Artist Commission, Thackray Museum of Medicine

We want an artist to create something whimsical, playful and interactive for children that will help unlock their imagination in exploring the history, folklore and magic of plants' healing powers. We are looking for artist-makers who work in three dimensions (sculpture, installation etc.). We want the art to be made of natural, sustainable, or recycled materials (ideally introducing no new plastic into the museum), but it must also be hardwearing and durable to handle five months of interactive play with children. We are working with a team of five Young Curators, aged 18-22, to define the themes, identity and content of the exhibition and our chosen artist will work with their input. Our Young curators are particularly interested in:

- Artworks with a strong sensory element, that young visitors can touch, interact with and change,
and/or which make use of sounds and smells.
- Elements that are whimsical, offbeat or unexpected, such as playing with scale.
- Vibrant colours combined with natural materials.
- Light used in a creative way.
- Artworks that utilise different levels and heights, creating different experiences for our young
visitors and adult visitors to explore together.
- Garden structures, such as greenhouses, sheds, and dens.

We are especially interested in hearing from artists based in Yorkshire and the North of England who have a flexible and collaborative working practice, and will be available to work with the group at our museum in Leeds.

Budget: £10,000 (inclusive of materials and VAT where applicable)