NALD Futures
After a fantastic 20 years supporting, lobbying for, nurturing and training literature professionals, NALD is now closing its doors. We are launching a new, one-off funding scheme
We received hundreds of applications from you to put our remaining funds to good use in the sector and we're very excited about the eight projects we have chosen for the NALD Futures Fund, which will together make up the NALD legacy. Among the projects, there's reader development, talent encouragement, research, new partnerships and the creation of new work. We won't be monitoring them, or asking for final activity reports, rather it's up to you - the NALD members - to get involved with any that excite you. Contact the project organiser if you think you can lend something useful in partnership; help publicise their work through your networks; be generous with your time if they come to you for advice. And in this spirit, NALD will continue.
Over the next few months, our parting investment will be making its way into the sector and we hope the benefit of this funding will be widespread. We look forward to seeing some of these projects come to fruition in 2013. Please join us in wishing congratulations and good luck to the successful applicants.
The Successful NALD Futures Fund applicants
Meniscus (Beccy Owen): an Open Space project for literature development
Meniscus is a chance for anyone working as a writer of any kind within the Yorkshire region to meet regularly with others to explore topics and issues that are of importance to them. This may include sharing material, asking for feedback and the chance to collaborate with fellow-artists from a variety of disciplines/backgrounds. Open Space technology will be used to guide the informal, productive bi-monthly gatherings, to be held in Leeds (with the possibility of expanding to the York region).The project will support writers to enjoy a generous space that encourages listening and hospitality, challenge and risk, all of which generates positive creative outcomes.
Albion (arthur+martha CIC): a collaborative poem written by homeless people
An epic poem from the mouths of ordinary people
Arts organisation arthur+martha will edit, publish and promote Albion, an epic poem which stretches outside the usual arena of literary development to include people whose words and very existence are often unrecorded.
Albion is a collaboration with marginalised people - including homeless people, people with a dementia diagnosis, people living in areas of economic disadvantage and young offenders.
Alongside a paper/kindle publication, the entire project will be tweeted in a mass twitter stream run by the lead artists, participants and volunteer helpers: poets from both the UK and abroad.
Other News
the/warm/&/the/cold is a project run by arts organisation arthur+martha, led by poet Phil Davenport and artist Lois Blackburn, with support from our National Lottery funded Grants for the arts scheme. Click through for coverage in CityLife Manchester, Arts Council England and The Big Issue in the North.
Weblinks
http://arthur-and-martha.blogspot.co.uk
http://www.applepie-editions.co.uk
Crowd Translation Wiki (Write Out Loud / Kirklees Libraries): an online translation project
for minority language communities
Foreign Fiction Readers' Project (Booktrust / Freeword Centre): a project boosting reader engagement with world literature
Learning Through Doing (The Literary Platform): action research projects into literature and
technology
The Literary Platform is dedicated to breaking down the boundaries between the disciplines of literature and technology and exploring the creative forms and models that emerge from inter-disciplinary collaboration.
Our experience of the relationship between writers and technology is that ‘learning through doing’ is by far the most effective way for writers to explore new approaches to their practice.
NALDs £7500 funding will support two ‘action research’ projects, each of which will unite one writer and one creative technologist and enable them to ring-fence the time to explore and scope a jointly-conceived digital literature project.
We will be launching the application process in mid-December on www.theliteraryplatform.com. Individuals and pairs of writers/ technologists will be able to apply.
He Relished it Much (Alec Finlay and Ken Cockburn): a reading tour across Scotland, after
Boswell and Johnson
Inspired by Boswell and Johnson's journey across the highlands and islands in 1773, poets Alec Finlay and Ken Cockburn will make their own Scottish journey, exploring themes taken from a close-reading of the classic text, and using it as a prompt for visits to particular places and venues.
En-route, a series of events including poetry readings, film-screenings, whisky-tastings, workshops, and guided walks will engage local communities and groups, and invite contributions from fellow poets, artists, and experts.
Setting off from the Scottish Poetry Library (Edinburgh) in March 2013, their journey will combine visits to libraries, landmarks, and natural landscapes, and include workshops with school students and an event at the Boswell Book Festival (Auchinleck) in May. Their journey will end in September 2013.
Research and development (Jaybird): towards new ways of working with live literature
Research and development (Luke Allen): towards new ways of publishing
The NALD online presence will continue to be maintained to the end March 2013 by Wes Brown and NAWE, and we are very grateful for their support.
It just remains for us to give our heartfelt thanks to all the NALD staff who have led and shaped the organisation, particularly Steve Dearden who has been our most recent director and in many ways has been a force behind NALD throughout its life. We are grateful also to the many literature professionals who have contributed to the NALD board. And most importantly, thanks to those of you who have been members of the organisation over the years. The future of literature development in the UK and Ireland remains exactly where it should be: in your hands.
NALD Board of Directors
November 2012
