Artist’s Brief
Commission of a public artwork as a memorial to the poet Percy Bysshe Shelley
The aim of the Shelley Memorial Project, (SMP), a community group made up of individuals and local community organisations from Horsham, is to achieve a lasting public memorial to the poet Percy Bysshe Shelley. The memorial will celebrate and commemorate ‘the most eminent person to whom Horsham can lay claim’, and his works. The intention in delivering this memorial is not only to celebrate the achievement of a major literary figure from the Horsham community, but also to:
1. Provide literary, historical and philosophical inspiration to Horsham residents and visitors,
2. Highlight Horsham’s place in our country’s cultural and historical heritage,
3. Represent and inspire the talent within our community, with a particular emphasis on young talent as represented by Shelley’s phenomenal body of work, achieved in his young life.
There is an expectation that the selected design will result in a work of art that is in harmony with its setting. It should address as far as possible the aims set out above in order to provide a pleasing and inspirational cultural experience for those living and working in or visiting Horsham. The artwork will become a key feature, a landmark for generations and add to the quality and attractiveness of Horsham Park.
The Shelley Memorial Project has allowed a budget of £ 70,000. plus VAT for the realisation of the commission. A Steering Group will oversee the process of selection of the artwork that will be commissioned for the memorial. This will be made up of representatives from the SMP and representatives from Horsham District Council who own the site on which the memorial will be installed.
At the conclusion of the initial application stage, four artists will be selected to take part in an open competition for the commission in response to this brief.