Blacktown International Sportspark Public Art Commission Artist's Brief
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Blacktown International Sportspark
Public Art Commission
Artist’s Brief
Page 1 of 11
The International Centre of Training Excellence
Blacktown International Sportspark, Eastern Road, Rooty Hill, NSW 2776
Artist’s Brief
Introduction
This is an opportunity for two or more artists to create significant permanent artworks for the
International Centre of Training Excellence (ICTE, a Transformational Project being delivered by
Blacktown City Council https://www.blacktown.nsw.gov.au/About-Council/What-we-
do/Transformational-Projects/International-Centre-of-Training-Excellence) and/or the wider
Blacktown International Sportspark, originally developed as a venue for the 2000 Sydney Olympic
Games. For further information and a map see https://www.blacktown.nsw.gov.au/Sport-
recreation/Blacktown-International-Sportspark-Sydney.
The scope of the ICTE project includes a new training centre; academy style residential
accommodation; new sporting fields; upgrades to existing and new landscape; and a physical
literacy area for children. Art can be designed for inclusion in any of these buildings and spaces.
The ICTE project has the ambition of broadening the use of the Sportspark to incorporate activities
and services with a focus on health, education and research. This is encapsulated by the mission
of the ICTE project, which is to ‘inspire everyone to MOVE MORE, so that we all live longer’.
To support this ambition, the Council are installing landscape treatments, signage and wayfinding
that connects the park to surrounding attractions including the Sydney Zoo, Featherdale Wildlife
Park and Western Sydney Parklands, all of which can be accessed from the Sportspark by active
transport. The project, we hope, will attract new user groups to the park as either participants in
the organised sporting activities, day users of the facilities and/or residents of the academy style
residential accommodation.
See Appendix A for additional context, background information and current art installations within
the park.
Aim of the art commissions:
With the ICTE mission in mind, commissions should inspire visitors to the Sportspark to move
more in, around and through the chosen space(s) in ways that are fun, playful, even
unconventional and entice people of all ages, abilities and backgrounds to enjoy spending time at
the park and to keep coming back.
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Page 2 of 11Art commission criteria:
The commission(s) should also:
• consider how they might provide tacit links to the surrounding Western Sydney Parklands
• acknowledge the history of the land (Rooty Hill, the name of the district in which the Sports
Park is located, takes its name from references to Norfolk Island and similarities in the
geotechnical composition of the land)
• form part of the environment in a way that people can interact with, touch or move around (in
response to public consultation with local people, for Blacktown City Council’s new Cultural
Plan [add link if available])
• acknowledge and attract the diverse demographic of Blacktown City and be sensitive to and
respectful of cultural refence points and representations (See information below under
‘Audience/users’)
• be accessible to people with a disability, including people who are hearing and/or visually
impaired
Commissions may take any form including, but not limited to:
• painting, or other 2D works such as vinyls
• sculpture, including kinetic art and installations
• interactive art, including participatory art
• land art
• text
• sound
• light
• digital art, including digital film/video
Artworks may also be integrated into practical design features such as the skin of the building,
gates and fencing, lighting, seating, etc.
See Appendix B for examples of artworks used elsewhere that illustrate the types of artwork that
might be possible and/or that the project team feel resonated with the notion of movement and
motion.
See Appendix C, D and E for details of the proposed connectivity through the park, design of the
physical literacy area and architectural renders of the buildings, respectively.
Audience/users
The Blacktown population in 2020 was estimated at 395,000 residing across 48 suburbs. Within
this population 2.8% are of an Aboriginal and Torres Straight Island background, Australia’s largest
Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander population, whilst 40.4% of residents were born overseas.
The Blacktown City community represents 188 nationalities, 182 languages and 123 ancestries;
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Page 3 of 115.2% of the population live with a disability. By 2036 we expect the population to increase to
521,450 with the largest increase being in the over 65 demographic.
Within this demographic are considerable health issues that we hope the encouragement of
physical activity, exercise and sport within the precinct will, when combined with the art
commissions and services within the new centre, combine to have a positive effect. For example,
the number of secondary school students who are overweight or obese and aged between 12 and
17 years is 4% higher in Blacktown than the state average whilst for young children aged between
5 and 15 years the number achieving adequate levels of physical activity in Blacktown is 8.4%
below the state average. There is also a high representation of groups from cultures who
traditionally have prioritised incidental physical activity over organised sport.
Accessibility
At present the sports park is accessible principally by car; however, as part of the project we will
include more opportunities for people to move through the park as pedestrians. In addition, all
paths and access points within the park will be accessible to wheelchair users as well as those with
young children in push chairs. The new buildings will have inclusive signage, accessible toilets,
baby change facilities and adult change facilities.
We will also create new public spaces within the sports park for incidental physical activity and
place making. These spaces will exist around the established sporting venues within the sports
park.
The sports park is flanked by the busy Eastern Road, M7, and a rail line to the South, West and
North respectively. Despite this, it is a quiet and relatively tranquil precinct with green and blue
spaces. A masterplan for the project along with aerial views of the park can be viewed in
Appendix F.
Expected lifespan of artwork:
The installations are intended to be permanent and should therefore be designed to last a
minimum of 10 years.
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Page 4 of 11Art commission process and timescale:
BCC advertises open call/EOI: w/c 16th August and close on the 06th September
• Shortlisted artists notified: 21st October
• shortlisted artists briefing and site visit (Covid restrictions permitting) with opportunity for
Q&A: 26th October
• concept design development: Nov-Dec 2021
• concept design deadline, presentation and/or interview TBC: January 2022
• selected artist notified and contracted: January 2022
• public consultation/engagement: January 2022
• detailed design development: February - March 2022
• detailed design presentation: March-April 2022
• commission production: April 2022
• commission installation deadline: June-September 2022
• commission launch: February-March 2023
• other key dates i.e. press interview and photo call, public outreach, evaluation, etc. TBC
All date are indicative only and subject to change.
Art commission design fees
A budget and fees associated with the final commissions (including detailed design and feasibility
fees, commission fees, production, materials, equipment and installation) will be negotiated with
the artists. Fees associated with initial design development are detailed below:
Stage 1
• artist initial concept design fee of $2000 each, for all shortlisted artists
Shortlisting selection criteria (for submission requirements below):
• appropriate and relevant initial response to the brief
• quality of previous artwork (artistic merit, strength of concept, originality, wow factor, etc.)
• production quality of previous artwork
• proven track record in producing relevant work (over 5 years’ experience)
• ability/experience in project management
• availability and location in relation to site of commission
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Page 5 of 11Final selection criteria (for initial concept design)
• appropriate and relevant response to the brief
• quality of proposed artwork (artistic merit, strength of concept, originality, wow factor, etc.)
• extent to which proposal is site-specific in an appropriate and relevant manner (i.e. is
integrated into the fabric of the landscape and/or structures)
• quality of practical and other design considerations e.g. quality of design and execution
(quality of proposed materials and experience of fabricators)
• risks and ability to manage risks e.g. extent to which health and safety considerations are
addressed (e.g. safe access to site)
• extent to which budget is realistic in relation to artist’s proposal and ability to work within
budget
• ability to work within timescale
• maintenance considerations and quality of maintenance plan (Are resources required
affordable and attainable?)
• EOI requirements - conditions of EOI met, if applicable (e.g. public liability and professional
indemnity insurance, etc.)
• extent to which artist’s proposal creates employment and development opportunities for
other artists and creatives especially local, Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander artists, to
flourish and engage more fully with the community
Please note: the above final selection criteria are only relevant for shortlisted artists commissioned
to submit initial concept designs. These artists will be paid $2000 each for their initial concept
designs, as stated above under ‘Art commission and design fees’, Stage 1.
In accordance with BCC’s Public Art Policy, Public Art Commissioning and Approval Procedures,
the Council supports artwork which:
• is integrated into the fabric of the city in ways that reflect, respond and give meaning to the
City’s unique environment, history and culturally diverse society
• achieves excellence, innovation and diversity in the design and aesthetic of the City’s public
domain
• contributes to the City as a creative environment
• provides opportunities for artists, especially local and Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander
artists, to flourish and engage more fully with the community
• supports artists to contribute to the design and development of the public domain by
collaborating with other artists as well as architects, landscape architects, urban designers
and planners in relevant BCC capital works projects
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Page 6 of 11• includes the City’s diverse communities in creative planning processes to encourage civic
pride and a distinct local character
• increases community understanding, appreciation and enjoyment of public art
• creates a Blacktown specific and suburb specific sense of place
• encourages artists to question, comment on and provide diverse and respectful
representations of the City’s communities
• creates employment and development opportunities for artists
• enhances and links open space areas through art and culture.
Approval criteria:
BCC will only approve artworks which:
• have high artistic merit, originality and relevance to Blacktown
• are relevant and appropriate to the proposed site
• comply with current Council planning instruments including BCC’s draft Cultural Plan and
City Vision
• ensure safe access to the site
• have an adequate maintenance strategy and budget
• result in a positive impact on Council’s reputation
• contain content which is not offensive or discriminatory
Submission requirements:
Please send the following to the contact listed below:
1. response to artist brief – proposed written approach to the commission (max. 1 page). Text
only - no designs are required at this stage.
2. CV (max 3 pages)
3. biography (optional, max 1 page)
4. artist statement
5. 10 digital images - examples of max. 10 relevant previous art projects, and a short
description of each in a PDF or PowerPoint
6. two professional references – names and contact details only
Closing date/Deadline for submissions:
06th September 2021
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Page 7 of 11Contact:
If you have any questions or require further information please contact:
Sarah Wang, Special Projects Officer – public art
Arts & Cultural Development
Blacktown City Council
9839 6307
sarah.wang@blacktown.nsw.gov.au
Other key contacts:
Neil Gibson; Project Director – Blacktown City Council
Grant Bambach; Project Manager – Savills
Artist selection/advisory/working group panel members:
Bill Tsakalos – City Architect and Director Transformational Design; Blacktown City Council
Neil Gibson – Project Director; Blacktown City Council
Bryce Alley – Manager Blacktown International Sports Park; Blacktown City Council
Alicia Talbot – Manager, Arts and Cultural Development; Blacktown City Council
Monir Rowshan - Coordinator Cultural Planning and Community Engagement, Arts and Cultural
Development; Blacktown City Council
Sarah Wang – Special Projects Officer - public art; Arts and Cultural Development; Blacktown City
Council
Mark Raggatt – ARM Architecture
Esther Dickens - Scott Carver, landscape architects
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Page 8 of 11Appendix A: Additional background and context information:
• The ICTE is a Transformational project being delivered by Blacktown City Council.
• The most recent Transformational Project, the Warrick Lane precinct, includes a wayfinding
art commission for the new 4 storey underground carpark by Blak Douglas (https://sw-
ke.facebook.com/BlacktownCityCouncil/videos/warrick-lane-blak-
douglas/322715419310178/) and Skunk Control’s Light Wing – a 9m tall wall sculpture of
colour and light, inspired by the structure of dragonfly wings.
• The current use of the sports park focuses on competitive, organised sport delivered through
stakeholder groups including the Australian Football League, Cricket NSW, Baseball NSW
and Softball NSW. To this end there are sporting precincts comprising two ovals, indoor and
outdoor wickets plus three baseball diamonds and four softball diamonds. There is also an
Athletics Centre which hosts carnivals for local schools and two private business providing
high performance coaching services. Australian Catholic University have a presence on the
sports park with teaching spaces located within the existing Athletics stadium
• Current art installations in the park are:
Caring for Country by Jamie
Eastwood
Water in the Landscape by Donna
Brown
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Page 9 of 11Appendix B: Examples of the types and range of artworks possible at the ICTE and
Sportspark
Please note: The examples below should NOT be used as specific examples of what we would like
to see in responses from artists, rather, a starting point for thinking about how art might achieve the
aim to inspire movement and/or to illustrate the range of artwork that may be possible.
The process of developing the final detailed designs and agreeing the site and scale of the
commission(s) will be an iterative process between the successful artist(s) and Blacktown City
Council.
Artist Link
Brook https://www.mca.com.au/artists-works/artist-commissions/brook-andrew-warrang-
Andrew 2012/
Murray https://www.monash.edu/muma/public-art/clayton/clayton/murray-barker-and-laith-
Barker and mcgregor
Laith
McGregor
Daniel https://www.roslynoxley9.com.au/exhibition/what-remains/ij7oo
Boyd
Daniel http://www.transpositions.co.uk/burens-columns/
Buren
Anthony https://ysp.org.uk/openair/anthonycaro/promenade
Caro
Christo and https://christojeanneclaude.net/artworks/the-gates/
Jeanne
Claude
Jean https://krollermuller.nl/en/jean-dubuffet-jardin-d-email
Dubuffet
Olafur https://olafureliasson.net/archive/artwork/WEK100100/your-uncertain-shadow-
Eliasson colour
Office https://www.officefeuerman.com/projects/outside-in
Feurman
Emily Floyd https://www.monash.edu/muma/public-art/caulfield/caulfield/emily-floyd
Andy https://www.parksconservancy.org/our-work/andy-goldsworthy-wood-line
Goldsworth
y
Agatha https://www.monash.edu/muma/public-art/caulfield/caulfield/agatha-gothe-snape
Gothe -
Snape
Toshiko https://netplayworks.com/NetPlayWorks/Projects/Pages/Mt._Fuji_Childrens_World
Horiuchi .html
McAdam
KAWS https://www.architecturaldigest.com/story/nike-enlists-street-artist-kaws-paint-murals-new-
york-basketball-courts
Caroline https://ysp.org.uk/openair/the-frequency-of-trees
Locke
Document name
Page 10 of 11Cardiff https://cardiffmiller.com/walks/the-city-of-forking-paths/
Miller
Marta https://vimeo.com/89401109
Minujin,
‘hopscotch’
work
Robert https://art.nelson-atkins.org/objects/59976/glass-labyrinth
Morris
Rose https://levelcrossings.vic.gov.au/media/news/artwork-and-shared-use-path-
Noland unveiled-for-hallam
Isamu https://www.noguchi.org/museum/calendar/event/2021-01-07-1530-art-for-kids-
Noguchi families-online-is-it-sculpture/
(Slide
Mantra)
Kerrie https://annaschwartzgallery.com/exhibition/parliament-steps-walking-drawing
Poliness
Tanya http://www.tanyapreminger.com/portfolio/round-balance/
Preminger
Wendy https://www.craftscouncil.org.uk/stories/wendy-ramshaw-life-projects
Ramshaw
(The New
Edinburgh
Gate)
Gary https://www.itsnicethat.com/articles/frieze-projects-east
Webb,
(Squeaky
Clean)
playground
Bobby http://www.bobbyzokaites.com/still
Zokaites
Document name
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