Royal Docks Originals: Public Art Series Artist Commission Opportunities

Call for Proposals: Apply now for several £5,000 artist commissions

Newham is the beating heart of London’s culture and one of the city’s most diverse boroughs. Home to a vibrant community of artists, dancers, musicians, and production agencies, it is the capital’s newest and fastest-growing cultural destination. Some of the UK’s most ambitious and dynamic cultural regeneration is taking place in this pioneering borough, including the Royal Docks, London’s Cultural Engine.

Royal Docks Originals (RDO) is a brand-new biennial festival speaking loud and proud to Newham’s unique cultural heritage, diversity, and dynamism, taking place in September-October 2025 hits London later this year.

Royal Docks Team and Hive Curates is commissioning several £5,000 large commissions in the public realm that characterise the identity of Royal Docks people and place.

These commissions will further explore the areas of equilibrium, flow, transition, decolonisation and reclamation. We are seeking proposals for site-specific or mobile works that, beyond occupying a location, activate space through presence, process, or interaction, becoming a point of connection, disruption and reflection within the wider landscape of the festival.

Whether grounded in one location (examples of available locations) or unfolding across multiple sites, the commissions should explore how artwork can transform its surroundings / might engage with and reconfigure its environment, not only in visual or material terms, but through its potential to unearth local histories, provoke social dialogue, or activate overlooked connections between people, place, and memory / invite new ways of relating to the site and its communities.

We are seeking ambitious proposals for new commissions, spanning visual, performative, sound, or socially engaged practices that thoughtfully integrate community engagement into their concept and delivery. With a budget of up to £5,000, we invite artists and collectives to consider how their work might inhabit the public realm, unfold across one or multiple sites, or create meaningful moments of connection with local audiences. This could take the form of a live or durational installation, a mobile structure or travelling artwork, a collaboratively produced mural or sound work, or a participatory event or procession that responds to the histories and dynamics of the docklands area. These are just starting points, we welcome bold, imaginative ideas from artists working across various disciplines. We particularly encourage proposals from creatives with a connection to the Royal Docks or Newham.

About Royal Docks Originals

A brand new festival from London’s Cultural Engine, Royal Docks Originals will present world-class arts, spectacular new installations, and premier performances for three weeks in Autumn 2025.

Launching on 15th September, more than 50 events will respond to the Royal Docks stunning land and waterscape. The festival will enable artists, Londoners, and visitors to explore the area’s past and future through the lens of transformation, revealing the stories, history, heritage and aspirations of the Royal Docks and its diverse community.

The theme of Royal Docks Originals 2025 is transformation, and the programme will reflect the evolution of the area and its pivotal role, past and present, in London’s complex story as a global city. Built over 100 years ago, the Royal Docks heritage includes its role as a part of the industrial revolution and British colonial trading. Today as London’s only enterprise zone, with one of the youngest and most diverse communities in the UK, it stands as a beacon for more sustainable, inclusive, and equitable growth.

Take a look at highlights from the 2021 pilot here.

Royal Docks Originals is a movement, not just a moment. More than a one-off showcase of incredible projects made by Royal Docks creatives. Royal Docks Originals is a biennial cultural collaboration that involves the whole Royal Docks community. 2025 is the first edition and residents, workers, and students from across the area are joining together with leading Newham creatives and businesses to make Royal Docks Originals 2025 into a fantastic celebration of the area’s heritage, people, and places, and to stake a claim in shaping the area’s future.

About Hive Curates

Hive Curates champion the development of an artist's career, creating opportunities to transform our everyday environments. Our work includes commissioning public art, delivering cultural programmes and producing light festivals.

Past Projects by Hive Curates

The following commissions exemplify Hive Curates' ongoing interest in site-responsive work, community co-creation, and the transformation of public space. All projects were delivered within the £5,000 allocated budget:

Light Up Kilburn - Bass Tone Regeneration
As part of Light Up Kilburn Hive Curates commissioned local artist Lin Kam Art to create a light and sound sculpture, known as Basetone Regeneration which references the sound system culture and heritage that Kilburn is famous for. Please see here

Alice Billings Connects - Beyond the Market
As part of Alice Billings Connects a year-long cultural programme embedded across Stratford High Street. Hive Curates commissioned Us. Man. Dere to produce a short film to document local businesses of The Market Village in Stratford Centre. This culminated in public screening at Gerry Raffles. Please see here

Enjoy Enfield Summer Festival - King Owusu Mural “A Place We Call Home”
As part of ‘Enjoy Enfield Summer Festival’ Hive Curates commissioned Hive resident artist King Owusu to create his first mural and the community's first artwork, ahead of the Good Growth Fund coming to the high street. Please see here

Contextual Commissions: Commissions by Hive Curates for Royal Docks Originals

Graphic Rewilding

Renowned creative duo Graphic Rewilding has been commissioned by Hive Curates to create a large-scale mural for The Pump House, a new creative workspace near Royal Victoria DLR, as part of the Royal Docks Public Art Series 2025. Launching at the start of June 2025, the mural will showcase their signature floral-inspired designs. The artwork was shaped by input from residents, who shared stories, drawings, and memories of their favourite flowers. These community contributions helped inform the mural’s design, reflecting the community’s cultural connections, emotions, and personal associations with nature. Their work aims to uplift and inspire by harnessing the calming, mood-boosting power of nature, making the mural a vibrant visual landmark and a source of everyday positivity.

Chila Kumari Singh Burman MBE

Chila Kumari Singh Burman MBE has been commissioned by Hive Curates to create an original public artwork for the Royal Docks Public Art Series 2025. Transforming a TFL IFS Cloud kiosk near Kamal Chunchie Way, the piece will celebrate the area’s South Asian heritage and reflect themes of transformation, decolonisation, and community. Launching as part of the RDO festival, the artwork will serve as a vibrant entrance for visitors and involve local engagement through workshops and partnerships. The work will explore themes of water and female empowerment, connecting with Burman’s broader focus on cultural heritage and storytelling. This playful work will feature her signature ice-cream cone, inspired by and linking to her personal history, drawing from her father’s ice cream van.

Please note that there will also be a Live Series for RDO in addition to these commissions.

Application Process

We aim to make our application process as accessible as possible and we will accept proposals in written, audio or video formats. We encourage applications from all artists and collectives and if you require any assistance with your application please contact us at royaldockshivecurates@gmail.com.

Online Drop-In Sessions for Questions about the Open Call & Application Process:

• 12pm-12:30pm on Thursday 22nd May
  MEETING LINK

Deadline for Clarifications Questions: 22/05/2025 (5pm)

Deadline for Applications: 03/06/2025 (midnight)

To apply, please complete the Google Form linked below. You'll be asked to outline your proposal, preferred dates, technical requirements, and provide a basic budget breakdown.

APPLY NOW

Timeline

14/05/2025 Open Calls go live and are promoted across channels & networks

22/05/2025

• 12pm-12:30pm Online drop-in Session for Questions about the Open Call & Application Process: 12pm-12:30pm for £5k commissions :MEETING LINK HERE
• 5pm - Deadline for any clarification questions

03/06/2025 (midnight) - Deadline for Applications

11/06/2025 - Interviews with follow up questions from RDO (if necessary)

12/06/2025 - Artists appointed

18/06/2025 - Contracts shared with artists

25th June or 2nd July - Kick off meeting with artists (artists only need to attend 1 date)

July - August 2025 - Artist development and community engagement

Early Sept - Final preparation and site visits with Hive

22nd Sept - 5th Oct - Festival delivery window

Mid-October - Evaluation forms shared with artists