A commission of £20,000 in total:

In the past five years, communities have faced a pandemic, austerity and divisive politics that threaten to divide our communities.

However, we strongly feel that County Durham has a tradition of rallying together in solidarity, compassion and support, particularly in dark times. We have a responsibility to offer respite, a space to heal or a place to support communities during hard times.

1. The Commission

No More Nowt is looking to explore a programme of work where the main practices are growing, sharing food and permaculture in community hubs across County Durham. We are looking for a socially engaged artist where horticulture and permaculture is part of their practice.

This commission is inspired by the initial work in North Durham with Quaking Houses, where we hosted an R&D phase of this work. The main objective of this commission is to connect people within the community, specifically sanctuary seekers and resettled individuals and families connecting with the community centre.  We want to explore how permaculture*, growing and connection to the outdoors can enable communities to connect on a deeper level, and create stable, lasting connections with people and their locality. 

By radical, we mean acts of social change, of resilience and resistance in the face of challenging times but the acts may be as small as a hot meal or a chat or as big as changing somebody's living circumstances for the better. This commission is all about shining a positive light 

*Permaculture is a philosophy of working with, rather than against nature; of protracted and thoughtful observation rather than protracted and thoughtless labour; and of looking at plants and animals in all their functions, rather than treating any area as a single product system.

2. Commission Budget

£20,000 in total.

We expect the artist or organisation to work with a minimum of two communities in County Durham, one of which will be Quaking Houses Village Hall. 

The artist or organisation will deliver a minimum of 24 days’ worth of engagement/contact sessions with local communities (based on 1 day a week/2 half-days) between September 2026 and March 2027. These workshops will be a mix of horticulture workshops and arts practice workshops. We expect sessions to be delivered in line with the AUE rate of pay.

The remaining budget should include travel, materials, planning/prep time, VAT, access costs and any other expenses as well as costs associated with the culmination event. For example, a celebration event exhibiting artwork and garden across one or multiple locations. 

We would also expect commissioned artist or organisation to factor in any community costs e.g room hire, food and energy bill contribution where applicable. 

No More Nowt will provide marketing and publicity support, as well as producing support for the overall project where needed. 

3. What We Want

Through this commission we hope to achieve:

• A residency with a strong connection to our communities, responding to everyday realities, places, people, histories and hopes.

• An opportunity for local people to engage with their locality, meet new people and be involved with cultural opportunities they may not have engaged with previously. 

• An innovative approach to working with communities through the means of horticulture with a focus on permaculture. 

• Delivery of an artwork that can be redistributed at the needs of the community that welcomes new people

• Delivery of a celebration event. 

We are open to artists at all stages of their careers including recent graduates and are always interested in applications from people who have connections to County Durham.

We are always interested in diversifying our artists, audience and participants in terms of gender, race, sexuality, lived experience and disability. 

4. Timeline

• Deadline for Submissions Friday 31st July 2026 by 5pm. Submissions to be electronically emailed to hello@nomorenowt.org

• Shortlisted artists / organisations will be interviewed week commencing 17th August 2026

• Commission begins September 2026

• Delivery of all outcomes should take place by April 2027

5. How To Apply

To apply please send the following in either:

1) a single PDF document or

2) a video or audio file sent via WeTransfer that should be a maximum of three minutes to hello@nomorenowt.org including the reference: NMN Radical Acts of Growth

If you do not adhere to the guidance your application for the commission may not be considered. 

Please describe your idea and approach to this commission (max 1000 words) include the following:

• Your core artistic idea and how this idea demonstrates ambition and innovation using permaculture as a main focus 

• What artwork you might create as part of this commission;

• Please give a brief biography (max 200 words) of your work and for any other artists that will be involved with you in this commission.

• Please attach a proposed timeline (include the contact days with the participants, planning, evaluation and visits).

• Please attach a budget including contingency should delivery be required to change.

• Please confirm that you have Public Liability Insurance cover of up to £5 million.

• Please confirm that you have an up-to-date enhanced DBS. 

You can include images or video links with your response if relevant however please ensure these are selective.

Please also complete Equal Opportunities Form, using this link: 

https://forms.office.com/e/4wvJBSpD4C5

6. Use of AI

At No More Nowt, we are dedicated to the creation of art, and community arts-based practice that stems from human connections that we have nurtured over the past ten years. We believe in human creativity and collaboration, and this is at the heart of our decision making when commissioning artists and organisations. We are a programme that is steeped in working and connecting with people on the ground across County Durham

All applications we receive are read by our small but dedicated team and decided internally alongside our community panel. We rely on the strength of our team, not algorithms. In making your application, please describe in your own words your idea, reflection on your practice as an artist/organisation and your skills and experience. We understand that AI can be used as a tool to remove barriers and help with accessibility needs. However, applications that solely rely on AI, we feel, will not offer the best picture of you as an artist/organisation and will struggle to fully demonstrate understanding of this commission.

7. Selection

Through the application process, NMN will assess the following:

• Quality and ambition of the artistic approach

• Quality of approach to utilising socially engaged work/permaculture/horticulture/art and your track record in this, particularly with audiences and participants who do not typically engage in this way.

• Feasibility, deliverability and value for money

Only shortlisted artists will be invited to interview however where possible feedback will be provided.

8. Contact Details

For further information, please contact No More Nowt. Email: hello@nomorenowt.org

9. About No More Nowt

No More Nowt works to engage local people in creative activities and grow cultural provision in ways that are sustainable and can last, focusing on parts of County Durham where involvement in creativity and culture is significantly below the national average and areas classed as ‘Left Behind’ Neighbourhoods. 

No More Nowt was founded in 2014 (formerly known as East Durham Creates) as one of Arts Council England’s 38 National Creative People & Places projects. In 2022 the programme became a countywide initiative, having worked solely in East Durham for the first 8 years. Co Durham Co Created. 

No More Nowt is an action research-based programme, encouraging communities to take risks, try something different and co-create a responsive cultural offer through this learning. Delivery ranges in scope and scale. By design NMN believe culture can and should happen in any space that matters to local people. 

Our work is made possible thanks to a network of Creative Champions, Cultural Hub leaders and creative practitioners and collaborators who share our mission that no one should be left behind by culture. 

To find our more visit https://nomorenowt.org/ and check out our social media channels @nomorenowt.