INVITATION TO TENDER
WILDE ISLAND TOWN (W.I.T)
Home of The Happy Prince
Tender for the Delivery of W.I.T Inter-schools Education Project.
(Enniskillen, Co Fermanagh, N. Ireland)
Wilde Island Town (WIT): Home of The Happy Prince
(This project is funded by Interreg Northern Periphery and Arctic Programme)
CLOSING DATE FOR RECEIPT OF TENDERS: January 26th 2022 (5pm)
Tenders to be returned to Berniem99@googlemail.com
1.0 Introduction
Arts Over Borders was established to deliver international world class literary-led multi-arts festivals inspired by the work, life and influences of Irish literary giants associated with the region through birth, schooling, or life. Nobel Laureate Samuel Beckett (Fermanagh), Ireland’s greatest dramatist of the second half of the 20th century attended Enniskillen’s Portora School as did the infamous Oscar Wilde. In September 2018 Arts Over Borders was part of a four-nation consortium, Spot-lit, that gained funding for a Literary Tourism project celebrating Enniskillen as the home of The Happy Prince, the story written whilst Wilde attended Portora.
Background to Spot -lit Project
The untapped potential of literary tourism (LT) is the focus of Spot-lit, a three-year project that aims to grow the literary tourism sector in the area known as the Northern Periphery and Arctic region. The aim of the programme is to support businesses and communities in this culturally rich region to grow, collaborate and engage audiences more effectively together to enhance Literary Tourism and economic activity. The project runs until March 2022.
Funded by the EU INTERREG Northern Periphery and Arctic Programme, the regions participating in the Spot-lit programme area are Northern Ireland and border counties Co. Cavan and Co. Monaghan, West of Ireland, Eastern Finland, and South-West Scotland.
Literary Tourism is an emerging niche sector within the wider cultural tourism sector, where places with literary heritage offer author and fiction-related literary tourism opportunities, along with opportunities arising from literary festivals, trails, and book shops. In Northern Ireland, this would include literary rich locations such as Enniskillen, synonymous with the schooldays of Oscar Wilde and Samuel Beckett
Arts Over Borders will be contributing to the development of the four Pilot Projects, in particular Wilde Island Town (WIT) in Enniskillen (NI) and this invitation to Tender is in respect of that Pilot Project.
2.0 Arts Over Borders Literary Tourism Model–WILDE ISLAND TOWN: Home of The Happy Prince
2.1 Overview –The context of the model
World-wide, Oscar Wilde is second only in familiarity and popularity to the name of William Shakespeare, yet there is no single heritage destination in the world that proactively associates itself with Wilde in the way that Stratford does with Shakespeare.
Wilde spent seven years in Enniskillen at Portora Royal School. His most popular short story, The Happy Prince, is directly inspired by Enniskillen’s heritage assets, most notably Cole’s Monument which is situated atop Forthill on the furthest hill on the east side of town. The statue looks down on the town like a Nelson’s column yet is a mostly ignored aspect of the town’s heritage landscape. Wilde would have viewed it daily from his dormitory window on the furthest hill on the west side of town. Many features of the story remain part of Fermanagh’s heritage today: Cole’s statue, Cathedral, Town Hall, market town/traders, the lake, and its reeds.
The Happy Prince is a children’s story. It is one of Wilde’s many stories for children that he wrote early in his career before his later, more famous plays. The Happy Prince espouses compassion, spiritual love, charity towards the poor and empathy. It celebrates individual sacrifice on behalf of others by the two lead protagonists of the story, The Happy Prince, and the little Swallow. The association of these qualities with Enniskillen and Fermanagh will be the leading ethos of the WIT Education project.
2.2 Pilot Project Aim
Within the Spot-lit Programme the primary aim of the Pilot Project model is to demonstrate how an entire urban town & community in all its facets of business, culture, education, tourism, services, leisure, hospitality industry, etc. can be holistically brought together and united under a single literary tourism concept, a case of the whole being made greater through this model than the sum of its parts.
3.0 WIT Inter-schools Education Project
The WIT Education project will build on the two major literary tourism public art capital projects that Arts Over Borders have completed this year in Enniskillen : (1) WIT (Wilde Island Town) Home of the Happy Prince: An art installation of 150 little golden swallows(from Wilde’s Happy Prince fairytale) adorn the exterior of the buildings across the town ( 2) An interior art installation -The Isle of Enniskillen Beckett Chess Set transforming the island town’s tight matrix of shops, pubs coffeehouses, churches and castles into a splendid giant art gallery.
Prior to the AOB Art Installations earlier this year there was no current interpretation of Wilde’s childhood presence in Enniskillen beyond a blue plaque at Portora Royal School and no appreciation or conversation in the wider community about how important Enniskillen and Fermanagh (as a town and a landscape) and his schooling there impacted on the imagination of one of the world’s most loved writers.
The Education Project is part of our ‘Re-Wildeing Fermanagh’ programme. It will immerse the children and young people of Enniskillen in the story and values of The Happy Prince (Empathy, Compassion, Community and Diversity) and in the transformation of the identity of Enniskillen into the home of The Happy Prince.
The children and young people are an integral part of the community, and we envisage them becoming great ambassadors for the town.
3.1 Nature of Requirements
Inter-Schools Education Project in Enniskillen – ‘The Happy Prince’ by Oscar Wilde
“He looks just like an angel,” said the Charity Children as they came out of the cathedral… “How do you know?” said the Mathematical Master, “you have never seen one.” “Ah! but we have, in our dreams,” answered the children; and the Mathematical Master frowned and looked very severe, for he did not approve of children dreaming.
The purpose of this tender is to engage a service provider to design, deliver and evaluate an Inter-schools Education Project across 3 Primary and 3 Post Primary Schools in Enniskillen from Controlled, Maintained and Integrated Sector. Arts Over Borders will work with the successful provider to secure the schools engagement with the project.
The workshops will explore with the pupils the themes and values within the Oscar Wilde story of The Happy Prince which are: Empathy, Compassion, Community and Diversity. This can be delivered through the medium of dance, drama, music, art, or literature to support the NI Curriculum for the Arts/Literature.
Workshop outcomes
- Improved emotional well-being, confidence, and promotion of positive mental Health
- Improved motivation to be involved in learning through Literature and The Arts to support educational attainment
- Civic Pride – Increased understanding of the meaning and ability to share the values of empathy, compassion, and diversity. Sense of pride that these are the values associated with Enniskillen and its community, embedded through the Story of The Happy Prince and The Little Golden Swallow
3.2 Specific Requirements
The provider must:
- In consultation with Arts Over Borders agree on selection of six schools, and the themes and values will be explored through the providers choice of medium e.g., dance, drama, music, art, or literature to support the NI Curriculum for the Arts/Literature
- In consultation with each school, design workshops linked to the school curriculum exploring the themes and values within the story of The Happy Prince (Empathy, Compassion and Diversity)
- Design and provide workshop content and supporting resource learning packs/ materials as appropriate in consultation with each school to meet their needs.
- Demonstrate clearly in detail how the workshop outcomes will be achieved.
- Delivery of 3 hours of contact time per school, plus an additional follow up evaluation workshop lasting min 1 hour. The duration of each workshop will be agreed in consultation with the school.
- Workshops can be delivered either during school or after school/weekend.
- An evaluation report will be collated and completed by the provider at the end of the project.
- Provider must liaise with AOB Spot-lit Project Manager on all budgetary matters.
- Engage and work collaboratively with key stakeholders as required.
- AOB is required to report to the NPA on a six-monthly basis therefore the provider will be required to provide relevant information as necessary.
- It is expected that the chosen provider will be in regular contact with AOB regarding delivery of the project.
3.3 Timeframe
- AOB expects that the successful provider will be able to commence planning work on the Education project in January 2022
- Delivery of the interschools Education project needs to take place within the timeframe of end January and mid-March 2022. (Delivery of all workshops completed by mid-March 2022)
- Completion of Schools Project Evaluation Report by mid-March 2022
- All work must be completed in accordance with COVID-19 Government Guidelines
3.4 Value of Contract
- You must indicate the value of the contract and inclusive of VAT and the rate applicable. Please indicate a cost per hour/day. Maximum Budget for this contract is £2,000 (Costs should also include travel costs and subsistence if required)
- Cost for all materials must be included separately within the budget
4.0 Minimum Technical Competence
- Responders are required to demonstrate that they have sufficient capability, skills, financial and technical competence to be considered for the tender process. Therefore, all responders are required to provide details of:
- Organization/Individual details (whichever relevant to this invitation) including skills and experience
- Details of previous contracts of similar nature – description of work, delivery date and contact details for two referees
5.0 Instructions to Tenderers
- Format of Response/submission via email to include:
In addition to the response to the requirements outlined above, providers are required to submit the following as part of their proposal:
- Methodology to be employed in completing the assignment
- Demonstrate clearly in detail how the workshop outcomes will be achieved
- Evidence of expertise and understanding within the organisation (or individual) relevant to the requirements of this contract
- Details of how the proposed contract will be managed and time frame for delivery (timescale from design to delivery and evaluation)
- Please include an up-to-date CV/bio and examples of previous work
- CVs of personnel to be employed on the contract with details to include their experience and qualifications
- References will be required
- Confirmation of Access NI Certificate
- Proof of appropriate Public Liability Insurance
5.2 Return of Tender
Tenders (including all attachments) must be received by 5pm January 26th 2022.
Returned to Berniem99@googlemail.com
6.0 Award Criteria and Tender Evaluation
This contract will be awarded on foot of the most economically advantageous tenders in terms of the following criteria and weightings:
– Capability to realise brief to the full and relevant qualifications and experience of personnel proposed (33%).
– Understanding of needs /conditions to deliver the contract requirements (33%).
– Ultimate cost for the work proposed to the contracting authority (34%).
Following the initial evaluation of quotes, based on the criteria above, AOB may invite short listed candidates for interview. Interviews may be conducted by phone or zoom.
Please note that the contract is expected to commence before end of January 2022.
7.0 Notes to Tenderers
- Queries to be submitted via email before 24th January 2022
- AOB will accept no responsibility for any costs incurred in formulation or presentation of proposals
- AOB requires that all information pursuant to this tender process will be treated in the strictest confidence
- All work and resources produced by the appointed service provider(s) will be the property of AOB
- Prices and terms quoted should be valid for 12 months from the date of receipt of tenders
- Any conflicts of interest must be fully disclosed to AOB
- AOB reserves the right to terminate the contract at any time if it feels the work being undertaken by the appointed business is found to be unsatisfactory, without AOB being liable for the full cost
- All bidders are required to adhere to all appropriate regulations and guidelines on the collection, storage, transmission, and destruction of personal data GDPR
