The Academy for Sustainable Futures has secured funding for a second mural on the Canterbury Campus, as part of the Kent-wide Wild Walls project! The first mural was painted by Greg Stobbs to commemorate our work with the re-wilding of the red-billed chough in Kent, and is displayed beside the bookshop.

We have currently released a call for artists with a deadline of Sunday 9 August 2026 to submit proposals on the voted theme of ‘wildflowers and pollinators’. The mural will be painted on Fleming building, overlooking Anselm Lawn. Staff and students, as well as externals, are encouraged to submit their proposals. Read on for the full call and proposal details.

The Call-Out

Canterbury Christ Church University is seeking an artist to create a bespoke, contemporary design to celebrate the contribution of pollinators and wildflower banks to the health of ecosystems, in urban areas.

Eligibility

Artists and art students who can provide examples of previous mural work and site information where possible, demonstrate project management skills and submit a narrative explaining their interest in taking on the commission. They are requested to submit expressions of interest (EOI).

What you get

The chosen proposal will receive £3000 provided by CCCU’s Bell Scholarship and by our alumnus Ann Bell.

Deadline

Sunday 9 August 2026

Location

The designated site for this mural is at the heart of our main North Holmes Road campus, a wall in front of Anselm lawn and the round house, part of Fleming building. It is close to a major pathway connecting The Old Sessions House and Verena Holmes with the rest of the campus.

This wall has a brick surface of that could be boarded over by the University’s Estates works staff to provide a suitable surface on which to paint. The area dimensions are approximately 3.5 x 2.5m (8m²). The wall is exposed to the elements.

Our Estates staff would welcome specific guidance from you (the artist) on what type of board would be most
suitable. (Please email this information to adriana.consorte-mccrea@canterbury.ac.uk)

Background information

The ‘Wild Walls Trail’ project aims to develop a trail of public art in Canterbury that highlights the importance of biodiversity and celebrates local wildlife initiatives. In 2023 CCCU commissioned the chough mural by the book shop, to celebrate our research contribution to the reintroduction of the red billed chough that features on the coat of arms of the City of Canterbury to Kent’s chalk cliffs, after 200 years of absence. In November 2025 we launched a consultation amongst students and staff to choose the theme for our next new mural at CCCU’s Canterbury Campus, and the winner was pollinators and their habitat (based on our own wild banks).

Kent is home to a diverse range of pollinators, including bees, wasps, moths, butterflies, and beetles. These insects play a crucial role in the ecosystem by enabling the reproduction of crops, ornamental plants, and wildflowers, and many can be found in our campus’ wildflower banks.

The mural is an opportunity to draw attention to local wildflowers and pollinators and their importance to biodiversity. This initiative supports environmental sustainability, biodiversity and the importance of species’ rich habitats in urban areas, such as university campuses. It will became part of the Wild Walls trail, which has installations at CCCU, Canterbury City Centre, Westgate Tower, Kingsmead and the University of Kent.

Budget

The total budget allocation is suggested as £3000 (incl. proposal fee + VAT if applicable) including all costs relating to the design, development, & installation of the work, which will be covered by the by CCCU’s Bell Scholarship and by our alumnus Ann Bell.

Selection process

Submissions will be discussed by a panel composed of members of the Academy for Sustainable Futures (Adriana Consorte-McCrea, Bethany Climpson), Arts and Culture (Paul Russell), and the sponsor Ann Bell. The successful entry will be selected on artistic merit, alignment with the brief and evidence that the work will be completed within the budget and time requirements for the designated space.

STAGE 1 | EXPRESSION OF INTEREST (EOI)
Deadline: Sunday, 9 August 2026

EOI submissions must include:

• Examples of previous mural work and site information,
• Evidence of project management skills and on-time completion of previous works,
• A brief outline of ideas/design for this commission,
• A brief explanation about why they are inspired by the theme,
• Any other relevant information.

STAGE 2 | DEVELOPING A PROPOSAL
Deadline: Monday 21 September 2026

The successful artist will be asked to submit the following in a proposal which must include:

• A description of the design concept and ideas to support the proposal
• Details of installation methods, type of surface board
• Drawings/full colour images of the proposed design
• Estimated timeline of installation
• A breakdown of how the budget will be allocated, e.g., artist’s fee, materials, equipment, contingency etc.

The successful Artist needs to also submit current Public Liability Insurance and to comply with the University’s health and safety requirements with regard to risk assessment, would initially supply a method statement/safe system of work to show how the work would be undertaken and the relevant hazards identified and mitigated at each stage. CCCU students are not required to do so as they are covered by CCCU’s insurance.

Timescale

Monday 6 July 2026: Expression of interest goes live
Sunday 9 August 2026: Deadline for Expression of Interest
Friday 21 August 2026: Successful artist notified and invited to create proposal
Monday 21 September: Deadline for successful artist’s proposal
October to early-November 2026: Time frame for painting/installation of work

The University’s Estates staff will need to be given sufficient notice to board over the wall with a suitable material prior to the work commencing. They will need at least one month lead in time.

Please send expressions of interest to Adriana Consorte-McCrea, Sustainability Education Lead (adriana.consorte-mccrea@canterbury.ac.uk) by Sunday 9 August 2026 (11.59pm) using email subject: Wild Wall for CCCU.