HELP TELL & SHARE WINDSOR’S STORY…
The City of Windsor is calling for applications and / or nominations for the city’s next Poet Laureate, as well as the city’s first Youth Poet Laureate.
Windsor’s Poet Laureate Program is a vital piece of the local creative community. Since 2011, the program has helped develop and cultivate an engaged, all-ages local audience that appreciates and responds to the literary arts.
The program aims to promote poetry to a wide and appreciative audience, while strengthening the public’s relationship to literature. The program celebrates poetry, writing, and the contribution of poets to the cultural life of our diverse community. Windsor’s program has set an example for other Canadian communities for what is possible through a responsive and interactive poet laureate program that truly engages a community, while allowing us to capture, preserve and share Windsor’s unique stories.
Marty Gervais – Windsor’s Poet Laureate Emeritus
The city’s current Poet Laureate, Marty Gervais will reach the end of his term along with the current Windsor City Council. In recognition of his tenure in the role, and to honour his contributions to the development of the program, City Council recently appointed Mr. Gervais as the Poet Laureate Emeritus for Windsor. In this new leadership and mentorship role in the program, Mr. Gervais will continue to be recognized as an ambassador for the literary arts in Windsor.
Calling All Poets
As Mr. Gervais prepares to pass the literary torch, interested individuals may apply or be nominated to be considered for either available role. The Poet Laureate position will serve to honour a Windsor poet aged 25 years and older, while the Youth Poet Laureate position will serve to honour a Windsor poet aged 14 to 24 years. Full details on eligibility requirements, application process including required submission form, selection criteria, role responsibilities, honorariums, term lengths, and more can be found in the Program Guidelines, which are available online.
Deadline to Apply
Tuesday, January 8, 2019.
Helpful Links
- Poet Laureate Program Guidelines and Process.
- Poet Laureate Submission Form.
- Poet Laureate Program Web Section.
- Poet Laureate Marty Gervais Web Section.
Contact Information
For further information or questions, please contact Cultural Affairs at culturalaffairs@citywindsor.ca
Additional Details (found within the Program Guidelines)
Windsor’s Poet Laureate position will serve to honour a poet (aged 25 years and older) who writes excellent poetry and focuses on themes that are relevant to the people who live in the City of Windsor. This poet will serve as an ambassador for the arts, culture and heritage sectors in the City of Windsor and help to celebrate poetry and the arts – particularly the literary arts. As an ambassador for poetry and literature, the poet laureate will be invited to attend municipal events to share works and raise the profile of the literary arts in Windsor.
Duties, roles and responsibilities of the poet laureate:
- To serve as an ambassador for poetry, literature, literacy, and the literary arts;
- Create artistic work that reflects Windsor’s people, places, sites, identity, and/or the life of the city;
- Produce at least three original works for specific events or occasions identified by the City each year;
- Make public presentations of their work at least three times a year;
- Work with City Administration to produce at least one poetry event a year; and
- Participate in the literary life of the city to raise the visibility of literacy, poetry, and spoken word.
Windsor’s Youth Poet Laureate position will serve to honour a poet (aged 14 to 24 years) who writes excellent poetry and focuses on themes that are relevant to youth who live in the City of Windsor. This poet will provide a strong youth voice and will reach out to other youth to inspire interest in poetry and the arts – particularly the literary arts. As an ambassador for youth, poetry, language and the arts, the youth poet laureate will be invited to attend municipal events to share works and increase engagement of youth with the arts.
Duties, roles and responsibilities of the youth poet laureate:
- To serve as an ambassador for youth, poetry, literature, literacy, and the literary arts;
- Create artistic work that reflects Windsor’s young people, places, sites, identity, and/or the life of the city’s youth;
- Produce at least two original works for specific events or occasions identified by the City each year;
- Make public presentations of their work at least two times a year;
- Work with City Administration to produce at least one community youth poetry event a year; and
- Participate in the literary life of the City to raise the visibility of youth, literacy, poetry, and spoken word.
More Info: https://www.citywindsor.ca/residents/Culture/Pages/Poet-Laureate.aspx