QUEER BODIES
CALL OUT FOR PARTICIPANTS 2020
deadline august 14th
APPLY HERE -------->>>>>>>> https://bit.ly/3f6gDVp
This course was developed with the hope of building a dedicated cohort of queer writers in the North West, in response to the inaccessibility of some higher education programs.
The course is suitable for folks interested in challenging and strengthening their practice, learning critical theory and gaining valuable feedback in a safe environment.
Participants should be open to collaboration, compassion, and have a passion for / interest in writing / exploring / reading / presenting and publishing poetry, individually and in group settings.
We especially encourage applications from queer, nb, trans, poc, disabled, and older writers.
COURSE DETAILS
This course will involve once weekly poetry workshop series over 12 weeks, facilitated by Day Mattar and Brendan Curtis (Workshops will generally be carried out via Zoom depending on government guidelines and our own collective sense of safety).
You will develop a body of experimental work, and be encouraged to contribute to the collective pamphlet: QUEER BODIES I, reading at an exhibition as part of HOMOTOPIA FESTIVAL 2020
We aim for the course to be as accessible as possible, and may be able to cover train tickets (bought in advance).
To help cover the cost of other participants' access, travel, and our guest poets / workshop leaders, we are requesting a donation of 20-50, based on your means and income.
APPLY HERE -------->>>>>>>> https://bit.ly/3f6gDVp
Please complete your form by the deadline of the 14th August at the latest.
We aim to get back to you by the 15th-16th August.
COURSE STRUCTURE
Workshops will generally happen on Thursday.
August 20 / 27, September 3 / 10 / 17 / 24, October 1 / 8 / 15 / 22 / 29 November 6
(with one or two additional meetings to touch base + discuss exhibition/presentation of work + pamphlet creation in and around November)
Exhibition Dates Mid-November (date TBC) as part of the Homotopia Festival 20 programme.
More details will be released upon request / acceptance on the course.
WHO
Day Mattar is a non-binary, queer artist and facilitates the Liverpool Queer Poetry Collective, https://www.facebook.com/LiverpoolQueerPoetryCollective with Brendan Curtis, that have met weekly for two years in various rooms around the city. They focus their workshops on shared concerns, queer poets they love, and produce / critique work together.
They perform regularly at EAT ME and co-produce the queer scratch night, SPEW.
They’ve challenged their written work, pushing poetry into performance space. They have collaborated with musicians from RNCM to produce pieces to dance / move to. The spoken-word stage can feel self-righteous, repelling listeners who want to feel included – Day wants to explore performed poetry that speaks directly to, not up at, or down to its audience. Their poems have been published in various formats, from magazines to pamphlets and they have recently graduated with Distinction from MMU. They often perform in the nude.
Their work can be accessed here: https://www.instagram.com/daymattarpoetry/
Brendan Curtis co-produces Eat Me and Preach! a drag dinner cabaret and queer disco party that aims to programme as diverse a bouquet of artists as possible, whilst creating a safe, accessible dance space for queer folk and allies to meet, play and party.
Brendan is a multi-disciplinary, neurodivese queer artist who performs as Auntie Climax and Penny Lane. He mostly performs his poetry in drag as spoken word in character but his work has been published, commissioned and produced zines. Brendan was previously involved in the radical education programme School of the Damned and holds a BA in Fine Art. He was recently awarded The Royal Standard’s ‘Utopia’ commision https://www.the-royal-standard.co.uk/
They both have a wide degree of facilitation experience between them.
We look forward to hearing from you!
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These are some of the poets we will be reading / discussing:
Reading List
Danez Smith – ‘Don’t Call Us Dead’, ‘Homie’
Sam Sax – ‘Madness’, ‘Bury Us’
Tommy Pico – ‘Junk’
Maggie Nelson – ‘Bluets’
Jos Charles – ‘hors’
Jay Bernard – ‘Surge’
Ross Gay – ‘Unabashed Catalogue of Gratitude’
Jericho Brown – ‘New Testament’
Adrienne Rich – ’12 love poems’
Mary Jean Chan – ‘Fleche’
Jamie Hale – ‘Faggot’
Andrew McMillan – ‘Physical’
Sean Hewitt – ‘Tongues of Fire’
Larry Mitchell – ‘Faggots and their Friends between the Revolution’
Frank O’Hara – everything you can get your filthy mitts on
Hieu Minh Nguyen – ‘Not Here’
Caroline Bird – ‘In These Days of Prohibition’
'Franny Choi 'Pork Fried Rice'
Langston Hughes
Morgan Parker
Raymond Antrobus
Hustling Verse
Cathy Park Hong
CA Conrad
Terrence Hayes
Nina Simone
DA Powell
M. NourbeSe Philip
Mark Doty
Noname
Robin Coste Lewis
Rosa Alcalá
Rumi
Fiona Benson