The submission deadline for proposals is Monday October 27, 2019 – 11:59 PM
Project Details:
The Langston Hughes Community Poetry Reading Committee celebrates our 25th Anniversary with an original poem. Open to emerging and mid-career POC poets with a national audience, ages 40 and under. The Langston Hughes Community Poetry Committee (BID) invite you to submit your qualifications and portfolio of work to be considered to write a long form poem (e.g. Maya Angelou’s – On the Pulse of Morning or Langston Hughes’ Death in Harlem or Let America Be America Again) to be published and presented at the 25th Annual Langston Hughes Community Poetry Reading in 2020. The selected poet will also work with youth who are presenting at the 3rd Annual Langston Hughes youth event. The Langston Hughes youth event is an opportunity for the poet to mentor current youth participants in presentation and creative writing. This two-day community interaction is a requirement for the selected poet.
This RFP seeks to find one project that aims to pay tribute to the “Poet Laureate of Harlem”– Langston Hughes. The poet needs to be in Rhode Island from January 30th-February 3, 2020. A culminating performance for the selected poet will happen in February 2020 in Providence, RI.
Only new works are eligible. The selected poet will receive an Honoraria.
Maximum Project Honoraria: $ 6000.00
The 25th Anniversary Langston Hughes Community Poet will be supported by the following:
Honoraria: $4,500
Travel and Accommodations: up to $1,000
Project supplies: $500
About Us:
The Langston Hughes Community Poetry Reading (LHCPR) is a public performance event that recognizes the impact and relevance of Langston Hughes’ work on popular culture and how his words offer insight on the racial divide in America. Hughes’ work gives us vibrant pictures of life during the Harlem Renaissance and the Jazz Age. The reading features up to 60 community readers from all segments of the community and a well versed and accomplished jazz trio to bring the witnessed history to life. The youth event incorporates school-age children in original multi-disciplined performance opportunities.
Application Requirements:
Submit the following information to demonstrate the necessary qualifications in one PDF document as follows;
- Letter of application to apply that includes the following:
- How this project relates to your past work
- Your approach to this project
- Including your teaching/mentoring methodology of youth
- Other community engagement
- How you relate your work to Langston Hughes or the Harlem Renaissance, how you connect to your art in the global context
- The key themes and concepts driving your work
- Resume/CV
- 5 Past writing samples;
- including but not limited to, multi-media and performance practice samples
- Work Sample Index – published work
- Willingness to provide (2) professional references
How to Apply:
Materials must be submitted electronically as PDF attachments to lhughescp2017@gmail.com
Submissions must be received by 11:59PM (EDT) on October 27, 2019.
SELECTION PROCESS the Langston Hughes BID will convene an Advisory Panel to recommend finalist based on their qualifications, artistic merit, prior work experience, and professionalism necessary to complete these projects. An advisory committee representing the LHCPR committee, poets, and community members will review submissions. The artist whose submission is approved and representatives from the LHCPR committee will then enter into an agreement with the Langston Hughes BID for the writing, performance, and book publication of the poem.
To Apply: email materials – to April Brown at lhughescp2017@gmail.com
QUESTIONS? Contact: April Brown, Program Director, Langston Hughes Community Poetry Reading, lhughescp2017@gmail.com or 401-439-6841.