Creative Ideas for Vacant Wellington Space Sought
Public art ideas for vacant commercial space in Wellington are being sought by this week by the agency Urban Dream
Brokerage, established this year by public art programme Letting Space.
Funded by the Wellington City Council's Public Art Fund6 Urban Dream Brokerage assists in the revitalisation of the city
through brokering the use of vacant commercial space by artists and the creative industries. While submissions are
welcome at any time for projects needing space, the Brokerage is asking for a new round of initial ideas for public
artwork to be submitted by 16 August. Details and an online application can be found at http://urbandreambrokerage.org.nz/for-applicants. Enquiries can be made to manager Helen Kirlew Smith at urbandreambrokerage@gmail.com
Urban Dream Brokerage founders Mark Amery and Sophie Jerram emphasise they are working as brokers rather than curators
of projects. While artists will be responsible for developing and managing their projects, as an agency Urban Dream
Brokerage locates potential spaces for the projects and handles negotiation, licensing and the provision of insurance.
"Where many artists come unstuck," they say, "is in the relationships with property owners and covering aspects like
insurance when their use is short term use. It works for landlords, enlivening space and suggesting new uses to
potential tenants, enables new business growth and the development business skills in the creative sector, and
encourages a more lively, mixed used urban environment - something thats vital to a creative, future-looking city."
Since its establishment at the beginning of the year Urban Dream brokerage has brokered eight projects into vacant
spaces The last was Gabby O’Connor’s giant iceberg work Cleave at the bottom of Wellington’s Victoria Street across from
Civic Square, and two projects (Occupation Artists and People’s Cinema) are ongoing. Other projects have been by Tessa
Laird, James R Ford, Daniel Webby, theatre producers A Slightly Isolated Dog, and Barbarian Productions. To see more on
these projects go to www.urbandreambrokerage.org.nz
Any individual or group developing their own original work or idea are eligible to apply to the brokerage as long as
their work, product, services or process is distinctive and unique. While the Brokerage is being established to support
all original work and creative businesses, until a further funding base is secured, priority is being given to public
art projects (see below for the Wellington City Council's definition of Public Art).
Applicants must:
• Bring life to Wellington. Projects should be fresh, dynamic and open to the public. Priority will be given to
those with a ground floor presence and accessibility (i.e. not projects that are about storage, office space, or that
are rarely open). This can be anywhere within Wellington City Council boundaries - not just the CBD.
• Provide the unique and innovative. We are not interested in turning the city into another copy of itself or one
type of gallery or space. Part of the selection process is the encouragement of mixed use, diversity and variety.
Artists and the creative industries actively contribute to the thinking, use and design of urban spaces. Projects will
also be helping ensure more diverse communities are represented publicly.
• Demonstrate professionalism and a very clear idea. Projects should have future potential for growth, and
individuals/organisations should demonstrate that they are ready to look after a space professionally and responsibly.
• Pay attention to their project’s context. Projects should demonstrate an awareness of Wellington city’s current
usages, issues and history. This includes, where applicable, recognition of mana whenua and the city's Maori whakapapa.
For a project to happen it also needs someone with a suitable property to get behind it. The Brokerage may not always be
able to find such a space.
Public art is defined in the Wellington City Council Public Art Policy as:
• artists contributing to the thinking and design of public places and spaces,
• art concepts and/or artworks and/or design features integrated into urban design developments (including
buildings, streets and parks),
• artists working in and with communities in public spaces,
• art processes and artworks in the public sphere that may be variously described as sculpture, murals,
street-art, performance, new-genre public art, relational aesthetics, and/or installations.
ENDS