Estuary Fesitval and Metal are partnering with Southbank Centre on two national projects that are at the heart of the Southbank Centre's 75th anniversary year in 2026. 
 
Southbank Centre is recruiting for a special 75th anniversary edition of their national programme to support emerging poets - the New Poets Collective - and is partnering with Estuary Festival and Metal to deliver this in conjunction with Poet in Every Port, an initiative driven by the National Poetry Library to take a mobile poetry library on tour to 10 coastal locations across the UK. Poet in Every Port will also be coming to the Thames Estuary next year. 

The combination of these two projects will be a significant local and national moment to celebrate and champion poetry, and as such we would like to let you know about the opportunity to apply to be part of the Collective, mentored by the phenomenal Vanessa Kisuule and Will Harris!

The Southbank Centre is hoping to recruit between one and two poets or spoken word artists from the ten locations across England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland, and is looking for a diverse cohort reflecting a breadth of voice, languages, style, experience and approach.  

To find out more, and for an online application form, please visit the website here. The deadline for application is Monday 18 August, 12 noon.

For more details, please email the Southbank Centre team directly [email protected] or see the FAQs and Application Form Questions on the website link above.