks that residents liked. You may use this information toward your application, however, please note that the sample size consisted of around 20 responses.
Sherington is a historic and picturesque village in Buckinghamshire, with a population of just under 1000. It lies within a designated Area of Attractive Landscape just 2 miles northwest of Newport Pagnell and 5 miles northeast of Central Milton Keynes. In the 2016 Sherington Neighbourhood Plan, Sherington Parish Council acknowledged the necessity for limited housing development in the village, on the understanding that any development would not undermine or harm Sherington’s distinctive character. In 2019, 36 new homes were built on land adjacent to Sherington High Street. Section 106 funding has been identified to help mitigate the impact of the development on the village. It is recognised that public art can be a useful way to maintain local distinctiveness in the face of new developments; it can enhance community pride and communal spaces; emphasise culture, heritage and biodiversity. Public art can bring communities together in shaping the environment, facilitating positive change and promoting inclusivity.
For further information about the heritage of Sherington please visit: https://www.mkheritage.org.uk/sherington/
June Deadline for proposals – shortlisted artists invited for interview by selection committee
July-August Project scoped, artist meets with residents, decides site and provides more detailed proposal for approval by residents with costings
Sept-October Planning permission sought, ground surveys, risk analyses
Nov-December Production
Jan-March 2026 Installation
*this is a proposed time frame, which can be adapted with the selected artist.
Artwork installation must be before the end of 2026.
Budget £25,000 including fee, travel, materials and installation.
• Description of design concept and how they propose approaching community engagement (max 2 sides of A4)
• Photographs illustrating up to 6 previous relevant projects (maximum 12 images in total)
• Artist’s statement and CV, including two referees
• Community engagement
• Installation methodology
• Risk management
• Accessibility
• Maintenance requirements
You will also need to provide evidence of Public Liability Insurance.
