Apprenticeship Scheme
Generously funded by The Fenton Arts Trust and Arts Council England, this is a scheme for talented emerging poets, of any age, who will each be matched with a prominent poet with proven experience in supporting the work of other writers.
Our Apprenticeship Scheme is now open
Poetry London is pleased to announce that its Poetry Apprenticeship Scheme, with Pascale Petit, is now open for applications! Applicants must not be part of another similar scheme or studying for a creative writing degree. Poetry London is committed to developing the diversity of contemporary poetry, and as part of our commitment to this we will be providing this scheme without cost to the poets, while also offering a grant of £500 to cover travel expenses in order to enable applicants from across the UK to benefit.
Feedback from previous apprentices emphasises the indispensability of financial support in accessing the opportunities the scheme offers, enabling them to develop their practice, and to think imaginatively and ambitiously about their work. Asked about the most beneficial aspects of this scheme, one apprentice answered ‘The level, precision, and quality of the feedback I receive’.
How to apply
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If you would like to apply to the scheme, please email a letter of interest (no more than 2 sides of A4, outlining your writing practice to date, and why you need the scheme) and a sample of three poems via Submittable. Please also attach a completed equal opportunities form.
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The deadline for submissions is midnight on 30th September 2024.
Feedback from past apprentices
I applied to the scheme because I knew that I needed support in order to continue to develop. I am supported in becoming a more technically skilled and precise poet. I am being stretched to become a better reader of my work, to create clarity for the reader, and I have been given a step by step process to support me in becoming a better editor of my work. I’ve been given affirmation on things that I do well in my work. I also feel that simply being accepted onto the scheme has raised my profile as a writer.
The scheme has given me a stronger direction and focus for my work. It has greatly increased my confidence in my writing, trying new approaches and reading a wider variety of poetry and criticism. I feel the mentoring genuinely targeted to my development.
In terms of the practical beneficial aspects, the fact that it is free and that our travel is paid for made it a very attractive scheme. The chance to travel farther afield to experience other poetry scenes and meet other poets has been wonderful. I don’t have a car, and trains are extremely expensive, so the money for travel was essential.
It helped me to identify goals that I wouldn’t have otherwise known I should have. I didn’t really know that I had an issue with creating clarity for the reader of my poems. And when I went through an editing process with my mentor, I was able to viscerally and cognitively experience the difference that offering more clarity made for the reader, not to mention how it improved those poems.