Push the Boat Out Festival seeks to commission four language artists to create new works for our festival (4th to 6th November 2022) based on Scotland's rich mythical heritage. Part of the Year of Stories 2022. Open to poets across the UK.
Push the Boat Out will commission four language artists to reimage classic Scottish myths and folktales. Steepd in unco’ tales and mythical beasties, Scottish heritage provides a treasure trove of tales to be adapted and retold by contemporary poets. International spoken word legend, Hollie McNish, will undertake a fifth, Loch Ness based commission, and a final, sixth poet will be revealed soon.
A rich, global tradition of new writing already re-imagines traditional tales of old. PTBO seeks work that will do this in a fresh way with exciting and dynamic voices who work in not just poetry, but also spoken word and rap. The commissions will explore how progressive thinking, inclusion, and listening might change and challenge the notion of 'heritage'. How can your re-imagined unco’ beast better represent a contemporary culture which has met with other traditions and perspectives?
Artists are invited to take inspiration from artist illustrators Neil and Charley from design company, Puca Printhouse. Their wildly imaginative, beautifully illustrated map, ‘The Mythical Beasts of Scotland’ (see full brief) provides a rich, inspirational starting point. Successful candidates will be provided with a pack including the research gathered for the map and image references to support the development of their work. Commissioned poets will have their beast illustrated by Puca to form a projected backdrop for their reading.
PTBO seeks applications that speak strongly to the brief and show fresh ideas and innovation. Applicants should also show an understanding of the festival’s mission to challenge the boundaries of poetry.
Details:
Artists will be paid £300 for their commission and invited to read their work at PTBO (4-6 November).
Performance fees will be paid separately, with any potential travel and accommodation expenses discussed upon appointment.
Final pieces should be between 3 - 8 minutes in length.
Applications are welcome from poets across the UK.
Applications are welcome in all of Scotland’s three languages: English, Scots, and Gaelic.
Timeline:
Deadline: 5pm, 28 July 2022
Decision: 3 August
Commissions due: 16 September
Performance: 5 November
For further information, please click here
Deadline: 28 July 2022 at 17:00
Emma Collins
Push the Boat Out Festival Emma Collins emma.collins@pushtheboatout.org