• Our friends at The Unity have been running an amazing Open Call programme to support members of our freelance creative community. After huge demand for the programme of financial and creative support, the Unity launched a crowd funder to allow more creatives to access the programme. Open Call is so needed and we wanted to support, so have funded two places through our New Works programme. Express your interest through an application form or via video before Monday 8 March with more info HERE.

• As part of their Producing for the End of the World programme, The Uncultured are offering £600 bursaries and mentorship for two early career producers. More info HERE. Deadline 5pm on 9 March.

• Blackfest, Liverpool’s Black arts organisation, are recruiting for young people aged 18 – 25 to take part in a Self-Love project. Aimed at people from African Caribbean heritage, participants will meet for three hours a week explore Self-Love and Identity via spoken word, visualisation and filming the end product. For more info check out the Blackfest website. Deadline 26 February.

• Applications for The Bridport Prize are now open, and bursaries are being offered to offer free entry for underrepresented writers. The international creative writing prize has numerous categories, and winners can win up to £5k plus literary representation. More info HERE. Rolling monthly deadline until May.

• Homotopia Festival's Open call and Artist Development Programme is now open. They are asking that submissions for the Open call be fully formed and from theatre makers and producers, visual artists and performance artists who identify as LGBTQIA. The Artist Development programme is open to early-career artists and runs for 12 months. For more information about the Open Call, follow the link HERE. For the Artist Development programme follow the link HERE. Deadline 10am on 9 March 2021.

• Visual arts producer D6: Culture in Transit  is looking for expressions of interest from artists/illustrators/designers based in the North of England to produce a series of illustrations. The successful commission will reflect the values and artistic programme of D6. For more information on the shortlist process check out their website HERE. Deadline 1 March.

• The Producer Farm is a joint initiative by Fuel, Bristol Old Vic Ferment, Dance Umbrella, In Between Time and Coombe Farm Studios. Aimed at producers with 10-15 years’ experience, the residency is for those looking to make connections outside their existing network. It is a FREE residency, with food and accommodation provided. It will take place at Coombe Farm Studios in Devon between Sun 20 - Fri 25 June 2021. It will adhere to the Covid regulations at the time, and should it need to will go ahead in a digital format. For more information about the residency and how to apply, follow the link HERE. Deadline 12pm on 15 March.

• The 4thWrite Short Story Prize, in association with the Guardian, is a competition open to Black, Asian and Minority Ethnic writers. The winner will receive £1,000, a one-day publishing workshop at 4th Estate and publication of their story on the Guardian website. Entrants must place the title of the story at the beginning of the short story, but must NOT include their name anywhere on the document. You can find more details, the entrance form and upload your short story HERE. Deadline 30 April.

• ArtCry is a new fund supporting urgent artistic responses to current social and political events. If you are an artist who makes political work or is interested in making social and politically aware work, you can find more information about the fund HERE.

•  Manchester City of Literature is seeking an experienced freelance Creative Producer to work on the inaugural Festival of Libraries 9 to 13 June this year. To find out more about the role and how to apply follow this link. Deadline 12pm on 8 March.

• Free subtitling services are now available for small to medium sized cultural organisations, as well as for individual artists. More info HERE.

• This month’s A Lovely Word online is on Thursday 4 March with wonderful headliner Hannah Swingler and the usual open mic slots. Visit our website for more information and sign up for a performance slot.

•  We’re working with ThickSkin Theatre to present Petrichor, a virtual reality immersive theatre adventure, Monday 8 to Sunday 14 March. Set in a parallel universe and experienced on smart phones or tablets, Petrichor is a physical theatre performance with an original soundtrack and projected animation. Book tickets on our website HERE.

• Poet Amina Atiq is running free online writing workshops from Saturday for the Yemeni Community & those with shared Yemeni experience. Sign up HERE.

• Collective Encounters, in association with various other unions and groups are hosting an International Women's Day Merseyside: Online Solidarity Event on Monday 8 March. More info and to sign up HERE.