Dove Street Community Forum is looking for artists to work with our residents to create a series of community-led murals in Bristol City Centre this summer.
This project celebrates the multicultural life of Dove Street — our everyday connections, urban nature, and shared sense of belonging. Residents will take part in shaping the designs, and some murals will even be painted together with the community.
We welcome artists who are excited about collaboration, creativity, and working with people. Previous mural experience is not essential. What matters most is your interest in engaging with the community.
What’s offered:
• £2,500 per artist for ground-level murals
• Additional commissions for larger walls
• Community engagement sessions organised by DSCF
• Painting period: June–August 2026
📅 Application deadline:
5th of April 2026 at 23.59.
If you’re interested in creating art with and for the community, we would love to hear from you.
Artists Brief:
We are Dove Street Community Forum (DSCF), a small resident-led community group based in Bristol City Centre.
We work to strengthen community connections and improve shared public spaces in our neighbourhood.
We are commissioning artists to design and deliver a series of murals in the Dove Street area. This is a community-led project funded by the Community Infrastructure Levy (CIL) from Bristol City Council. The murals will celebrate the multicultural character of Dove Street, reflecting our everyday life, connection, urban nature, and shared sense of belonging. Residents will play an active role in shaping the ideas behind the designs.
1. What we are looking for
About the artists:
- Enjoy working in a community-led and collaborative way
- Are genuinely excited to work with local residents and are open to co-creating ideas rather than working independently
- Previous mural experience is not essential.
- We particularly welcome applications from artists from under-represented backgrounds, including but not limited to artists from Black, Asian and minoritised ethnic communities, disabled artists, LGBTQ+ artists, and artists from lower socio-economic backgrounds.
About the process:
Community participation is central to this project. All selected artists must:
- Attend at least one of the following in-person community sessions:
- Saturday 2nd of May 2026 (afternoon)
- Sunday 7th of June 2026 (afternoon)
- Use the ideas gathered in the session to inform their design
- Agree on the final design with the community, with support from DSCF
- For ground-level murals, artists will be expected to paint alongside community members, including children. This is an essential part of those commissions. For this reason, artists selected for ground-level walls must hold, or be willing to obtain, an appropriate DBS check.
- Artists should hold their own public liability insurance
Application process
Please complete the short application form and include:
- A brief statement outlining your interest in the project, your experience, and your proposed approach to community-based work
- Your availability within the proposed timeline
- Examples of relevant previous work
Application form: https://forms.gle/LHNSqrTbE6Av1dbP9
DSCF will pre-select artists based on the information submitted. Shortlisted artists will be invited to a short online conversation to discuss the proposal and practical details before final selection.
2. What we offer
- £2,500 per artist (total fee) for ground-level murals of approximately 25 m². This fee includes artist labour, participation in one in-person community session organised by DSCF, design development, painting, and all materials.
- Proportional payment for larger-scale murals requiring scaffolding, depending on wall size
- Scaffolding costs covered and hired directly by DSCF
- Coordination between artists to ensure visual coherence across the murals
- Organisation and coordination of the community engagement sessions
- Logistics for workshops (venue, invitations, refreshments)
3. Timeline and key information
- Community sessions (in person – artists must attend one): Saturday 2nd of May 2026 (afternoon) and Sunday 7th of June 2026 (afternoon)
- Painting period begins: June 2026
- Each artist will have up to one month to complete their mural
- All murals must be completed by the 30th of August 2026.
- Exact painting dates will be agreed individually with selected artists.
4. Deadline to apply: 5th of April 2026 23.59 hrs.
If you have any questions, please contact: info@dovestreetcommunityforum.co.uk
📄 See this artist brief as a PDF: Artist Call for Dove Street Murals
📄 Direct link to the application form: forms.gle/LHNSqrTbE6Av1dbP9