Low Carbon Barrow - 'BUGOUT' Design and Build Mobile Low Carbon Demonstration Vehicle

About Low Carbon Barrow:

Low Carbon Barrow is a £2m programme of investment in a range of low carbon projects across Barrow-in-Furness funded by the UK European Structural and Investment Fund and the Cumbria LEP. The project is a partnership between Barrow Borough Council and Art Gene, with Barrow Borough Council facilitating the tender process for this contract and Art Gene being the Awarding/Contracting body.

About Art Gene:

Art Gene is an established and respected artist led, arts charity, a unique, independent, international research facility founded and driven by artists Stuart Bastik and Maddi Nicholson, and based in Barrow-in-Furness, Cumbria. www.art-gene.co.uk ↗

Art Gene has established an international programme of residencies and exhibitions, adapting to and learning from collaborative working of highly skilled associates including artists, architects, curators ecologists and other environmental specialists from all over the world. These associates contribute to our research through studio-based residencies, fellowships, charrettes, think tanks, seminars and exhibitions in the Art Gene Gallery, and partner with us to develop and realise a wide portfolio of projects in and around Barrow, Walney and further afield.

Art Gene places a strong emphasis on research, undertaking a range of pure research activities which inform and are applied to the development and realisation of projects.

We work with the local community, alongside multidisciplinary teams of architects, artists and other specialists to realise our aim of Re-Visioning the regeneration of the social, natural and built environment.

Art Gene is arts-led delivering social, natural and built 'engaged value' with local people and stakeholder organisations. The work is focussed on the environment, values, opportunities and communities of the Barrow Borough. The nature of this work is fluid, dynamic and responsive.

We work locally with communities and the artist directors engage strategically with Local Authorities, Local Enterprise Partnerships, multi-partner agencies, and sub-regional economic development partnerships across the county and the North West.

About Bug Out:

Art Gene have completed the concept design for a mobile low carbon demonstration vehicle and trailer which will be capable of touring key sites across the Barrow peninsula showcasing a range of 'everyday' low carbon technologies which could be adopted within business and community spaces and supported by the Low Carbon Barrow Grants Programme where necessary and appropriate.

Bug-Out will help people save carbon in their everyday lives and promote the actions and advice resulting from the Council's Climate Change Policy and Action Plan. BugOut will also support the programme of Citizens' Assemblies and public engagement events planned to support the implementation of the Low Carbon Barrow Programme as well as support the realisation of benefits from the exemplar demonstration projects.

Art Gene will procure (in accordance with the Council's Contract Standing Orders) a specialist fabricator to work with them on the construction of BugOut. Art Gene directors (Maddi Nicholson and Stuart Bastik will support the appointed fabricators on the detailed specification and final design).

Art Gene will appoint a Environmental Engagement Manager to accompany BugOut and support the development of a community outreach programme taking BugOut to community events including community sports events, schools and highly trafficked areas of the town centres and civic spaces. BugOut may also link up with the Low Carbon Lake District ESIF programme and go 'on tour' across Cumbria.