Artist in Residence
In recognition of the 2025 World Boxing Championships, Culture Liverpool are seeking proposals from artists and arts organisations to develop and deliver an artistic residency focusing on a single boxing club. The Championship event takes place 4 – 14 September at the M&S Bank Arena. This residency activity will be delivered within 14 July – 22 August.
The process and outputs of this residency will explore the past, present and future of the club and its members. The artist must engage with the club and community members to identify and capture the following:
- The lived experience of the people connected to the club
- The local landscape of this location/neighbourhood
- What boxing culture has contributed to the identity of the community
- Stories of local legends and the individuals belonging to the club
- How this club fits into the wider boxing community (locally, nationally, internationally etc)
- Platform the club’s engagement with under-represented communities in boxing
- Reflections on being a part of the hosting city for the World Boxing Championships
The artist will develop and deliver a participatory programme to be delivered over 6 weeks commencing on 14 July 2025. This programme will be managed with the following in mind:
- Activities to take place predominantly in the selected boxing club
- Produce high quality, free participatory activity (such as workshops) for people from and connected to the club
- Produce quality creative outputs, which can be shared physically and digitally.
- To reach out to, connect with and work within existing networks including community groups and organisations across multiple generations to engage in activities and represent the diverse community
- To work with relevant stakeholders within the neighbourhood, LCC Neighbourhood Managers, other LCC teams to ensure communities are engaged
- How does this activity incorporate the existing profile and values of the World Boxing Championship partners (including but not limited to GB boxing and Boxing England)
- How can the narratives and findings of this residency and its outputs be featured as parts of sports presentation, marketing and PR
- Work may be used by World Boxing Championship Sports Presentation. This could be incorporated into the dressing of M&S Bank Arena or external marketing throughout the championship event
- A high-quality filmed version of the project output is required
About the artist:
We are open to expressions of interest from all artistic disciplines and encourage applicants who have any existing connection to the area and from diverse backgrounds. The artist will have experience applying co-creative practices to their work and a willingness to work in response to and collaboratively with participants. We encourage proposals from artists who are connected to or familiar with or connected to boxing culture, however, the successful artist will be introduced to key stakeholders and contacts.
Culture Liverpool will be working alongside England Boxing to identify the selected club which will be located in Liverpool. The selected artist or artists will be introduced to the club representatives and all relevant stakeholders.
Artist Fee: £5,000
Timeline:
- Submission deadline, 12 noon, Monday 7 July 2025
- Residency activity between Monday 14 July – Friday 22 August 2025
- Sharing of work begins w/c Monday 1 September – Thursday 11 September 2025
- Monitoring and evaluation due Monday 15 September 2025
Application Process:
To submit a proposal please send the following:
- Overview of your proposed activity, processes and outputs as per the aim of the project and the brief given above
- Proposed timeline of activity for engagement and output
- Outline costs, approximate budget breakdown and any actual funding and/or in-kind contributions
- Information and previous experience of your work and practices
- Indication of your ability to create innovative, responsive work while adhering to a timeline
Selection Criteria:
Each application will be scored against the following criteria:
- Concept and potential project ideas and the brief
- Relevant experience of artists ability to work responsively and inclusively within a community
- Delivery of engagement and outputs within stated timeline
- Any sustainable legacy opportunities
All proposals should consider equality and sustainability and any relevant statutory compliance e.g. land-use permissions, planning and H&S and all operational requirements, install fees (where relevant), transport, storage, making/workshop space etc. need to be included in the proposal and budget. Any public artwork should consider location and durability.
Deadline:
Submissions to be sent to jess.oneill@liverpool.gov.uk by 12 noon, Monday 7 July 2025. The successful applicant will be notified by Wednesday 9 July 2025.
The Unsung Heroes Award
This is a chance to nominate anyone in your club that has created a lasting impact or legacy in your club and community, who you would like to recognise for their outstanding contribution to the sport.
Artists from Open Eye Gallery will meet with the selected Unsung Heroes in their club to capture a portrait and conduct an interview.
Portraits will be exhibited as part of the World Boxing Championships around the city and online, before, during and after the event. There will be Heroes chosen from Liverpool and Merseyside clubs.
Unsung Heroes will each receive:
- A print of a black and white portrait to keep
- An invitation to an exhibition in central Liverpool one week before the Championships
- A VIP invitation to the opening event at the World Boxing Championships on the 4th of September at the M&S Bank Arena
- Five additional spectator tickets for the opening event
Vote for your Unsung Hero by completing the nomination form here.
Artist in Residency Host
We understand that every club is full of stories, memories and diverse people. A club might shape a community or vice versa. Culture Liverpool and England Boxing are looking for one club to host an artist or artists who can tell these stories.
This artist could specialise in any creative discipline (such as dance, filmmaking, music, visual art), and they will work closely to capture the past, present, and future of the club.
The artist will spend 6 weeks at the chosen club to capture content to create a piece of art. The chosen club must be in Liverpool.
Apply to host an Artist in Residency by completing the nomination form here.
Deadline for both awards:
Nominations open Monday 13 June 2025
Nominations close midnight, Sunday 6 July 2025
