Precedents, Finance, Maintenance and Next Steps
As presented to the Partnership Board. 26th March 2026 by
Mat Jenner, Culture Development Officer, Woodberry Down, LB Hackney
5. Precedents
5.1. The socially engaged approach to the Woodberry Down Public Art Commission has several precedents both in the UK and abroad. These provide a comparable model for the project, its scale, time and budget.
5.2. Notable examples include:
The Thamesmead Public Art Commission
www.thamesmeadnow.org.uk/explore/arts-culture/new-artwork/
Commissioned by Peabody Housing as part of the regeneration of Thamesmead in 2022 with a total budget of £250,000. The project was delivered by Company Place and supported 8 young people to commission a piece of public art. The group undertook training, delivered public consultation to develop a brief and commissioned and worked with Turner Prize-winning artist Jasleen Kaur.
The final piece was installed in Cygnet Square, and presented to the public in November 2025.
Curate Enfield — the Citizen Curation Programme
www.letstalk.enfield.gov.uk/curate-enfield
Curate Enfield is a grassroots public art programme designed to produce public artworks led by the London Borough of Enfield across its main town centres and priority places. It was shortlisted for a Community Engagement Pineapple Award in 2025.
It works with local people to form citizen-led commissioning groups consisting of young people, residents, and elder groups, who work closely with artists to develop briefs and the resulting public artworks.
To date, Curate Enfield has delivered 40 pieces of public art in Enfield Town, Angel Edmonton, Palmers Green, Southgate and Southbury. It is supported by the UK Shared Prosperity Fund and Arts Council England. Public artworks include murals, mosaics, and public realm interventions with budgets ranging from £2,500 to £20,000.
The Windrush Art Commissions, Hackney Central
www.artfund.org/our-purpose/art-funded-by-you/hackney-windrush-art-commissions
Commissioned by the London Borough of Hackney to celebrate the Windrush generation, with a total budget of £264,256. The project was delivered by Create London and resulted in 2 permanent figurative bronze and marble artworks by Thomas J Price, and Turner Prize Winner Veronica Ryan. The project was accompanied by an extensive public engagement programme and was completed in 2022.
The New Patrons
New Patrons is an ongoing citizen-led commissioning project working in towns and cities in Switzerland and Germany. It works with groups of residents to commission and realise artworks. Citizens are supported with training, workshops and a ‘mediator’ — a 3rd party expert, producer and curator — to develop place-specific briefs for public artworks. The citizens work with the artist directly throughout the whole commissioning and production process.
Commissioned projects include sculptures, pavilions, ornate gates, memorials, and billboards. Budgets range from £30,000 to £250,000.
6. Finance
6.1. The proposed budget for the project is £300,000 ex VAT. This is consistent with other public artwork projects with a social legacy element (see above).
6.2. There is an expectation that the budget should be allocated to support community involvement and access within the Community Commissioning Group, via payment for time, expenses and access costs.
6.3. Below is an example indicative budget for what might be expected in tendered responses by a Public Artwork Delivery Team.
| Item | Amount | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Artist Fees and Production | ||
| Artist Fee(s) | £20,000 | R&D and Fabrication |
| Materials / Production and Fabrication | £40,000 | |
| Shipping and Installation | £20,000 | Including support, engineering etc |
| Community Engagement | ||
| Programme of activities and workshops | £9,000 | Includes materials and hire costs for space, £3,000 per year |
| Marketing | £4,000 | |
| Documentation | £2,000 | |
| Public Art Community Launch Event | £4,000 | |
| Community Commissioning Group | 10 people, over 24–36 months | |
| Commissioning Group Learning and Research | £12,000 | Costs associated with activities undertaken by the group |
| Commissioning Group Fees | £48,000 | 10 people x £4,800 each — calculated as a set rate of £15 per hour x 40 days (320 hrs) over 36 months |
| Refreshments and Per Diems | £4,000 | Travel or food calculated as £10 per day x 40 days x 10 people |
| Staff & Management Costs | ||
| Curator | £24,600 | 36 months / pro rata 0.2 @ £41,000 |
| Project Producer | £46,800 | 36 months / pro rata 0.4 @ £39,000 |
| Evaluation and Legacy | ||
| Learning and Reflection | £4,000 | |
| Documentation | £1,500 | |
| Subtotal | £239,900 | |
| Overhead @ 20% | £47,980 | Presumed full cost recovery — inc. support staff, project on-costs for 36 months, insurances, and admin costs |
| Contingency @ 5% | £11,995 | Risk management |
| Total | £299,875 |
Proposed project budgets would operate broadly within these parameters, with opportunities within the commissioning process to refine and review the budget within the chosen, selected proposal.
7. Maintenance
7.1. Consideration of the longer-term needs for maintenance, care, and any likely associated costs (with a focus on keeping long-term maintenance costs to a minimum) will be a key specification of any subsequent commissioning brief(s) developed through the project.
7.2. Any public artwork installed in Woodberry Down will need to be adopted by an appropriate lead organisation, who would be responsible for ensuring and maintaining the artwork once the regeneration programme for Woodberry Down has been completed.
8. Next Steps
8.1. Next steps for the development and implementation of the tender include:
- Input and agreement from the WD Partnership Board on project specifics.
- Commencement of tender development, including completion of Risk Analysis, Procurement Impact Assessment, and Business Case Report.
- Agreement for internal capacity and management plan with Hackney AD for Culture, Libraries and Heritage, and the Director of Regeneration, Economy and Housing Development.
- Development of Project Tender Document with finalised brief, timeline and budget.
- Project to Tender August 2026.
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