At a glance:

A commission to develop an immersive light and sound artwork for the Yorkshire Rose sculptures at Barnsley Bright Nights 20-21 November 2026, responding to the theme 'Between Earth & Sky'.  

One commission of up to £10,000 (inclusive of fee, planning, workshops, expenses, evaluation and exclusive of VAT).

Application deadline: Monday 7 September 2026 at 10am 
Schedule: 7 September - 22 November 2026

This commission is an opportunity to create a new light and sound work for Yorkshire Rose Sculptures, which will be bespoke and respond to festival theme of 'Between Earth & Sky'. 

The festival theme aims to inspire wonder in the natural world, inviting artists to use the Yorkshire Roses to create impactful large-scale work. It should showcase Barnsley’s communities and bring people together through light, sound and nature. 

The commissioned idea will be a key part of the Barnsley Bright Nights festival on Friday 20 and Saturday 21 November, and will be displayed on the Yorkshire Roses at The Seam Digital Campus.

The artwork will showcase the capabilities of the three ‘Yorkshire Roses’, a landmark public artwork in Barnsley town centre.

Through this commission the Creatives / Creative Collaborators will also embed community engagement opportunities that supports skills development and co-production into their creative outputs.

About Barnsley Bright Nights

Barnsley Bright Nights is South Yorkshire’s biggest free annual light art festival, attracting live audiences of over 20,000 people.

Started in 2018, the two-day festival is now an established highlight of Barnsley’s town centre cultural events programme, featuring co-curated artworks, installations and performances across the thriving town centre.

Barnsley Bright Nights 2026 will use the creative theme of ‘Between Earth & Sky’ to shine a light on our communities and inspire creativity through high-quality art. The festival will also showcase the new Yorkshire Roses light sculptures and offer opportunities for new artists to celebrate Barnsley being named the UK’s first Tech Town.

Barnsley Bright Nights is delivered by Barnsley Council’s award-winning Arts & Events team and is supported by Arts Council England, The Seam Digital Campus, The Glass Works, Barnsley College, Visit Barnsley, Barnsley Museums, Barnsley Libraries, Barnsley Civic and Barnsley Museums and Heritage Trust.

Watch Barnsley Bright Nights 2025 film here.

About the Yorkshire Roses

The three Yorkshire Roses are an ambitious new public artwork commissioned by Barnsley Council installed at The Seam –Barnsley's Digital Campus which is located in Barnsley town centre.

The artwork, originally designed by Circling the Square, was developed and fabricated by Stage One in collaboration with DZA to realise three sculptural superstructures at heights of 12m and 15m featuring programmable lighting and sound to create an immersive experience for the public. These prominent installations serve as a visual gateway and a powerful symbol of Barnsley's pride, ambition, and investment in its future. 

The steelwork features intricate patterns reflecting weave threads, referencing Barnsley's textile heritage, coal mining seams, a nod to the town's industrial past, and the veins of white rose petals and stamens.

Watch the Yorkshire Roses launch event here.

Technical considerations

MadMapper is a professional video and multimedia mapping software, which is used to program the lights on the Yorkshire Roses. The selected artist/s or collaborators should demonstrate proficiency in this software in their proposal, or factor in appropriate technical support in their budget.

The selected artist will require a MadMapper licence (version 6.09) or factor renting one into their budget (£38 per month). Please consider any other necessary licensing fees in your budget, for example pre-existing music. 

Programmable lighting includes: Stem and petal uplighters, inner petal, stamen uplighter, petal arms and petal edges. Each ‘stem’ has six high-performance speakers (eighteen total) controlled using Dante Virtual Soundcard and Qlab. Please consider the use of sound design in your proposal. 

See Appendix 2: Technical Specification attached for a detailed breakdown

How to apply

To apply please email project proposals to [email protected] by Monday 7 September at 10am. 

Project proposals can be sent in any format, such as:  
A PDF presentation deck (maximum 10 slides) 
A written proposal with supporting images (maximum 1,500 words)
A video application (maximum 5 minutes in length)

Please see Appendix 1: How to Apply for full shortlisting criteria and what to include in your proposal.

Accessibility is important to us. If you require any support or reasonable adjustments during the application process, please do not hesitate to get in touch.

If you have any questions or would like an informal chat before submitting your application, please contact [email protected] 

Next steps and key dates

The team will score your commission based on the content of your proposal linked to the brief above and aim to respond to proposals w/c 7 September 2026.

Deadline for Applications: Monday 7 September 2026 at 10am
Approach shortlisted candidates: w/c Monday 7 September 2026
Interviews: Thursday 10 September 2026
Site visit and briefing with selected artist: w/c Monday 14 September 2026
Design development: September – October 2026
Engagement with chosen community group/s: September – October 2026
Onsite audio-visual testing: October – November 2026
Approvals Process / Sign off: w/c Monday 26 October 2026
Barnsley Bright Nights delivery and install: Friday 20 and Saturday 21 November 2026
Get out / Pack down: Sunday 22 November 2026

For more information on the Barnsley Museums Commission for Barnsley Bright Nights 2026 visit here.