Nurturing the craft, creativity and wellbeing of women poets in the UK.
The Rebecca Swift Foundation provides support and creative professional development opportunities through the Women Poets’ Prize and the Women Poets’ Network
Click here to become a member of the Women Poets’ Network
Vacancies and Opportunities
We are currently recruiting for our Women Poets’ Network programme,
By Poets, For Poets.
By Poets, For Poets empowers women poets to build sustainable and fulfilling writing lives and careers. This project is generously supported using public funding by the National Lottery through Arts Council England.
Creative Associates
The Rebecca Swift Foundation is seeking to appoint three Creative Associates, who will strengthen our connections with women poets in Wolverhampton, London, and Newcastle.
The aim of the role is to build networks by delivering impactful in-person work in these three cities.
Workshop Facilitator Training with Deanna Rodger
The Rebecca Swift Foundation invites applications from Women Poets’ Network members who are interested in developing workshop facilitation as part of their practice. This free training is offered through the Women Poets’ Network’s By Poets, For Poets programme.
Leading poet Deanna Rodger will deliver bespoke training to equip you with the skills and tools needed to devise and deliver exceptional poetry workshops.
Equal Opportunities
When applying for any of our vacancies or opportunities, please also complete the anonymous Equality Monitoring form here.
The Rebecca Swift Foundation (RSF) particularly welcomes applications from global majority women poets, neurodivergent women poets, and women poets with disabilities and/or chronic illnesses. We do not discriminate on grounds of age, disability, gender, gender reassignment, marital status, maternity and pregnancy, race, religion, class and sexual orientation.
All applicants are invited to fill in an Equal Opportunities Monitoring Form as part of our equal opportunities evaluation. Form data is collected and stored anonymously and confidentially in line with RSF’s Privacy Policy.
Vacancy details
Creative Associates
Paid Freelance Opportunity for Women Poets
The Rebecca Swift Foundation is seeking to appoint three Creative Associates, who will strengthen our connections with women poets in Wolverhampton, London, and Newcastle.
The aim of the role is to build networks by delivering impactful in-person work in these three cities. Each Creative Associate will receive a cash stipend of £3,000 to support the creation and delivery of work, which will include the following elements:
- Develop and deliver at least one in-person intervention within their region (related resource and materials costs must come from the stipend);
- Participate in a minimum of two focus groups with Women Poets’ Network members, RSF staff, and other Creative Associates;
- Create an original creative response to the work carried out, which will be presented at an online Poetry Symposium in late spring/early summer 2026.
Additional expenses may be applied for to cover access costs and any additional support that may be needed.
This opportunity is generously supported using public funding by the National Lottery through Arts Council England, and run in partnership with The City of Wolverhampton Council, Apples & Snakes, and Alphabetti Theatre.
Who is this opportunity for?
This opportunity is open to women poets based in Wolverhampton, London, or Newcastle. You must live in or be near to one of these cities in order to apply.
A strong interest in community-building is essential. Applicants are expected to have established connections with the poetry scenes in their area.
There is no upper age limit and we are happy to consider applications from women poets at all stages of their career.
You don’t need to have published a full poetry collection or pamphlet yet, but ideally you will have published in magazines or performed your work. You do need to have a track record in community building and be confident in presenting your work.
How to apply
Submit a statement (no more than one A4 page) explaining why you are a good fit for this role. Please also include a pitch (max. 250 words) for an in-person event idea, outlining any resources you might need.
If preferred, you can supply this information in a video or audio file (max length: 3 minutes).
No CV or formal qualifications are required. Please provide the name of at least one referee who can vouch for your ability to carry out the role. This can be someone from any background, not necessarily poetry-related.
Deadline
9am (UK) 25th November 2024
Informal interviews will take place on w/c 9 December.
Access
Please contact us at by 8 November 2024 if you require further assistance with your application.
FAQS
What do you expect the ‘in-person intervention’ to be?
We’ve purposely left that open to interpretation as we want the event to be something that the Creative Associate is passionate about delivering. It could be a networking event, a workshop, some sort of performance or something else entirely! It might be a single event or a series or events. The main thing is that it would take place in-person and bring a meaningful experience into the lives of women poets in the local area. It should also be something that you are confident you can deliver.
Does the 250-word pitch for an in-person event need to be included on the A4 page?
If you can get your statement and pitch on one A4 page, great! If you can’t, it’s okay for your pitch to be added to a second page. Please upload your statement and 250-word pitch in a single document.
Do I need to submit a CV?
No. Please do not send your CV with your application as it won’t be read.
Can this role be done alongside a full-time job?
That depends on your current workload and commitments. Each Creative Associate role will be tailored to the successful candidate, so if you believe you can manage it alongside a full-time job, you are welcome to apply.
I don’t live in one of the cities mentioned. Can I still apply?
Familiarity with the local poetry community is essential to this role. While you don’t have to live in one of the cities, you must be within a reasonable travelling distance.
When will the role actually begin?
The Creative Associates will be appointed in mid-January 2025. The in-person events will take place in March 2025 (Newcastle), September 2025 (London), and January 2026 (Wolverhampton). The final engagement will be a symposium in late spring/early summer 2026.
Is it possible to apply as a non-UK resident?
To be eligible, applicants must live in or near one of the mentioned cities. Non-UK citizens are welcome to apply if they have the right to work in the UK.
What does the original creative response for the Symposium entail?
The original creative response for the Symposium will be a unique presentation that reflects your work and insights. It will vary for each Creative Associate, so you don’t need a firm idea now. The emphasis is on ‘creative’ so your response doesn’t have to be a PowerPoint presentation!
Workshop Facilitator Training with Deanna Rodger
Free training opportunity for members of the Women Poets’ Network
The Rebecca Swift Foundation invites applications from Women Poets’ Network members who are interested in developing workshop facilitation as part of their practice. If you are not already a member you can join here.
This free training is offered through the Women Poets’ Network’s By Poets, For Poets programme, which is generously supported using public funding by the National Lottery through Arts Council England.
Leading poet Deanna Rodger will deliver bespoke training to equip you with the skills and tools needed to devise and deliver exceptional poetry workshops.
The online training includes:
- A two-day group workshop (25 & 26 Nov, 10am-3pm, includes an hour-long lunch break each day)
- A one-to-one session to support the planning and promotion of your workshops (2 Dec)
- A practice session, where you will deliver your own 40-minute workshop (6 Dec)
- A group session for reflection and evaluation
Who is this training for?
This training is exclusively for members of the Women Poets’ Network who are interested in adding workshop facilitation to the services they offer. To apply you must:
- Be a member of the Women Poets’ Network
- Be confident in your poetry practice
- Have delivered no more than one or two poetry workshops as a lead facilitator
There is no upper age limit.
How many poets will be selected?
Each cohort will be limited to four poets to ensure truly bespoke training. There will be two cohorts in total.
How to Apply:
Submit a statement (no more than one A4 page) explaining why this training is right for you at this moment in time. Include an idea for a workshop you’d like to develop.
If preferred, you can submit this information in a video or audio file (max. length: 3 minutes).
No CV or formal qualifications are required. Please provide the name of at least one referee who can vouch for your work as a poet.
Deadline
9am (UK) 4th November 2024
FAQs
What is the schedule for the first two days of training?
Rather than taking place over one extremely long day, the training takes place over two days. Each day will incorporate regular breaks including an hour-long lunch break. The morning session runs from 10 am to 12 pm and the afternoon session runs from 1 pm to 3 pm. The cohorts are small so that the training can be responsive to the needs of the participants.
I can’t make the first cohort, do I still apply now?
Yes, just make a note on your application that you prefer to be considered for the second cohort. Dates for the second cohort have not been confirmed but the training is likely to take place in early summer 2025.
I’m not a member of the Women Poets’ Network, can I still apply?
This opportunity is exclusively for members of the Women Poets’ Network so you need to be a member to apply. If you’re not already a member you can join now.
Other ways to work with us
If you are interested in becoming a sponsor, partner, or collaborating with the Foundation in any way, please send us an email.