Creative Opportunities
Through our UNESCO Cities of Literature Network, we’re able to offer writers, poets, graphic novelists, authors, & other creatives in Devon meaningful creative opportunities locally, nationally, and internationally.
If you are going to apply for any of these activities, please do contact us first to discuss your application so that we can support you as much as possible!
Writers’ Mailing list
We share these opportunities with our Writer’s Mailing List before they’re published to the website. We’ll also let you know about any other commissions and opportunities that we can’t share here.
Bremen Netzresidenz
Virtual Residency
Bremen City of Literature
In order to promote literature in digital media, the Bremer Literaturhaus, with the support of the Senator for Culture, awards the Bremen Netzresidenz every two years as a three-month online scholarship at the virtual Literaturhaus Bremen. The scholarship supports authors who have already published with a publishing house. The focus of the scholarship will be on the creative and critical engagement with current digital media. Emphasis is placed on the use of innovative literary or artistic methods. Digital literature projects that emphasise an open-minded exchange of literature will be supported. Authors from UNESCO Cities of Literature are particularly encouraged to apply with a project idea.
The scholarship is endowed with a one-off amount of €2,500. An independent jury will decide on the award. The virtual residency at Literaturhaus Bremen begins on March 1 and ends on May 31, 2025. As part of the scholarship, the recipient will create their own project website. Following the period of residency, the scholarship holder will be invited to present their project at a literature festival event in Bremen. Applicants should submit a short project outline (max. 1 DIN A4 page) that convincingly presents the idea and specific implementations of the project. If you have any questions, please do not hesitate to contact us. Please send your project outline and a short CV to heike.mueller(at)literaturhaus-bremen.de.
Songwriting for Carers & the people they support
Documental Theatre and Sing & Sign Jukebox Choir present a FREE 6 week programme this Autumn.
Accessible online and in person. Documental Theatre and Sing & Sign Jukebox Choir are teaming up to offer a free and accessible short songwriting course. It will be a fun and relaxed opportunity to dip your toe into the world of songwriting, connect with other Carers and PWLDs and express yourself creatively. Come to as many sessions as you like - there is no need to be available for all the sessions.
You will be guided through simple steps to create an original song about the person you care for, or inspired by the things you value in your life. The course is also suitable for adults with learning difficulties if you would like to attend with the person you support. The course has evolved out of the activities of Sing & Sign Jukebox Choir - an inclusive singing and Makaton signing choir. Course sessions will be facilitated by Jo Rogers (Choir Leader), Lucinda Bell (Founder of Documental Theatre), and Emma Kenshole (local teacher, additional needs specialist) as well as with talented industry professional guest tutors.
The course will run in-person on a Wednesday afternoons, from 1pm - 2.45pm. Session 1 is at Exeter Community Centre, all other dates will be at the Barnfield Theatre, Exeter:
- 13th, 20th, 27th November
- 4th, 11th December
- A final session in January, date TBC
The course will run online over Zoom on Thursday evenings, from 7.30pm - 8.30pm, on the following dates:
- 14th, 21st, 28th November
- 5th, 12th December
The resulting songs will be performed by musicians at an event at Exeter Barnfield Theatre in 2025, and selected songs will be set to Makaton signs and become part of the set for Sing & Sign Jukebox Choir.
Please get in touch to sign up!
EMAIL: hello@joannerogers.net
CALL or TEXT: 07875024548
Raw Writing - Pick & Mix Course
Paid Course Placement
Do you want to start writing, but are not sure where to start? Our friends at Raw Writing are offering a fully funded place on the 'Creative Writing Pick and Mix' course starting on 11th January 2025 at Exeter Phoenix.
Could you benefit from this opportunity? Find out more and apply by Monday 2nd December!
Creative Writing Pick and Mix Course at Exeter Phoenix
Saturday 11th January - 10:30am - 12pm
Saturday 18th January - 10:30am - 12pm
Saturday 25th January - 10:30am - 12pm
Saturday 1st February - 10:30am - 12pm
Experiment with different forms including the short story, mindful writing and memoir. This four-week course has been designed so you can try out a variety of types of writing and have a great time while doing so!
If you’d like to apply for this paid writing course placement, please email carla@rawwriting.co.uk with 'Pick and Mix funded opportunity Jan 2025' as subject line. Please include a few sentences about why they’d like to do this course and what you hope to gain from it.
The Tom Grass Spirit of Adventure Literary Prize
The Tom Grass Spirit of Adventure Literary Prize is a writing prize dedicated to celebrating the spirit of Tom Grass, a multi-talented writer, avid reader, and fearless traveller.
The prize is for a short piece of stand-alone prose in either Fiction or Non-Fiction (1,500 - 3,000 words). It can be adapted from a longer work but must be satisfying to read by itself. The prize invites writers from all walks of life, whether writing a short story, essay, memoir, piece of reportage, historical investigation, or other hybrid form, as long as the writer reflects the sensibility of the prize. The prize is not aimed at the action-adventure genre nor limited to the idea of physical adventure. We invite writers to grapple with the spirit of adventure in any way they interpret. Pieces will be read and judged on their literary merit and their engagement with the general reader.
Key dates:
• Submissions open: 1st October 2024
• Submissions close: 31st March 2025
• Shortlist announced: 15th May 2025
• Prize giving reception in London: 4th June 2025
The Prize is a not-for-profit foundation, created and run by friends and family of Tom Grass.
Open to emerging writers over the age of 25, the Prize celebrates creative storytelling with a focus on the spirit of adventure. Through readings and an annual award ceremony in London, we will come together to celebrate life’s bold journeys and the stories they inspire.
BBC Writers Open Call
Script Submissions
Our Open Call is not a competition but a means by which the BBC seeks out the best writing talent. We look for writers with the strongest potential to be developed and produced for BBC broadcast.
In our Open Call we accept:
• Drama or Comedy/Drama scripts written for Film, TV, Radio, Stage or Children’s TV/Radio scripts which are a minimum of 30 pages long (excluding title/character pages).
• Scripts will be read anonymously i.e. without a name attached, until after the full-read stage so please remove any personal details (name, address, contacts etc) from the front page of the script or within the document itself.
• A paragraph about your writing history (max. 250 words). You do not need to have any credits or professionally produced work, we just want to understand your passion for writing.
• A paragraph on what you hope to get out of our writer development programme (max. 250 words).
For an outstanding children's illustrated book
This annual prize, generously funded by Nicholas Allan, author of The Queen’s Knickers, is awarded to an outstanding children’s original illustrated book for ages 0-7.
It will recognise books that strike a quirky, new note and grab the attention of a child, whether this be in the form of curiosity, amusement, horror or excitement.
The winner will receive £5,000, as well as a golden Queen’s Knickers badge, as depicted in Nicholas Allan’s original book.
The runner-up will receive £1,000 and a silvered badge.
The Queen’s Knickers Award is currently open for submissions.
Deadline for entries: Saturday 30 November 2024.
The Queen’s Knickers Award
Literature Works - TLC Free Reads
Through this Arts Council England-funded scheme, Literature Works is proud to offer low-income writers in the South West the opportunity to get free professional, constructive feedback on their writing via The Literary Consultancy, the UK’s leading editorial consultancy.
The scheme is open to writers across all forms and genres and is a brilliant opportunity to progress with your writing.
You’ll need to decide which kind of feedback you wish to apply for, then download and complete the application form (link here and below), and e-mail it along with other required documents to info@literatureworks.org.uk by 1st December 2024.
