A Public art event entitled ‘Art Den’ was devised by the city of Lichfield’s Art foundation as part of a wider on going art project (’52 Weeks of Art’). Expressions of interest were sought from artists for participation in this unique commissioning event during the 2010 Lichfield Festival. At the ‘Arts Den’, which was based upon the concept of the TV programme, “Dragons Den”, recordings of the journey that artists took as they were short listed and invited to give a brief presentation of their artwork to a panel of commissioning representatives were made.
Artists were invited to give a presentation / overview of their working practice, including presenting an original example of their artwork and were asked to answer questions from the commissioning panel with regards a work that they would like to produce. Their presentations lasted no more than ten to fifteen minutes. At the end of the interviewing process the commissioning panel presented a £1000.00 commission prize to the selected artist who was commissioned to produce an original artwork relating to their presentation over the following 12 months. This piece was unveiled and exhibited at the 2011 Festival. The event took place in front of a live audience at the Garrick Theatre in the afternoon of Saturday 17th July.