Commonword and Cultureword newsletter

 With all the latest creative arts news and opportunities:

Events and Opportunities from Commonword   July 2023   Dear Commonword Writer, The city is buzzing with creative energy 🐝 This month we’ve been settling into our new office & meeting our inspiring neighbours. We’ve been out and about at Oldham Pride and the 2023 Poet in Residence celebration at Manchester Poetry Library – the accompanying exhibition is on display until the end of Summer. We’ll keep this introduction brief so you can dive into all of the exciting news and opportunities packed into this edition. Happy reading, Commonword Cultureword   For updates: website www.cultureword.org.uk twitter @cultureword facebook (facebook.com/culturewordcommonword)   News     Commonword is Hiring! Commonword is growing and we are looking for two passionate people to join our team! Could you be our New Writing Coordinator? If you have experience of outreach activity in an arts environment and love getting people excited about creative writing, then this could be the job for you. This is a part-time role (3 days a week). Salary is £26,845 pro rata. Apply by 4th August 2023, 5pm   Find out more     Our second vacancy is for a Metrics and Administration Officer. We are looking for someone passionate about telling stories with numbers. You’ll help us to measure and report our audience and participant levels, growth, and comparison with peer organisations. The job holder will also be responsible for office organisation and supporting our fundraising activity. This is a part-time role (2 days a week). Salary is £25,874 pro rata   Find out more       We've moved ➡️ 🏠!   Commonword is now based at the wonderful Bridge 5 Mill in Ancoats! Our new office has lots more space for our expanding team and burgeoning programme🚀We are thrilled to be alongside a host of social change organisations including Sheba Arts, the Kindling Trust and ThreadUp. With its focus on sustainability and environmental consciousness, the Mill is the perfect new home for Commonword.    Pop by and say hello! Our new address: 3rd Floor Annex, Bridge 5 Mill, 22A Beswick St, Manchester M4 7HR       Recovering Manchester's Radical Publishing History    Another big success for Commonword! We have been awarded National Lottery Heritage funding for the project Mapping Manchester: Recovering the City’s Radical Small Press History. Mainstream discussions of Greater Manchester’s literary history often centre on white, middle-class and heteronormative writers, making it difficult for marginalised communities to engage with their heritage. This project aims to create a searchable online archive and series of online maps of the small publishers and presses of Manchester which have published predominantly Global Majority, LGBTQ+, working class and disabled writing since the 70s.       Oldham Poetry Competition   Oldham writers: have you submitted to our poetry competition yet? This is your chance to have your writing read and celebrated by our guest judges: local acting legend Shobna Gulati (dinnerladies, Coronation Street & Everybody’s Talking about Jamie) and creative writing virtuoso Carmen Walton. Plus there are cash prizes and the chance to be published. What are you waiting for?   Click to Enter     Upcoming     Save the Date: Over Here Zine Fest 2023   Manchester’s celebration of Global Majority zine makers is back! Commonword will be tabling at Over Here Zine Fest 2023 on Saturday 30th September alongside a host of delightful creatives.  Taking place at the People’s History Museum from 10am-4pm, the festival is a great place to network and be inspired.     Find out more       Don't miss: Bisexual Baddies   This one's a real treat....On the 23rd and 24th August watch a triple bill of tantalising performances that are a celebration of Pride. Featuring Chanje Kunda's multi-media show 'Celestial Bisexual' which blends images of the Hubble telescope with dance movement & poetry, alongside a performance from aerial artist and poledancer Kitty Velour. Plus Commonword's very own afshan d'souza lodhi will be delivering her interactive lecture 'How to Eat Mangoes'. Grab your tickets now!   Click to Book     Community Updates     23rd June Poetry Event with Sheba Arts   Thank you to everyone who attended the Sheba Arts Poetry and Music event on 23rd June, delivered in partnership with Commonword. It was a blissful evening with readings from workshop participants Cansu Han and Hadisa Hussain alongside outstanding performances from local musicians Naomi Kalu and Parisa Pirzadeh.     Congrats to Commonword Writers!   We are delighted to share news of Diana Anyakwo’s debut novel My Life as a Chameleon, published by Atom (Little, Brown). Set in both Lagos, Nigeria, and Manchester, England, My Life As A Chameleon is a powerful debut about a mixed-race girl and how she copes with being seen as an outsider in two very different cultures and even within her own family. Diana comments ‘the existence of the space you have created for writers of colour…is so helpful’ A second YA publishing success: Annette Reis who attended Commonword's CYA workshops in 2022, has had her novel Dream the Red Earth published by Silver Quills.    Workshops     Identity Writers Group Identity Writers workshop is now on its summer break & will return on September 6th ☀️ *Congratulations to Identity writer Deborah Black who has been awarded Arts Council Developing your Creative Practice funding! 🎉*   Find out more       Queer Black Book Club   Due to unforeseen circumstances, our July session of Queer Black Book Club will be shifted to August.  Apologies: I hope it gives people more time to enjoy the books.  So our next session will be on Thursday, 24 August, 6:30 pm - 8:30 pm on Zoom.  I'll send the link closer to the day.   Our next books are: Escaping Exodus, by Nicky Drayden -- Thursday 24 August Vagabonds! by  Eloghosa Osunde -- Thursday 28 September She Who Became the Sun, by Shelley Parker-Chan -- Thursday 26 October None of the Above: Reflections on Life Beyond the Binary, by Travis Alabanza -- Thursday 23 November See you all in August., Cheryl   If you would like to attend, please email cheryl@cultureword.org.uk or join our Facebook group by clicking here.   Learn more on the Book Club's webpage: www.cultureword.org.uk/services-and-workshops/queer-black-book-club-2/   More about Commonword's workshops     Jobs & Opportunities     FACT Liverpool are seeking proposals for a wide range of events including film screenings, talks, workshops, walking tours and performances that adhere to the broad notion of Black Futures. Selected proposals will form part of FACT’s Black History Month programme and will take place in October 2023. £3,000 in funding will be awarded for up to 3 events. Find out more: https://www.fact.co.uk/news/2023/07/black-futures-open-call Deadline to apply: Monday 31st July, 23:59   The Fourdrinier is an online magazine dedicated to contemporary art. They are currently inviting applications for the Professional Art Writing Development Scheme. This is a paid opportunity and includes training and mentorship.  Find out more: https://www.thefourdrinier.com/opportunities Deadline to apply: 11pm, 4th August 2023.   #Merky Books' New Writers' Prize is now open. They are looking for unpublished and un-agented fiction writers between the ages of 18 and 35. The winner will receive a publishing contract with #Merky Books & all shortlisted writers will be invited to join their Writers' Camp.  Find out more: https://www.penguin.co.uk/merky-new-writers-prize Deadline to apply: 29th August 2023   The Aryamati Poetry Prize is open for entries of poetry collections or pamphlets focused on the theme of social change and peace. Organised by Fly on the Wall Press, this year's Aryamati Prize will be judged by Maura Dooley. Find out more: https://www.flyonthewallpress.co.uk/the-aryamati-poetry-prize Deadline to enter: 28th August 2023, midnight Do you ❤ Commonword? tweet/facebook/IG us with your favourite/first memory of Commonword. Send us a picture of yourself holding a I ❤ Commonword sign  #iLoveCommonword  You can catch us on Social Media twitter @cultureword #iLoveCommonword facebook.com/culturewordcommonword   Follow our socials   Facebook Instagram LinkedIn Twitter Website YouTube   Commonword | Cultureword | Crocus Books Commonword No. 3 Planetree House 21-31 Oldham Street Manchester M1 1JG All workshops and events are currently taking place online. 0161 832 3777  info@cultureword.org.uk

Commonword · No 3 Planetree House · 21-31 Oldham Street · Manchester, M1 1JG · United Kingdom