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Overview
Screen South is looking for a company or one or more freelance professionals to undertake the role of Interactive Trail Designer to create two trails for our project. These might include augmented reality elements whilst exploring heritage sites and surrounding areas. The trails may have a common structure, but will have content unique to the heritage site in question. The trails will be focussed on two locations and periods of history:
- Maison Dieu, Faversham, which was a medieval hospital, established in the 13th Century, along the pilgrims’ route to Canterbury
- The Manor House Asylum which was located at Chiswick House during the late 19th and early 20th Century.
We have commenced initial workshops with local groups at both sites, and have some 360 degree filming carried out at one (Maison Dieu). The focus of these workshops has been medieval medicine and diagnostics (astrology and urine being key) as well as the story of medieval pilgrimage made famous by Chaucer’s ‘Canterbury Tales’. We would also like to include some 360 degree filming we have carried out inside Maison Dieu itself. At Chiswick House and Gardens, focussing in on the house’s time as an asylum for affluent patients with mental health issues, we have looked at the patient notes available via the Wellcome Collection and would like to develop a trail around the garden and cricket ground specifically, as it was part of the therapeutic treatment being pursued there.
A key challenge will be balancing the creative freedom afforded to the participating group while achieving production values high enough to have appeal to all potential users of the trail.
Due to the nature of our project, and our audience, it will be necessary to have a form of each trail available to engage with remotely, on the website. We need to ensure the widest access possible, particularly for deaf and disabled people who may not be able to travel to take part in events.
For more information on the project games, trails and the related digital projects, please see the Accentuate History of Place Digital Media Plan (attached).
Background to the Project
Screen South is a not-for-profit Creative Development company operating in the wider creative and cultural community. Screen South delivers and leads innovative projects across screen-based media and the wider heritage, cultural and creative industries.
The Accentuate Programme is part of Screen South’s portfolio of work. Accentuate is a specialist programme which challenges perceptions of disability by providing life changing opportunities for deaf and disabled people to participate and lead within the cultural sector. The History of Place project is part of a series of projects delivered through the Accentuate Programme.
We have been awarded £878,500 from Heritage Lottery Fund, for a three-year, ground-breaking national disability heritage programme called History of Place.
About History of Place
History of Place is a nationally significant social history programme, charting deaf and disabled peoples’ lives, from the middle ages until the present day, in relation to built heritage. History of Place is highlighting eight sites of historic importance, across England, chosen to reflect early provision for disabled people through to the first purpose-built architecture.
The richly diverse, experiential stories generated by those who inhabited or designed these buildings are providing new insights into their own lives and the prevailing social attitudes and institutional processes which controlled them. We are delivering a range of local hands-on participatory activities, a national touring exhibition which will have a different iteration at each venue, specifically tailored to the location and a strand engaging young deaf and disabled people using digital game-making workshops and filmmaking. The project links to the English Heritage disability online resource, Disability In Time and Place.
This is the first project of its kind, and is designed to bring this relatively hidden heritage to national notice. We are working with some key national museums including, The Museum of Liverpool, Bristol Culture and the V&A.
Person spec
The Interactive Trail Designer will work with the Accentuate History of Place Team and the Creative Workshop Facilitator to deliver the final trails, ensuring that they meet a high standard of access for deaf and disabled people; reflect the input of the workshop participants and are appealing to general users.
In addition to the required technical skills, this person/company should:
- have good understanding and experience of creating interactive trails;
- be flexible and imaginative in their approach;
- have a good understanding of access in games and trails and how this can be ensured;
- be aware of the needs of the trail users;
- be flexible in their approach and responsive to feedback from the Accentuate team and the user testing.
Fee and Timescale
The total fee for this role is £20,000+VAT. This is to cover all costs, including any necessary gaming/testing events and all travel.
There is a further budget available to cover any access costs. The trails must be available to be tested by a variety of relevant groups by the end of May 2018 and feedback incorporated into the trails by the end of July 2018 for final sign off.
A full timetable of work will be developed with the successful applicant and final agreement of a payment schedule will be based upon this.
Application Process
Applicants are required to send a CV with proposal in which you outline, in no more than one page, how you would plan to address the brief.
- Please ensure that you have read and understood the Digital Media Plan (provided) fully, as this forms the core document for the development of all digital elements.
- Please provide relevant evidence of experience of delivery at this level, methodology and a full costing of the time allocation. We would also like to know more about your company or your freelance practice; how long have you been established and how many people would be working on this project.
- Please provide examples of previous games and trails you have designed and delivered preferably in a community setting. If you can show examples of where you have worked in historic settings in the past or with historic or archive material, so much the better.
- We will be looking for best value for money as well as exciting and creative approaches to delivery at this level.
Applications should be made electronically, and sent to:
Email: info@accentuateuk.org
Tel: 01303 259777
Alternatively you can telephone or email to request application materials in other formats.
Deadline for applications: 30th November.
Related useful information to download: HOP’s Digital Media Plan