Running Bi+ Lines has been a huge honour over the past 18 months. Back in May, we held the final launch event for the book at Queer Lit in Manchester (Europe's biggest LGBTQ+ bookshop), and I've been working on the report (and other things) ever since. I've just completed the report, hit submit on the dreaded Arts Council England funding platform Grantium, and I wanted to have a little round-up here too to mark the end of the project in its official, funded capacity.
I've also written a proper report on the whole project, which you can download below. I've gone deep on this because I gathered so much amazing data, there was so much generous feedback, and I wanted to reflect on why it was such a success and how I and other people can do more projects that feel so meaningful in the future. Helen Spills Her Project Management Secrets Below!
If you have any questions about it, you can still get in touch with me via my Contact page. And just a gentle reminder that this project was run by me, not an organisation, and I kind of had to make up all the things a bigger org would already have in place - so please be generous!
TL;DR
If 25 page long reports aren't your thing, here are a few highlights. The project saw:
🖊️8 poetry workshops attended by over 300 people
🐛2,800 poems submitted to the anthology from 40 countries
📗45 poets published and 100s of copies sold
🎤10 launches across the UK and online, ft. 34 contributors, 35 open mic-ers and attended by 400 bi+ poetry fans
Some stats from the feedback forms you so generously filled out...
92% of workshop participants and launch audiences said that because of this project, they felt more a part of a bi+ poetry community than before. Incredible!
48% of launch audiences and 27% of workshop participants said they don’t regularly attend poetry events, meaning this project also brought more people to poetry – and 97% said they enjoyed themselves!
92% of workshop participants reported that they developed their poetry skills to boot.
And some lovely quotes...
“It is so common within the LGBTQ+ community to feel unwelcome in queer spaces due to internalised biphobia or reactions from others making us feel that we are not ‘queer enough’. This project is providing an important and rare space for bi people to feel seen, this is a powerful thing. The workshop content was interesting and I do feel I developed my poetry and thought more about different forms.” – workshop participant
“Also, just wanted to thank you for offering online workshops also. I'm 7 months into long covid and have found it really difficult the way that's impacted my ability to write but also, when I do have the energy, my access to spaces to develop that writing. This was my first workshop since the whole ordeal started so yeah I really wanted to thank you (and Phoebe [facilitator]) for making it accessible and a great way to get the juices going after many months in storage <3”
“I don't think I have ever experienced this kind of session before - and don't know with who else/where I ever will again.” – workshop participant
“Both headliners were amazing and seeing others do open mic inspired me to consider writing myself and I would be keen to see more workshops and events that are inclusive of the Bi+ community.” – launch attendee
“I can't thank you enough for the life-changing experience that was and is this project, and the community it has nourished.” – anthology contributor
“As I am sure you will hear said a hundred times, it means a lot to me to be included in the first anthology of bi+ poets. This has led to me coming out to one of my parents, centred around explaining this project to him. Again, although this is a national project, it feels for me - and, I’m guessing, for many others - deeply personal.” – anthology contributor
The book's publisher fourteen poems has reported more bi+ poetry submissions since the project, and will soon be publishing pamphlets by two of the poets in the anthology (Troy Cabida and Hetty Cliss), as well as individual poems by many more of the contributors in its quarterly magazine. One contributor, Imogen Wade, won first prize in the National Poetry Competition weeks after performing at the Brighton launch. Imogen has also collaborated with her co-performer Astra Papachristodoulou on poetic tattoos inspired by her work.
Bi+ Lines has also been noticed and respected by arts, cultural and academic organisations. I have been invited to speak at a Bisexual Research Centre Day academic Zoom conference and Bi Pride London (this Saturday actually - I'm on at 3.50!*), and to run a sold-out Bi+ Lines inspired workshop at Deptford Literature Festival and Queer Circle. One participant is now researching Bi+ Lines to study the impact of bi+ spaces for her Masters, which is absolutely wild.
*I’ll be on the ‘I Am Proud’ stage as part of a panel on bi+ poetry, with contributor Gayathiri Kamalakanthan as well as AFLO Poet and Erin James. It’ll be in the William Barry Theatre, University of West London, St Mary’s Road, W5 5RF. Even if you can’t make that talk, check out their whole programme - what better space to be than Bi Pride?
This project has been a dream to run. I'm so grateful for all the messages about how it has helped people come out, or identify as bi+, or feel more seen. It's always been about community - so thank you for being part of it.
Final massive thanks to all the partners on the project (Gay's the Word, Manchester Poetry Library, The Writing Squad, Out on the Page, Spread the Word, Commonword) and especially fourteen poems without whom none of this would be possible. I don't know anything about publishing, but I know I couldn't have asked for a more generous, passionate and supportive partner in Ben Townley-Canning. Go and submit to the mag!
This is the end of the official, funded bit of Bi+ Lines, but the social media (@bi_poets on Twitter and Instagram) and Substack will stay intermittently open, sharing bi+ poetry news and opportunities. If you want to run a Bi+ Lines inspired workshop or event get in touch! And if you are a bi+ poet wanting to meet other bi+ poets, a few people have organised some informal workshop meet-up groups online and in London. Get in touch via bipoetsonline[at]gmail[dot]com if you'd like to join the self-organising online workshop group, and join the London-based group at bipoetslondon[at]gmail[dot]com.
For now - time to do some writing of my own. See you out there, bi+ poets!
Комментарии