The Poets of Colour Incubator is a 12-month programme offering mentoring, change agency opportunities and creative development to three talented and emerging poets of colour, of all ages with a lower limit of 18, living in the North of England at a crucial stage of their practice.

An additional five shortlisted poets will receive career signposting, professional guidance and be part of a community of practice.

A collaboration between Manchester Poetry Library at Manchester Metropolitan University and Words of Colour, the Incubator aims to provide vital support to emerging poets of colour living in the North of England to develop new work that speaks to their lived experience and authentic selves and their ability to build sustainable careers.

Each of the three successful Incubator poets will receive a £6,000 Creative Action Bursary to innovate their practice and create dynamic new work in response to a global challenge they want to explore.

They will also have access to professional mentoring support and masterclasses on topics including:

• How to develop a Creative Wellbeing Audit
• Creative Entrepreneurship and Having a Sustainable Career
• Poetry, Resilience and Change Agency
• Interrogating your Craft and Performance
• Digital Inclusion for Live Events

Alongside receiving creative wellbeing and creative entrepreneurship coaching, poets will have the opportunity to:

• test, develop and perform their poetry through artistic co-production
• work with the public on idea development through Incubator drop-ins and scratch performances
• co-develop a live, end of programme showcase

Criteria 

• The Poets of Colour Incubator is for talented and emerging artists from Black, Asian, Arab and Mixed Heritage backgrounds, of all ages from 18 upwards, who are resident in the North of England *.
• The term ‘emerging’ refers to early career poets with a minimum of two years committed poetry practice.
• If you have previously had a collection of poetry published, been commissioned or produced a full one hour live show, you are not eligible to apply.
• If you have self published work, then you are eligible to apply.
• If you are in full or part time education you are not eligible to apply.
• The Incubator is open to all poetry forms, including spoken word, interdisciplinary poets, and those who work with new media or have visual or participatory practices.
• This programme encourages applications from those who wouldn’t normally consider applying for development opportunities, awards or prizes.

*North of England is defined as the areas covered by Arts Council England North region as the North West, Yorkshire and the North East of England.

Deadline

Monday 24th July 2023 at 5pm.

Interviews will take place the week commencing Monday 7th August 2023.

Successful candidates will be notified by Tuesday 15th August 2023.

The Incubator will end in early September 2024.

https://www.mmu.ac.uk/poetry-library/poets-of-colour-incubator