Artist Commission

Website Lakeland Arts

Project: Windermere Jetty Museum Learning Centre: Design & Character Creation

Location: Windermere Jetty Museum (Lakeland Arts), Bowness-on-Windermere

Medium: Temporary spatial installation (e.g., high-quality vinyl, removable wall graphics, ceiling-hung panels, or floor-mounted designs). Note: The proposal must allow for the space to be easily returned to a white cube condition at the end of the project.

Total Commission Fee: £1,750 (This is a flat fee for the design, character creation, and licensing. Lakeland Arts has drawn this figure from The Artist Union suggested day rates for approx. 5 days work)

Project Overview

We are commissioning a professional illustrator/artist to transform the Learning Centre at Windermere Jetty Museum into a dynamic, creative, and exciting space for young people and their families. The final design must be playful, fun, imaginative, educational, durable, and of high quality.

Over the summer, the space will house a temporary installation featuring a series of robust, tactile STEM interactives hired directly from Science Projects Ltd. This exhibition comprises of 6 family-friendly, hands-on exhibits themed around the “Senses”. The activities challenge visitors to gather information about the world around them by exploring sight, smell, touch, hearing, and the sense of proprioception. Windermere and Museums’ local, natural environment are also a potential source of inspiration.

The commissioned artwork needs to visually support and integrate with these hands-on exhibits during their residency. Following the summer programme, the installation will be fully deinstalled so the room can revert to a neutral white cube to accommodate other events, specifically weddings and corporate hires.

In addition, we would like the commissioned design to have the flexibility and visual strength to extend beyond the Learning Centre. Elements of the artwork may be adapted for use across other areas of the museum during the summer, including (but not limited to) children’s menus, museum trails, retail products and display, and digital content. Lakeland Arts would retain all rights for reasonable future use of this design, including the right to keep and reuse any physical materials created for the summer display.

Read the full brief: here

Application deadline 30 April 2026

How to apply: Please submit a brief expression of interest (max 2 page) detailing your approach to this brief, alongside an indication of the proposed scale and use of the space. You must also include an initial character design proposal, alongside a portfolio or link to relevant past work—particularly educational environmental installations, work in museums, or character design.

Send submissions to collections@lakelandarts.org.uk with the subject heading Windermere Summer Commission by 30 April 2026.