South African poetry organisation Hear My Voice is re-launching its Mobility Fund to encourage the export of South African poets to the world.
Poets are encouraged to apply for the Mobility Fund, which will cover part of the participation fee or related travel expenses to enable the local creatives to participate in the international or inter-provincial literary festivals or related events.
Since 2016, Hear My Voice has supported hundreds of spoken word artists through organising local and international exchange programs, workshops, live spoken word shows, open mics and other literature programs for schools, private companies, government, libraries, festivals and other cultural institutions.
“We aim to contribute to building a viable and vibrant South African poetry circuit,” said Ishmael Sibiya, Executive Director of Hear My Voice.
He continued: “The aim is to open four rounds of applications this year to support poets not only during one season but to offer consistent support throughout the year.”
Interested applicants can apply here.
The Mobility Fund, which was first launched in 2020, will contribute a maximum of R10 000 towards a poet’s mobility costs.
“In the instance of digital mobility, the fund will either match or contribute towards the poets' performance fee,” explained Sibiya.
Meanwhile, Hear My Voice recently announced its partnership with Göteborgs Litteraturhus to host a Swedish poet for a two-week writing residency in South Africa.
The residency will take place in Pretoria and Johannesburg between 10 and 24 March.
The selected applicant will receive financial support towards flights, accommodation, stipends and other travel-related costs, as well as an engagement fee for a public engagement arranged during the residency.
Applicants are expected to submit their concrete idea for a project they want to include as part of the residency and work on during their time in South Africa.
The deadline for applications is January 30 and the winner will be announced on February 13.
For applications and more information click here.