In the run up to Burnley Words Festival 2023, we will have a number of commissions, call outs and opportunities for local writers to share, and exhibit their work in a variety of ways.
These ‘showings’ may be in print or in person, and will be under the banner of ‘Now Listen ‘Ere.’
Our first commission is for a new (or existing) poem that celebrates our local high street and town centres and all they have to offer. The poem will be printed and displayed prominently on the outside of a building in Burnley town centre.
We are also offering a fee of £100 to the writer for the selected poem.
More information about this opportunity:
- There is no set length for this poem, although ideally, it will be relatively quick to read – 10-15 lines maximum.
- The poem could be on display for a number of months, as it is being displayed on a currently empty building. If a new tenant for the building is found, the poem may be taken down at quite short notice
- Your name (or pseudonym) will be displayed alongside your work on the building. We may also be able to include a social media or website link, but this will depend on poem length and the final design of the display
- This opportunity is funded by the Burnley Words Festival, Burnley BID and Arts Council England
- This poem will be displayed in an incredibly public space and therefore the language and content matter will need to be appropriate for a wide and varied reading audience. We will not be able to use anything publicly that includes swear words or offensive language.
If your piece is not chosen for this specific opportunity, we would like to keep your work and details on file as it may be suitable for other projects later down the line. We will never use your work without your permission, and will contact you if we think a piece we have on file is suitable for another project.
How to submit you work:
- Please send a copy of your poem in a word document to [email protected] (just.co)
- You can submit up to three pieces of work for this opportunity
- We aim to confirm via email that we have received your work within 48 hours – but please be aware this is dependent on capacity and that Stephie works part time, and therefore responses may be delayed
- Please confirm in writing if you are happy for us to keep your work on file for later opportunities
- Please confirm if you are local to Burnley
The deadline for submission is now Tuesday 29th at 5pm, and the successful writer will be informed by Monday 5th December.
If you have any questions about this opportunity please email [email protected]