BPOC Writers wanted (nature, heritage, conservation) | £2,000 to £3,600 per commission
Added 2025-06-25 21:11:31 +0000 UTCCOMPANY/PUBLICATION: WRITING OUR LEGACY
Deadline: 11 July 2025
Together with the South Downs National Park Authority, we are seeking to commission 6 BPOC writers to produce a creative response inspired by a priority species for the South Downs landscape worth over £3000.
WRITING OUR LEGACY’S SPECIES STORIES COMMISSION
Writing Our Legacy and the South Downs National Park Authority are seeking to commission 6 writers to produce a creative response inspired by a priority species for the South Downs landscape, with the key species drawn from bees, bats, birds and butterflies, worth over £3000.
The commission comprises one written work in the form of a poem or similar, plus one digital output to disseminate that written work. The digital output could be a short film, audio recording or soundscape. For example, you could write a short poem and then create a film to accompany it as a spoken word piece.
Your written work will then be used this autumn to inspire children in schools across and around the South Downs to try creative writing as part of a writing competition.
The Species Stories commission is a partnership between Writing Our Legacy and the South Downs National Park Authority. It is funded by the Foyle Foundation and South Downs National Park Authority. It is also supported by Arts Council England, as part of our National Portfolio Organisation funding for 2023-25.
The commission builds on our longer-term partnership with the South Downs National Park Authority, including Shifting the Gaze, a two-year programme (2021-23) that aimed to support individual BPOC writers with building a creative focus on nature, landscape and heritage of the South Downs.
WHY NOW?
Nature is in crisis. Now more than ever, we need to incite emotion, curiosity and creativity to make space for nature and communities and to rekindle the bond between people and the natural world. We need nature recovery not only to build back and beyond but also to reach people and create custodianship and care so that nature is not only in recovery but also thriving.
Whether swifts that exist on the wing, navigating slipstreams each summer in a transatlantic journey that creates the next generation, or Pipistrelle bats whose language is silent primarily to our ears but enlivens the night skies, each species has a story. Each story can create a connection. We need people with the gifts that communicate stories in ways that enliven, touch hearts, create tears or insight laughter. This is a fruitful space for creative exploration, not only to explore key species, but to explore ourselves. We also know this is a space where language, taxonomy and access are all weighted by history.
This unique project aims to pair a writer and a priority species for nature recovery to produce a creative work inspired by the natural world, to inspire young minds.
ABOUT THE COMMISSION
Each writer will receive a fee of £2,000 for the commission, plus up to £100 towards travel and consumables. Commissioned writers can also request additional access or development support of up to £500.
For the digital output, writers will have up to £1000 additional budget to cover the production costs.
The six successful writers will be given an opportunity to meet in person, alongside specialists/experts in nature recovery and biodiversity from the South Downs National Park Authority and Writing Our Legacy staff, as part of a Knowledge Exchange session. The Knowledge Exchange session will take place on Tuesday 22 July at Seven Sisters Country Park. Please make sure you can attend this session when applying.
Writers will also be supported by the Writing Our Legacy team and have access to a mentoring session.
This opportunity is open to established and emerging writers, who are signed up to our free membership scheme at the time of application.
The deadline for applications is Fri 11 July at 9am.
Please note, work will need to be produced in a strict timeframe as follows: in 6 weeks (Mon 21 July – Mon 1 Sept) for the original creative writing and 13 weeks (1 September – 30 November) for the digital output.
FURTHER INFORMATION
This is an exciting but fast-paced opportunity for a BPOC writer to respond to a creative commission. It’s important that you can work to a deadline and to a high standard. However, please be assured that you will be supported all along the way to accomplish this, with regular check-ins, support from Writing Our Legacy, and advice and support from South Downs National Park staff.
Commissioned writers will have 6 weeks (Mon 21 July – Mon 1 Sept) to produce an original short written creative piece, created in response to a species of their selection.
Writers will then have 13 weeks (1 September – 30 November) to produce the digital version of their work.
FEES AND SUPPORT:
Fee per writer: £2,000 + up to £100 travel and consumables budget.
Applicants can also request additional access or development support of up to £500.
Writers will have an additional budget of up to £1000 to cover the production costs of digital outputs.
ADDITIONAL INFORMATION:
The six successful writers will be given an opportunity to meet in person, alongside specialists/experts in nature recovery and biodiversity from the South Downs National Park Authority, as part of a Knowledge Exchange session.
You’ll also receive one mentoring session from our writers on our mentoring service – Tammye Huf, Elaine Chiew, Katy Massey, Zita Holbourne FRSA and Umi Sinha, Jasmin Qureshi — which will include a 40-minute Zoom tutorial and feedback sessions on up to 2500 words or three poems not exceeding a total of 2500 words.
Read more about the mentors supporting this scheme
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CONTACT INFORMATION:
Applications: Join the network here
Website: https://writingourlegacy.org.uk/
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