Where do I find public realm commissions? Five strategies to build your public realm career

Like most artists, you are probably finding the art world unnecessarily oblique, and facing the same challenges finding the opportunities to progress your career. Finding public realm commissions can seem like another world again, but with a little bit of work, you will find that there are opportunities all around you, and we will show you where.

The great thing about public realm commissions is that they encompass a broad spectrum of artistic expressions, extending far beyond conventional monuments and murals. From interactive installations to community-driven projects, opportunities abound for diverse artistic practices.

The trick is finding the right opportunities that excite you.

Follow these five strategies to find new paid opportunities that bring value to your practice, supporting the growth of your career.

One: Listings & Jobs Boards

The first place you should look is the Arts Councils of England’s Arts Jobs website. You will find many of the opportunities listed here from across the UK. This site lists all sorts of jobs and opportunities across the arts, using the filters to narrow down your options.

Another great starting point for finding art opportunities is UAL’s Creative Opportunities website, which they call ‘The go-to jobs board for creative students and graduates’. Again they have a filter selection, plus you can sign up for weekly email alerts. One of the filter selections is competitions so you might find something relevant for you by just checking that.

Along with the mentioned sites, you will find more localised or specialised listings and opportunities through searching your local councils, arts centres, and communities. If you find opportunities on more localised listings sites you have a higher chance of getting the commission.

Two: Social media

Social media can be an excellent place to find commissions. The best thing to do is make sure that you follow all the institutions, galleries, localised communities, art groups and magazines that might cater to your interests. Many do regular callouts, commissions, and other opportunities, which they will publicise on their social media.

You can also use social media to see where other artists are getting commissions, follow artists you like and see what they are up to, and then follow who they work with. This can be an excellent way to find smaller or more specialised organisations you did not know about.

If you're not into social media, and the inevitable doom scroll, then your next best bet would be to find these same organisations' websites and sign up to their newsletters.

Three: Agencies

There are a number of agencies that specialise in public art and either represent or partner with artists for projects. Sometimes they can be more community or research-led, which works with the facilitation of public art projects.

Frequently these organisations will work with experienced practitioners and artists they know, but don’t get too disheartened, they are also often looking out for new emerging talent. This can be dependent on the budget and the client's needs.

Organisations like this are not always looking for artists labelled as public artists. They find people through social media, exhibitions, or press, the best way to be found by them is to keep building your art career and being active.

If you want to contact them, you can send a simple query to ask if they are accepting portfolios for new artists, or sometimes their sites will have an application portal for new artists.

If you get the opportunity to present to one of these organisations make sure that you spend the time getting your portfolio polished and your CV professional and clear. They are looking for professionals to work with whom they can trust - show them that is you!

Four: Your Communities

If you are able to, it is good to attend events, go to openings, art centres, and support other artists' endeavours. Get involved in community events, rallies, walks. Speak to people. Find out about your local artist meetups and community art projects - or if there aren't any, create one! If you are shy, try taking a friend. If you are not, offer to show your work or lead a workshop.

Do you have an artist studio shared with other artists? Organise some events together, or see if there is a way that the studio can get involved with a public or community event. Is your studio connected with local councils or communities? If so, go to the meetings, if not maybe it could be. Learn where you can create opportunities.

Not everyone has access to all of these, maybe through isolation or personal reasons, but virtual and digital communities can be just as strong and rewarding for many people. With the added advantage of being global. There are huge digital art communities on Twitter, discord and Reddit. This may not be immediately as useful for public realm commissions, but you should go where your passion drives you.

Whatever networks you have access to, the main point is to be active, get involved, and express your passion for art.

For those of you who don’t have a lot of commissions in your portfolio (or even none), it can be hard to prove you have the skills and experience for an opportunity when you do get the chance to apply. Making projects with your network and engaging with communities, can prove your interest and your abilities.

Five: Self-Initiated

Hang on we can already hear you say: I thought this was about commissions, ‘self-initiated’ does not sound like a commission, it sounds like a lot of hard work. Well, it is, but imagine a commission that is perfectly suited to your strengths and totally aligned with your values and passions. A self-initiated project is just that: it is what you create. Pretty amazing huh?

To get funding you should start by looking at the Arts Council grants. They have an array of grants for different types and sizes of projects with varying deadlines. It's good to get a sense of when these are well ahead of time.

There are other funders out there, so have a think about what kind of organisation might be interested and look for funding that supports projects in the niche your project sits within. Maybe your project is spiritual, or sculptural, or scientific, whatever it is you will find that there are charities, trusts, and groups interested in it too, and some of these will have funds for supporting projects like yours. This approach may not be for everyone but it can be a very rewarding way to develop your career.

In conclusion

In conclusion, the best way to find public realm commissions is to have a broad approach mixing jobs boards, social media, newsletters, and events (online and in real life). As well as sometimes creating your own projects and opportunities to build your portfolio or follow your interests more closely. It will take doing a little research on institutions, organisations, public art agencies, and charities and trusts with grants that fit your niche and it will take being present, passionate, and professional.

And remember, there will always be a lot of people applying for any one of these commissions, don’t beat yourself up when you inevitably don’t win some, or lots. The important thing is to keep building your skills, keep adding to your portfolio and doing what you can to showcase your ideas, passion, and creativity.

One final piece of advice, it can be tempting to try and apply for everything you see. You have a much better chance if you apply for things you really feel excited about, that fit with your interests and values. Give yourself the time to make a great application for the opportunities that speak to your practice.