An Exciting Opportunity - The Modern Muse!

The Modern Muse: a poetry commission opportunity with Manchester Art Gallery and Manchester Literature Festival

Following our successful collaboration last year, involving the commissioning of a series of flash fiction stories by David Gaffney in response to the Art Treasures Manchester exhibition, Manchester Literature Festival and Manchester Art Gallery are again teaming up to inspire the city's writers.

We are looking to commission a poet to produce creative responses to the art works displayed in Manchester Art Gallery’s Modern and Contemporary Galleries, which include works by Henry Moore, Francis Bacon, David Hockney, Pablo Picasso and Juan Munoz. The poet will be expected to produce a minimum of six new poems to be performed as part of a special lunch time event to be in held in the Gallery as part of the Manchester Literature Festival in October 2008. The commissioned poems will also be displayed in the Gallery for the duration of the Festival and published online.

The commissioned poet will also be expected to help inspire members of the public by facilitating a two day workshop held at the Gallery on the weekend of 18^th/19^th October. As part of the workshop, the poet will encourage participants to produce their own creative responses to the exhibitions via a series of practical exercises aimed to stimulate ideas and develop craft.

The poet will be paid a total commission of £1,000, including performance and workshop facilitation fees.

To apply for this commission opportunity you must live or work in Greater Manchester. All applicants are required to submit:

* a covering letter including your contact details and a brief explanation of why you would like to take up this commission

* a one page CV outlining your writing history and previous teaching/workshop facilitation experience

* one original poem that you have written in response to a work of art (not necessarily one exhibited at Manchester Art Gallery)

The deadline for receipt of applications is 5pm on Monday 7^th April and they should be submitted by email to Jon Atkin at admin@manchesterliteraturefestival.co.uk or by post to

Manchester Literature Festival, 3^rd Floor, 24 Lever Street, Manchester M1 1 DZ. Shortlisted applicants may be invited to an informal interview in mid-April.

More information about the MAG's Modern and Contemporary Galleries can be found at www.manchestergalleries.org