About the Edinburgh Public Art Panel
The Edinburgh Public Art Panel exists to advise on the commissioning, acquisition, placement, and maintenance of public art, ensuring alignment with the City of Edinburgh Council’s Public Art Policy.
The Panel's responsibilities are to
- ensure high artistic and design quality in public art projects while respecting and enhancing the city's historic and cultural heritage
- support the integration of public art into urban planning, regeneration, and conservation projects
- promote community engagement and inclusivity in public art initiatives, ensuring representation of Edinburgh's diverse cultural and historical narratives
- advocate for funding and partnership opportunities for public art development, including heritage funding streams
- provide guidance on decommissioning, conservation, and heritage-sensitive management of public artworks, supporting the development of future policy direction.
The Panel examines new public art proposals in relation to the Public Art Policy, to ensure that projects meet the objectives and follow the commissioning guidelines, ensuring that new proposals align with the heritage, culture and diversity of the city of Edinburgh. In making its recommendations, the Panel also considers other relevant strategies, plans and environmental factors.
Panel meetings provide an opportunity for applicants to present their proposals as well as discuss and explore key issues with Panel members. Reports produced from these meetings will feed into the Council’s Committee decision process on permission for new works of public art.
What are the functions of the Panel?
The Panel will
- contribute constructive specialist advice, which can be used by developers of new public art works in the city in order to improve the quality and suitability of their project. This will include tailored advice on relevant policy and guidance
- promote policy priorities at an early stage in the public art design process
- provide advice which is well reasoned and aims to be objective
- seek to reach consensus on the advice provided and explain the rationale for this
- agree key priorities and provide written advice which summarises the discussion held at the Panel meeting
- monitor the implementation of its recommendations and measure whether advice has been taken into account before full applications are presented for Committee decision
- oversee actions and proposals in relation to maintenance, decommissioning and relocation of artworks across the city
- review Council policy and guidance that has an impact on public art.
Who are the Panel members?
The Panel comprises representatives from key stakeholder groups, including but not limited to:
- local Authority/City of Edinburgh Council representatives (such as cultural officers, planning officers, heritage officers)
- arts and culture professionals (for example, curators, artists, public art specialists)
- community representatives to represent the diversity of the city’s demographic
- academic or heritage experts with knowledge of Edinburgh’s historical landscape.
Panel members participate on an unpaid basis, other than the freelance individual artist.
We will provide training for panel members if needed. This includes training on equalities, sustainability and policy priorities.
Appointments are for a term of 2 years, with the option for renewal.
Members adhere to the principles of conduct for the Edinburgh Public Art Panel.