Are you developing a bold new poetry performance?

Testing out something strange, hybrid, or genre-breaking?

We want to hear from you.

​​​​As part of our 2026 festival programme, VERVE Poetry Festival is excited to launch WORK IN POETRY — an open call for emerging experimental works in live poetry and spoken word. This showcase is a space for scratch performances, works-in-progress, and interdisciplinary pieces exploring the possibilities of poetry on stage.

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What We’re Looking For.

We’re inviting proposals from poets, performers, and artists working in and around poetry who are developing:

• Scratch performances or works-in-progress
• Experimental or interdisciplinary approaches
• Performance poetry that incorporates sound, movement, visuals, digital media, or audience interaction
• Projects that are part of a DYCP or other development process
• New voices pushing the boundaries of poetry on stage
• Old voices with new material.
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​What We Offer.​

• A professionally produced slot at VERVE Poetry Festival 2026

• A £300 fee per performance (solo or group)

• Basic technical support (generic lighting and sound - this is a SCRATCH - not a 'show')

• An opportunity to perform in front of a live audience and gather feedback

• Promotion as part of the official festival programme

• *We cannot supply accommodation but will cover travel. 

Who should apply?

We actively encourage submissions from:

• ANY PHASE OF THEIR POETRY CAREER - artists ;)

• Poets and performers from underrepresented backgrounds

• Artists working at the intersection of poetry and other disciplines

• Anyone with a weird, wild, or wonderful idea that needs a stage to grow

Submit Your Proposal

​​Submissions Open: SEPTEMBER 1st
Submission Deadline: OCTOBER 31st