Light & Flight artwork, Barnet

The winning team will deliver a large-scale, visually-striking, participatory or interactive artwork embodying the theme of ‘Light & Flight’.

The co-created £90,000 installation will be part of a borough-wide touring programme covering at least eight neighbourhoods in Barnet including Colindale, Edgware and Finchley.

The 12-month project – running from January 2026 to January 2027 – will conclude in a ‘Hero Festival’ in November 2026, drawing on Barnet’s aviation heritage, migration stories and the symbolism of light across faiths and cultures.

According to the brief: ‘We are seeking to appoint a headline artist, design or creative collective with a national reputation and/or experience working with young people, to deliver a large-scale, visually striking, participatory and/or interactive multimedia artwork that embodies the Light & Flight themes both literally and metaphorically.’

Barnet is a large and diverse north London borough with a growing population of around 390,000 residents. The competition comes a year after POoR Collective and GPAD completed a competition-winning overhaul of Barnet’s Copthall Pavilion.

The Light & Flight commission will form the centrepiece of the council’s Cultural Impact Award programme. Key aims include positioning the borough as a place where ‘creativity, heritage and community intersect’ and delivering an accessible, spectacular artwork ‘rooted in Barnet’s cultural identity.’

Bids will be evaluated 70 per cent on quality, 20 per cent on social value and 10 per cent on price. Applicants must hold public liability insurance of at least £5 million.