Artwork Commission Opportunity 2: National Autism Unit 

Artist Brief: Sensory Harmony: Inclusive Garden Artwork 

The National Autism Unit (NAU) invites proposals for the creation of a bespoke, site-specific artwork to serve as a focal point within its gardens. The artwork will enhance the therapeutic environment by offering a calming, engaging, and inclusive sensory experience for service users, staff and families/carers  

We are inviting expressions of interest from artists, designers, or interdisciplinary teams with lived experience of neurodivergence and/ or mental health services. Given the complexity of the NAU context and health and safety requirements for the artworks, we will prioritise applications from practitioners with a demonstrable track record of creating work with and for neurodivergent people, for complex autism settings.

The commissioned work will be developed through a co-production process that centers the voices and lived experiences of autistic adults, and includes ongoing consultation with NAU service users, staff and clinicians. 

A total commissioning budget of £9,500 is available. This includes all fees, materials, production, delivery, installation/setup training, and documentation.

We welcome draft proposals from both emerging and established creatives. This programme invites you to work responsively with service users and staff and through this engagement, to co-produce the artwork.

Please submit your application of interest by email to kate.watson@bethlemgallery.com by Sunday 24th August – 5pm  

We aim to get back to applicants by w/c 15th September. 

Download the full job pack with more information here.