We're inviting Performance Poets and Spoken Word artists and producers to apply for this Fellowship ( please note this scheme is subject to a successful funding application). The Fellow will benefit from a bespoke training and professional development programme, including the opportunity to programme and manage Speakers Corner at next year's London Short Story Festival ( under the guidance of Festival Director Paul McVeigh), work with our Podium Poets Collective and candidates shortlisted for Young Poet Laureate for London. If you have something of a track record, and are looking for the opportunity to accelerate your career, then this could be for you. The award from the BBC is £10k ( given to the organisation, not directly to the Fellow) to cover things like per diems, travel, mentoring, and some paid time as well. This is a professional development opportunity for the Fellow to take their career to the next level by working closely with an organisation. Unfortunately, the BBC rules stipulate that the Fellow must be someone who has not undertaken paid work for Spread the Word, in any capacity, before. If you are unsure about whether this applies to you, please just email me with your query (see below for email address). The good news is this means we are actively looking for new talent.

We would see this as a high level opportunity for someone with a track record and we would expect the Fellow to be self-directing to a large extent, so that they get the most out of the opportunity. The Fellow would work on a project of their own design ( in consultation with us, of course) and we imagine this would be a performance or event of some kind, which we would support.

All of this depends on a successful application to the BBC. If we get through to the next stage, StW and the proposed Fellow will need to attend an interview in November. The Fellowship starts in Jan 2015.

We need your applications by 9:00am on Friday 15th August 2014. Please send a CV and a covering letter explaining what you would like to get out of this Fellowship ( and what you would bring to the party) to: sue@spreadtheword.org.uk