---
title: "ECC049 - Words and Worlds (Artist in Residence)"
ocid: "ocds-h6vhtk-06f65a"
canonical_url: "https://d3tenders.com/contract/?ocid=ocds-h6vhtk-06f65a"
markdown_url: "https://d3tenders.com/contract/ocds-h6vhtk-06f65a.md"
json_url: "https://d3tenders.com/contract/ocds-h6vhtk-06f65a.json"
source: "Find A Tender Service"
current_stage: "Award"
buyer: "Middlesbrough Council"
published: "2026-09-10"
---

# ECC049 - Words and Worlds (Artist in Residence)

Buyer: Middlesbrough Council  
Current stage: Award  
OCID: ocds-h6vhtk-06f65a

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## Summary

Middlesbrough Council commissioned the Words and Worlds Artist in Residence service, a community cultural programme combining creative writing facilitation, oral storytelling, community engagement, editorial development, anthology production and a participant celebration event. The work is intended to amplify voices underrepresented in mainstream cultural activity, including people with limited confidence in creative writing, complex relationships with formal education, varying literacy levels, multiple languages, or experience of social exclusion and marginalisation. Delivery is in Middlesbrough. The service requires facilitators able to create safe, inclusive and accessible environments while protecting participants’ authentic voices and helping them retain ownership of their stories in the final publication and showcase. It is classified as cultural, community, social and personal services.

This procurement has been awarded and the tender is complete. Middlesbrough Council used a direct award below the applicable threshold, without competition, for a single lot. Mustard Stories Arts CIC was selected as supplier. The contract was signed on 12 August 2026 and runs from 1 October 2026 to 1 May 2027. Its value is £29,030 excluding VAT, or £34,836 including VAT. The council’s stated basis for using a direct award was that the supplier’s established Words and Worlds methodology, workshop structure, editorial process, anthology production and celebration-event format had been refined through successful iterations. Replacing it would require significant redevelopment and could risk the project’s authenticity and impact.

This award indicates demand from Middlesbrough Council for specialist cultural delivery that combines creative practice with community engagement and publishing. Suppliers seeking comparable work would need experienced creative-writing and oral-storytelling facilitators, strong workshop design and the ability to support participants with different literacy levels, languages, educational experiences and confidence. Credibility would also depend on delivering genuinely safe, inclusive and accessible environments, particularly for people affected by social exclusion or marginalisation. Relevant capability extends beyond facilitation: providers need editorial development, anthology production and the organisation of a public celebration or showcase. The procurement also shows the importance of a tested, distinctive methodology, evidence of successful delivery and an approach that preserves participants’ authentic voices and ownership of their stories.

## Notice

Works & Worlds is a bespoke methodology developed and delivered by the awarded supplier. The project model, workshop structure, editorial process, anthology production approach and celebration event format has been refined through multiple successful iterations. The project's success is directly linked to this established approach, which combines creative writing facilitation, oral storytelling, community engagement, editorial development, publishing and participant celebration in a distinctive format. Replicating this model through another provider would require significant investment, and redevelopment. Not only would this be costly, but it would risk losing the authenticity and impact that have become synonymous with the awarded supplier. The primary aim of the project is to amplify voices that are often underrepresented in mainstream cultural activity and will seek to work with individuals who: * Have limited confidence in creative writing * Have complex relationships with formal education * Have varying literacy levels * May speak multiple languages * Have experienced social exclusion or marginalisation. Delivery requires skilled and experienced facilitators, who can create safe, inclusive and accessible environments. The project's ethos preserves participants' authentic voices, ensuring contributors feel ownership of their stories and represented within the final publication/showcase.

## Key Details

| Field | Value |
| --- | --- |
| Publication source | Find A Tender Service |
| Latest notice | https://www.find-tender.service.gov.uk/Notice/085690-2026 |
| Notice type | UK7 - Contract Details Notice |
| Procurement type | Standard |
| Procurement category | Services |
| Procurement method | Direct |
| Procurement method details | Below threshold - without competition |
| Tender suitability | Not specified |
| Awardee scale | Large |
| All stages | Award |

## Dates

| Field | Value |
| --- | --- |
| Publication date | 10 Sep 2026 |
| Submission deadline | Not specified |
| Future notice date | Not specified |
| Award date | Not specified |
| Contract period | 1 Oct 2026 - 1 May 2027 |
| Recurrence | Not specified |

## Values

| Field | Value |
| --- | --- |
| Tender value | Not specified |
| Lots value | Not specified |
| Awards value | Not specified |
| Contracts value | £29,030 |

## Status

| Field | Value |
| --- | --- |
| Tender status | Complete |
| Lots status | Complete |
| Awards status | Active |
| Contracts status | Active |

## Buyer

| Field | Value |
| --- | --- |
| Main buyer | Middlesbrough Council |
| Locality | MIDDLESBROUGH |
| Postcode area | Cleveland |
| Postcode | TS1 9FT |
| Country | England |
| ITL 1 | TLC North East (England) |
| ITL 2 | TLC3 Tees Valley |
| ITL 3 | TLC32 South Teesside |
| Local authority | Middlesbrough |
| Electoral ward | Newport |
| Westminster constituency | Middlesbrough and Thornaby East |
| Delivery location | Not specified |

## Supplier

| Field | Value |
| --- | --- |
| Number of suppliers | 1 |
| Supplier names | MUSTARD STORIES ARTS CIC |

## CPV Codes

### Divisions

- 92 - Recreational, cultural and sporting services
- 98 - Other community, social and personal services

### Codes

- 92000000 - Recreational, cultural and sporting services
- 98000000 - Other community, social and personal services

## Release History

- 10 Sep 2026 at 10:10 - Award - UK7 - Contract Details Notice - https://www.find-tender.service.gov.uk/Notice/085690-2026

## Documents

- https://www.find-tender.service.gov.uk/Notice/085690-2026
  10th September 2026 - Contract details notice on Find a Tender

## Notice URLs

- http://www.middlesbrough.gov.uk
- https://www.legislation.gov.uk/ukpga/2023/54/contents

## Provenance

This Markdown file is an alternate public rendering of the D3 Tenders contract record. The canonical page is https://d3tenders.com/contract/?ocid=ocds-h6vhtk-06f65a. The underlying structured data is available as OCDS JSON at https://d3tenders.com/contract/ocds-h6vhtk-06f65a.json.