Poetry Screen

Combining poetry and film to create innovative new work
Poetry Screen is a project aiming to inspire and showcase the innovative work of young artists that combines poetry and film.
We are creating a space for conversations between visual and poetic languages; established and fresh voices; poets and film-makers - across time, backgrounds and borders.
It’s an invitation to play with the Poetry Archive’s rich collection of recorded poetry. You can do this by repurposing a selection of our classic poetry recordings or by writing your own work in response to any of the poems in its collection (including a wide selection of contemporary poems).
We’ll select up to five video poems to publish and will pay a royalty fee of £200/work. The showcased artists will be invited to pitch for one new commission, with a budget of £2000.
A project for film makers and poets
Poets/artists/film makers/musicians/students from all over the world – all are welcome. You can take part if you are 25 and under. If you are working as a team, at least one of you must be 25 or under.
Make a short video poem of up to 5 minutes length maximum (excluding credits). We're looking for an imaginative approach which goes beyond the obvious. Your visuals can be abstract or narrative, include animation or graphics. You can mix music and sampled sound into the poetry.
Be inventive with your resources - we’re not expecting a big budget production. Video poems need to be publishable but not completely polished at this stage.
Timelines
Dec 7, 2020
Competition officially announced.
Entries open. Join the Poetry Screen community and start creating.
June 1, 2021
Deadline to submit your work.
There is no entry fee, and you can submit as many entries as you wish.
June 16, 2021
Winners contacted.
The winner will be invited to pitch for a commission to be produced over the summer of 2021.
July 15, 2021
Showcase event.
We’ll hold an online showcase event to announce the selections and the commission.
Get started

Start your application by registering your details.
Once you are registered you will receive an email with further information and your full application pack.
More information

Contact us
If you have questions or would like to contact our team, you can contact us by emailing email us at
info@poetryscreen.uk

Join our community
Whether you're looking for collaborators, fellow film making enthusiasts or tips and advice about the project.
Join our Facebook Group.

FAQs
We've put together a list of commonly asked questions that you may find helpful. Download them here.
View frequently asked questions
Examples for inspiration
Here are two examples of video poems: one using a classic recording and another a contemporary poem.
About the Poetry Screen project
Poetry Screen is a project to inspire video poetry, run in partnership with the Poetry Archive and supported by Arts Council England.
View the Terms and Conditions here.
