Queer Amusements, a new multi-artform festival in Blackpool, is teaming up with Blackpool Social Club to offer a writing residency for 2024.
The festival launched this month and in the coming weeks will announce a full line up of events, commissions and opportunities. It’s led by queer artist Harry Clayton-Wright and will showcase art, performance, events and workshops across the film, literature, visual art, craft, dance and drag. The programme has been commissioned by Marlborough Productions as part of New Queers on the Block, Aunty Social and is supported by Arts Council England.
The Writer in Residence programme will provide space and time to research and engage with the events in the upcoming Queer Amusements programme, and participate in community and queer arts projects across Blackpool during the festival’s duration.
Queer Amusements runs until September and we are looking for LGBTQ+ writers local to, or with connections to, Blackpool and its queer history. We invite expressions of interest from writers at any stage in their careers.
Blackpool is home to some amazing queer art, with such a rich history of work taking place and artists being from here.
We are open to what outcomes the residency could produce, including but not limited to poetry, blogs, workshops, a podcast or a vlog. All work produced will be published on Blackpool Social Club and included in the Queer Amusements programme.
The residency will provide:
- £600 bursary (inclusive of expenses).
- Access to Queer Amusements events and resources.
- Mentoring sessions with Harry Clayton-Wright.
- Support from Blackpool Social Club.
To apply, please send an email to [email protected] with a short introduction about you and your practice, no more than 250 words or, if submitting a video no longer than 5 minutes. Please include examples of previous or current work.
Submission window 2024: Wednesday 21st February-Wednesday 6th March (midnight).
If shortlisted, you will be invited for a chat (in person or on zoom) on Friday 15th March at Aunty Social, 28 Topping Street, Blackpool.
“Blackpool is home to some amazing queer art, with such a rich history of work taking place and artists being from here,” said Harry Clayton-Wright, a performance artist, writer and radical creator from Blackpool whose work spans theatre, installation, zine, film and heritage.
“It feels exciting we can add to that landscape with a new festival shining a spotlight on LGBTQ+ arts and culture in the form of Queer Amusements. In our pilot year we can’t wait to connect with, commission and champion artists from Blackpool or with strong links to the town through a range of development opportunities, workshops and events.
“The festival’s lineup will also feature LGBTQ+ talent who might not usually be programmed here, which I know will create interesting, important and exciting conversations and also potential future collaborations.
“The Queer Writer in Residence opportunity, through the brilliant Blackpool Social Club, will give us the chance to work with someone who might want the space to explore or develop something new in their practice, who might want the platform to showcase something they’ve been thinking about or working on, or craft something in response to our soon to be released full programme.
“We’re open to what this can be and we’re really excited to create, grow and foster these artistic and audience relationships in a town that I’m so proud to call my home.”
Antonia Charlesworth Stack, editor of Blackpool Social Club said: “Queer Amusements is emerging at a really important time for the town, when conversations about the role LGBTQ+ culture in Blackpool’s creative landscape being opened up.
“We’re seeing a commitment from the council and local businesses to centre queer culture in our town’s regeneration, in the form of plans for an LGBTQ+ village quarter, and funders are beginning to invest in local queer creatives. This is all a recognition of the fact that Blackpool isn’t just a place of queer nightlife and heritage but one with a wealth of artistic and creative talent that needs championing and nurturing.
“Blackpool Social Club prides itself in shining a light on the lesser-known corners of culture and creativity in the town and giving a platform to local writers and artistic talent to showcase their work. We’re looking forward to working with the Queer Amusements Writer in Residence and sharing what emerges with our readers.”
