CALL FOR PROPOSALS FOR THE FIRST DIGITAL POETRY EXPO, ORGANISED AND CURATED BY VERSOPOLIS, A EUROPEAN PLATFORM OF INTERNATIONAL POETRY FESTIVALS
At Versopolis, we believe that poetry is a node connecting people from all over the word, calling for dialogue, nurturing diversity and human creativity and building bridges between continents and cultures. After two very successful editions of the Festival of Hope which took place during the COVID-19 pandemic, and in addition to our digital festival Brave New Literatures, which is our laboratory of new, progressive ideas that strengthen literature, communities, as well as individuals, Versopolis is launching the Poetry Expo initiative in 2023.
Poetry Expo is the world’s first digital fair completely dedicated to poetry, human creativity and literature, designed to showcase the achievements of different nations, cultures and languages, connecting artist from all around the globe, working towards a change both in art and society at large, while offering you a space to present and share your ideas with the global community. With this initiative, Versopolis aims to support co-operation and increase the visibility of poetry in public spaces by promoting innovative ways of achieving and sharing progress, seeing human creativity as an important part of solutions, making a difference for society, the environment, or both. Under the slogan Connecting by poetry, creating for future, Poetry Expo intends to break down the boundaries between national cultures and art genres by promoting diversity, liberty, and social engagement, and showcasing the finest creations of different cultures, that which makes us all human.
Poetry Expo wishes to create a space for free expression and creativity, and share collective and individual best practices and accomplishments in culture and literature. With five digital pavilions focused on the subthemes of opportunity, sustainability, human and artificial creativity, future prospects and connect not divide, we invite the global art and culture community to pitch their projects related to the above subthemes, and indeed other works that may not fit the subthemes, but can reach and move audiences, raise awareness and mobilise.
Therefore, we seek projects and poetry that responds or can be linked to the questions contained in our five subthemes:
1. Opportunity: Literature offers a space of opportunity, a space where creative power of fiction is built out of reality and transformed by the cognitive, ethical and aesthetic power of artistic creation. How does the creative impulse transcend limitations and build an open space for human expression? How can poetry help the world to come together, irrespective of social, political and other determinants?
2. Sustainability: One of the challenges presently facing humanity is the protection of our environment and the search for a path to a sustainable society. How can literary and cultural projects contribute to addressing this issue? What are some examples of good practices in this area? How are the current issues reflected in contemporary literature and culture? Can literature become a tool in the fight against the global crisis and facilitate the transition to a sustainable model of human society?
3. Human and artificial creativity: Humanity has always been driven to create, creativity is part of being human, so how to explain it? How does expressing our creativity enrich our daily experience as individuals and members of different collectives? What is the role of new technologies in this? Can artificial intelligence keep pace with human creativity, what is the relationship between the two, and can artificial creativity replace us?;
4. Future prospects: We are interested in projects that look to transform literary activity (literary organisations, festivals, book fairs, literary events, etc.). How literary creation and activity is adapting to current challenges and how it envisages the future? What place does poetry have in the future and how can literature contribute in the context of social change and current social upheavals? How can art and our creativity change our world for the better?;
5. Connect not divide: Literature has the power to counter the prejudice, discrimination and hate speech that is increasingly present in our society. What are some examples of projects and good practices that demonstrate the capacity of literature and culture to offer a space to silenced and oppressed minorities, to voices that are threatened and create under repression? How does literature respond to discrimination, racism, xenophobia, homophobia, etc.? How does it give voice to the voiceless?
We are looking for projects, poetic and other works by individuals, organisations and collectives, that actively seek answers, either direct or indirect, to the above questions. In doing so, we aim to provide an open platform for poetry and creative voices from all over the world to come together, showcasing the very best of your works, and giving poetry the visibility it deserves.
Join us in creating the world’s largest digital exhibition, dedicated exclusively to poetry!
WHO CAN PARTICIPATE?
Literary institutions, organisations, collectives or associations, festivals, arts and culture media and anyone else who feels they are in the position to contribute. Each applicant may pitch one or several projects.
Individual artists are requested to contact us before submitting.
HOW CAN YOU CONTRIBUTE?
Get in touch and share your ideas with us! You can showcase your project or participate in online events of any genre. Join our festival with your past or recent works, or produce something new especially for us.
Video and audio content should not exceed 60 minutes and should be uploaded to either YouTube, Vimeo or other platforms.
The language of the project is English, whereas the contributions can be in any language. They should, nevertheless, be subtitled or accompanied by an abstract in English.
WHAT ABOUT PAYMENT?
This is a not-for-profit project, and it does not offer honoraria to contributors. There is, however, limited funding for English translations and new co-operation ideas.
Our main goal is to make your contribution visible and recognised all over the globe.
Get in touch as soon as possible to discuss your ideas.
Contact:
Aljaž Koprivnikar: poetryexpo@versopolis.com
