Open Call: Language is a Queer Thing

When you’re ready to apply, head to the application linked on The Queer Muslim Project website. Applications close on Wednesday 21 August 2024 at 7.25 PM UK time.

When you’re ready to apply, head to the application linked on The Queer Muslim Project website. There you will be asked the following questions:

• Name
• Gender
• Pronouns
• Age
• City
• Country
• Email
• Please provide a summary of your experience in poetry and performance. Please use references to past work/publications/collaborations/outputs. (up to 200 words)
• What are your expectations from the programme? Identify the learning gaps and needs at this stage in your career that you hope the programme can address. (up to 200 words)
• Do you belong to an underrepresented community? Share examples from your past work where you have engaged this community through your writing/performance and its impact.
• LIAQT focuses on collaborative learning to develop new creative work. What do you hope to bring to the programme that will support cross-cultural collaboration and exchange?
• Please share an open-access link to a 4-page sample of your poetry.
• Please share an open access link to a short video of you performing or reading at least one poem.
• Please share a link to your social media or website.
• If you have any access requirements, kindly let us know below.
• How did you learn about this opportunity?

The Queer Muslim Project is Asia’s leading digital and cultural platform for diverse LGBTQIA+ individuals, with a global community of over 70,000 people. They use art, culture and media to challenge harmful stereotypes and norms, build power and visibility of LGBTQIA+ storytellers and enable them to shape their own narratives.

They celebrate and nurture underrepresented queer talent and provide them with the tools, resources and networks to tell the stories that can drive sustainable change. Their work supports a wide variety of artists, activists, and community organisations, including those from South Asia, South East Asia, the UK, US, Europe and the MENA region.

Their work catalyses underrepresented artists as culture change leaders and creates pathways for their professional and personal development while allowing them to find life-affirming resources, networks and career opportunities.

In 2017, The Queer Muslim Project began in response to the lack of safe spaces for LGBTQIA+ Muslims in India to come together and tell their stories.

For more information, head to tqmp.in

Created as part of British Council’s India/UK Together Season of Culture 2022 by The Queer Muslim Project in collaboration with VERVE Poetry Festival, Language is a Queer Thing is an international poetry development programme engaging LGBTQIA+ poets, poetry professionals and communities in India and the UK.

The programme has emerged as the only exchange programme of its kind bringing together LGBTQIA+ talent from South Asia and the UK and creating sustainable pathways for cross-border collaborations and creative dialogue between artists and institutions.

Since its inception, Language is a Queer Thing has fostered connections across borders through a nurturing community space, generative writing and performance workshops, 1-1 mentor meetings, in-person residences and festival collaborations in host cities. Over two years, the project has travelled to cities such as Birmingham, Leeds and Mumbai and supported 12 emerging and mid-career LGBTQIA+ poets from India and the UK with career development opportunities, published their work in 2 anthologies by VERVE Poetry Press, and helped them reach over 2 million listeners through BBC Radio programmes and in-person audiences at leading festivals such as BBC Contains Strong Language, Tata Literature Live, Jaipur Literature Festival and Spoken Fest. LIAQT alumni have secured book deals with top publishers such as Bloomsbury, been featured in a UK national campaign by West End, and launched their own podcasts and community initiatives.