New international poetry and short story competition - with ₤1,000 worth of prizes to be won
THE A
Day in the Life competition is being launched by
Liverpool Hope University in conjunction with the
Liverpool Arab Arts Festival (LAAF). Entrants are
being invited to submit either a poem, short story
or video clip which shines a light on an aspect,
either positive or negative, of their life in the
Liverpool City Region. It could be related to
School, work, community or leisure time, and
should give a snapshot of a typical 24 hours in a
person's life. Applicants can use whatever medium
they'd like; whether it's written word, short
video, a rap or a link to their TikTok or any
other social media clip. Both the Palestinian
Writers Union and the Jordanian Writers Society
are also hosting their own A Day in the Life
competitions in their native countries, and
delegates from each will Zoom in to a special
winners' ceremony held in Liverpool later this
summer.
Professor Michael Lavalette, Dean of the School of
Social Sciences at Hope, said:- "This is a
great opportunity for aspiring young writers
and creative thinkers. What we really want to
see are poems or short stories that really
offer a window into someone's lived
experience. There are no restrictions as to
what you might address; this is about how you
interpret a day in your own life. Applicants
can use a variety of mediums to capture their
thoughts, whether it's a written poem or short
story, or whether you turn those ideas into a
video or social media snippet. For me, the
cross national element of the competition is
really exciting. Both Liverpool Hope
University and Liverpool Arab Arts Festival
are committed to fostering links between
communities, and we hope this is a way to
build further bridges. Of course the prize
money isn't bad, either!"
Afrah Qassim, Chair of Liverpool Arab Arts
Festival, said:- "We are delighted to be
working in partnership with Liverpool Hope
University on this great initiative. Our 2022
festival theme is 'points of connection
between cultures' and this project
encapsulates this wonderfully. From writing to
video and audio clips, we can't wait to see
the creative responses in this cross national
competition."
There will be two categories for applicants in
Liverpool:- 16 years and under; and 17 to 21
years. Prizes are as follows:-
► 1st
= ₤250.
► 2nd
= ₤150.
► 3rd
= ₤100.
The UK competition will be judged by experts from
Hope and Liverpool Arab Arts Festival and its
community partners. 1 of those judges will be the
award winning poet Dr Eleanor Rees, who is also
Senior Lecturer in Creative Writing at Hope. Among
the panel of judges from Liverpool Arab Arts
Festival are:- prize winning Yemeni novelist
Hamdan Dammag and Amina Atiq, a Yemeni- Scouse
poet, performance artist, creative practitioner
and award winning community activist.
Winners will be announced on Wednesday, 13 July
2022, during a ceremony at Liverpool Hope
University's Great Hall, located at the City
Centre Creative Campus.
Founded in 1998, Liverpool Arab Arts Festival
(LAAF) is the UK's longest running annual Arab
arts and culture festival, platforming the best UK
and international Arab artists.
The festival creates a dynamic between traditional
and contemporary Arab artforms, encouraging
informed debate that explores, and increases,
appreciation of Arab people and their rich
cultures.
Liverpool Arab Arts Festival's work continues
throughout the year, with a wide range of events
and participatory projects that bring together
artists and diverse communities. From Liverpool to
the Arab world, LAAF builds connections that help
more people to encounter and experience Arab
culture in Liverpool and beyond.
The year round programme of artistic and cultural
events includes:- Liverpool Arab Arts Festival,
which runs this year from Thursday, 7 July 2022to
Sunday, 17 July 2022.
The festival brings a thrilling celebration of
Arab culture to venues across the City and
showcases the richness of Arab culture through a
curated programme of:- visual art, music, dance,
film, theatre, literature and digital events.
Liverpool Arab Arts Festival is an Arts Council
England National Portfolio Organisation.
Murad Sudani, General Secretary of the
Palestinian Writers Union, said of the A Day in
the Life initiative:- "This competition is a
great opportunity for young people in
Palestine, Jordan and Liverpool to learn from
each other and about each other's lives. It is
the 1st, but hopefully not the last, shared
competition between students in our
countries."
Meanwhile the Jordanian Writers Society is chaired
by Muhammed Khudair, a celebrated and multi award
winning poet.
Terms and
Conditions:-
The competition is open to those either living in
the Liverpool City Region (as well as separately
in Palestine and Jordan).
Any video based submissions must be either one
minute in duration, or less.
Any written submissions must be of a maximum
permitted 500 words in length.
Categories for applicants are as follows:-
1) 16 years and under.
2) 17 to 21 years.
Prizes are as
follows, for each age group:-
► 1st
= ₤250.
► 2nd
= ₤150.
► 3rd
= ₤100.
Please submit your application by emailing:-
ADayInTheLife@Hope.AC.UK. Full details can be
found at:-
https://www.Hope.AC.UK/SocialSciences/ADayInTheLifeCompetition
Please include a filled in Competition Consent
Form, which can be found at:- Hope.AC.UK.
Please also include contact details for either
yourself or your legal guardian.
The closing date for submissions for applicants
from Liverpool is midnight on Friday, 17 June
2022.
10 finalists from each entry category will be
invited with their families to the event on
Wednesday, 13 July 2022.
Winners will be announced on the day of the event;
if you can't be there on the day, please nominate
someone to collect the award for you. Prize money
will be awarded either via bank transfer or
cheque, or if the applicant is claiming asylum,
via a gift card.
Teal Scaffold Support Testicular Cancer Awareness Month
TO mark
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Community Engagement Manager, Darren Couchman at
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Testicular Cancer is the most commonly diagnosed
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