Project Type: Opportunity

 Poet-in-Residence Commission Brief 

Co-Creating Southampton: A Day of Shared Practice Mast Mayflower Studios, Southampton 

The Opportunity 

We are seeking a poet to be in residence during Co-Creating Southampton: A Day of Shared Practice an afternoon bringing together cultural, community, and education practitioners from across the city. 

The commissioned poet will create and perform an original spoken-word poem that responds directly to the conversations, ideas, and lived experiences shared throughout the event. The final piece will be performed live (1–2 minutes) at the close of the symposium, offering a creative reflection on the day and a powerful moment of collective meaning-making. 

The poem will also form a legacy of the event and will be shared across our website and social media channels following the symposium. 

About the Event 

Co-creating Southampton brings together colleagues from across Southampton’s cultural and community sectors to explore, celebrate and strengthen co-creation as a shared practice in the city. Participating organisations include Zoielogic, Energise Me, In Focus Education and Development, African Activities and Mayflower Theatre who will share case studies, learning, and approaches from recent co-creation projects across the city. 

Through conversations, on-stage talks and shared learning, the day will explore: 

• challenges and opportunities of co-creating in ways that are honest, safe and meaningful 
• learning from lived experience and insight gained through co-creation across the city 
• what success looks like in practice and the values and principles that underpin good co-creation 

The Role 

The poet-in-residence will be embedded in the event, working responsively and in real time. Across the project, the poet will: 

• Listen closely to discussions, talks, and informal conversations on the day 
• Observe and gather words, phrases, emotions, and recurring themes 
• Invite and collect audience contributions (written and/or verbal) 
• Creatively interpret the shared experience of the room 

Drawing on these insights, the poet will craft and perform an original poem during the closing moments of the event at Mast Mayflower Studios showcasing a live demonstration of co-creation in action. 

Who is this for? 

This commission is suited to poets and spoken-word artists who: 

• Enjoy working responsively with people and place 
• Are confident performing live 
• Have experience engaging diverse audiences 
• Value inclusive, collaborative creative practice 

We welcome applications from poets based or working in Southampton at any career stage. 

Fee & Time Commitment 

• Fee: £500 
• Time commitment: One briefing meeting in advance of the event 
• Event attendance from 10:00am–6:00pm on the day 
• Expenses: Reasonable travel and subsistence expenses will be covered 

How to Apply 

Please send a CV and a covering letter outlining how you would approach this commission. In your covering letter, please include: 

• One example of how you have worked in a co-creating live environment 
• Your proposed approach to the task 
• Key considerations you would bring to responding to the brief 
• How you would ensure a thoughtful and inclusive representation of the voices in the room 

Applications should be sent to info@southamptonforward.org.uk as a pdf or word document no longer than 4 pages. 

Deadline: by 5pm 7 March 2026. 

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Together at the Table

Call for Artist: Creative Wellbeing Workshop Series

Are you an artist passionate about community, wellbeing, and creativity? We are looking for one Southampton / Solent–based artist to deliver a series of three creative wellbeing workshops as part of an exciting new project celebrating culture, food and community in Southampton.

The Project

In collaboration with Southampton Food Partnership, Together at the Table will bring people together around shared meals for up to 40 people at a time across three Southampton food banks. Working in collaboration with the food banks and local communities, the artist will help create events that celebrate communities coming together.

Alongside these gatherings, culturally themed cooking classes will be delivered using food-bank ingredients, supported by local cooks or chefs who can share their culture. The project centres food as a creative tool for storytelling, connection, and collective exchange.

Role for the Artist

We are seeking one artist with an established community-focused practice to deliver all three creative wellbeing workshops across the project.

The artist will lead free, drop-in creative wellbeing workshops alongside each community meal. Workshops will take place either before or after the meal and will be accessible to adults primarily referred through local food banks. Each workshop will play a key role in fostering social connection, wellbeing, and creative engagement.

Workshops should be inclusive, welcoming, reflective, and adaptable to a wide range of ages, abilities and cultural backgrounds.

We are open to a broad range of creative practices, including but not limited to:

• Visual arts (drawing, painting, collage, photography, etc.)
• Crafts (textiles, making, upcycling, decoration, objects)
• Creative writing (poetry, storytelling, journalling, shared prompts)
• Performance or music (sound-based activities, movement, rhythm, participatory performance)
• Any creative activity that supports wellbeing, expression and connection

The artwork produced will be featured in a final exhibition at the end of the project, both online and in person.

Who Are We Looking For?

• Southampton or Solent-based artists
• Artists with experience working in community settings and co-creative practice
• Artists with an established practice that engages with wellbeing, cultural diversity, and/or food-based or socially engaged work
• An artist who is available to deliver all three workshop dates

Fee & Budget

• £300 per day
• Plus one additional paid preparation day (£300)
• Materials and exhibition costs are budgeted separately

This fee covers delivery of the full workshop series (three workshops), preparation time, and contribution to exhibition content and evaluation.

Commitment & Dates (March 2026)

The selected artist must be available to deliver workshops on:

• 10 March 2026
• 11 March 2026
• 12 March 2026

All sessions will take place during the daytime at food bank locations in Southampton.
Each creative wellbeing workshop will last approximately 2 hours.

The artist will also be expected to:

1. Provide content for the final exhibition (currently scheduled for 31 March 2026)
2. Support the project team with evaluation activity during March 2026

How to Apply

Please send:

1. Your CV detailing your creative practice and experience working with communities
2. A cover letter outlining your creative approach to working with communities (this may include up to two links to relevant previous work)
3. Confirmation of your availability for 10–12 March 2026
4. An indication of whether your sessions are primarily aimed at adults, families, or young people

Deadline: Sunday 1 February 2026
Send applications to: info@southamptonforward.org.uk

Open Call: Short Films for Stories of Belonging: Film Evening at Mayflower Studios 

Deadline: 4^th January 2025 
Screening: 25 March, Mayflower Studios

We’re inviting filmmakers, cultural organisations, community groups and creatives of all kinds to submit short films to be shown in a one-night community film event at Mayflower Studios celebrating the many ways people connect to place, culture and each other. 

The event will premiere Belonging – a new Southampton Forward and City Eye short film exploring cultural participation, local identity and what helps people feel connected to the place they live. Alongside it, we are curating a diverse programme of short films that reflect, celebrate or explore life, creativity and community in Southampton and the wider region. 

What we’re looking for: 

We welcome a broad range of short films, that explore a sense of belonging to place, identity and civic pride. This could include explorations of: 

• What makes a neighbourhood, city or landscape feel like “home” . 

• How people connect to Southampton or the wider region through memories, heritage, community, environment or everyday life. 

• Stories of cultural heritage, traditions, migration and lived experience. 

• Expressions of identity (personal, cultural, creative, social) and how these shape a sense of belonging.  

• Portraits of people, places, organisations or creative practices that make the area unique. 

Films can be: 

• Creative or experimental shorts 

• Community-made films 

• Documentary or interview-led pieces 

• Projects capturing cultural activity, participation or local stories 

Your film doesn’t need to be professionally produced – we’re interested in ideas, perspectives and stories. 

Why submit? 

• If shortlisted, your work will be screened at Mayflower Studios as part of a free public event on 25^th March 2026  

• Your organisation or project will be credited and profiled in screening materials 

• Your film will reach new audiences, including sector peers, community members and cultural partners. 

• Selected films will also be shared digitally (if permissions allow) with the film maker and any organisations credited. 

Please note that due to time and programming capacity, we won’t be able to include every film submitted. A selection panel – including representatives from Southampton’s communities – will review all entries. Films of any length from 60 seconds up to around 20 minutes are welcome for consideration. Final selections will be made with regard to how each film speaks to the themes of belonging and how the programme works as a whole to reflect a broad range of voices and perspectives. 

How to submit 

Please send us  

By email to info@southamptonforward.org.uk  

• A link to your film (or file transfer) 

• Title, duration, creator/organisation 

• A short description we can share for the event  

• Confirmation that you own rights/permissions 

If you have any questions, please get in touch with us info@southamptonforward.org.uk  

City Reflections – Trail Map Artwork Brief

Issued by: Southampton Forward
Fee: £1,500 (inclusive of VAT)
Deadline for expressions of interest: Monday 17^th November 2025
Contact: info@southamptonforward.org.uk
Event dates: 18-21 February 2026

Project Overview

Southampton Forward is seeking an illustrator or artist to create a bespoke trail map artwork for City Reflections, a major light and projection event illuminating six historic sites across Southampton’s Old Town and city centre.

The artwork will help audiences navigate the trail and celebrate the city’s stories, architecture and communities. The map should take inspiration from historic city survey maps and maritime charts, blending heritage and creativity to reflect the event’s theme: Illuminating Southampton’s Stories.

Scope of Work

The artist will produce:

1. A main illustrated trail map showing all six projection sites with clear walking routes between them.
2. Six small individual illustrations or icons – one for each heritage building – to appear both on the map and individually on the project website.
3. A simple legend/key, compass/north arrow, and optional title cartouche.
4. The artwork must be clear and legible in both colour and monochrome and suitable for use online and in print.
5. Style: inspired by historic city survey maps and architectural drawings, but with a creative, contemporary flair.

Locations to Feature

1. King John’s Palace – 12th-century merchant’s house later absorbed into the medieval town walls.
2. Holy Rood Church – 14th-century church bombed during WWII, now a memorial to Merchant Navy sailors.
3. The Bargate – Southampton’s medieval gatehouse and iconic city landmark.
4. The Wool House (now Dancing Man Brewery) – 14th-century warehouse for wool export, later a museum, now a popular pub with on-site brewery.
5. Castle Vault – subterranean chamber beneath the ruins of Southampton Castle used to store the King’s wine.
6. Southampton City Art Gallery – 1930s civic art gallery, home to the city’s internationally-renowned public art collection.

Deliverables

• 1 x Main Trail Map Artwork, supplied as:
  • Editable vector format (.AI or .EPS)
  • High-res PDF and PNG/JPEG (for print and web)
• 6 x Individual Building Illustrations/Icons
  • Supplied separately as PNG/JPEG and vector
• All files delivered ready for use in:
  • Website (digital map view)
  • Printed trail sheet (A5)
  • Event signage and marketing materials

Usage Rights

• Southampton Forward and Southampton City Council will have non-exclusive, perpetual rights to use the artwork across print, digital, social and physical event materials relating to City Reflections and future marketing of the project.
• The artist retains copyright and may include the work in their portfolio and promotional materials.
• Any reuse or adaptation by third parties will require written permission and credit to the artist.

Revisions and Process

The commission includes:

• 1 x initial concept sketch or draft map for approval
• 1 x round of client feedback and revisions
• 1 x final artwork delivery

Additional major revisions or new versions beyond this scope will be costed separately.

Timeline

• Expressions of interest / quotes due: Monday 17^th November 2025
• Appointment: 19^th November 2025
• Concept artwork: by Monday 1^st December 2025
• Final delivery: by 16^th December 2025

Budget

• Fixed fee of £1,500 (inclusive of VAT)
• Covers artist’s time, creative development digital production and final delivery of all artwork.
• No additional expenses or travel are expected for this commission.

How to Apply

Please email info@southamptonforward.org.uk with:

• Short bio and link to portfolio (or up to 5 examples of previous work)
• A brief note on your creative approach or inspiration
• Confirmation of availability and timeline
• Quote confirming acceptance of £1,500 inc VAT and deliverables

Inspiration

Artists are encouraged to reference historic Southampton and Hampshire survey maps for visual tone and layout. A few examples:

• Catalogue of British Town Maps – gives a searchable list of historic town maps across the UK (useful background). Catalogue of British Town Map

• Southampton City Council: “Historic maps” page of Southampton – includes the 1846 map and the 1870 town plan.

Come Along to the Ignite Info Session – 22 July

Southampton is full of people creating change — not always loudly, not always with fanfare, but with purpose, passion, and care for their communities.

From youth mentors to neighbourhood organisers, cultural connectors to grassroots advocates — the city is shaped by everyday leadership. And now, there’s a new opportunity to support and grow that potential.

Ignite is a six-month programme for developing and emerging community leaders in Southampton, launching this September. Co-designed with local voices, it offers space to reflect, grow, and connect with others who are driving change in their own ways.

It’s built on the belief that leadership isn’t a job title — it’s a mindset. Ignite is about discovering your strengths, clarifying your values, and building the skills to lead in a way that feels true to you.

On Tuesday 22 July, we’re hosting an informal information session where you can:

• Hear from inspiring local leaders
• Learn what the programme involves (Sept 2025 – March 2026)
• Meet the team, ask questions, and see if it’s right for you

We’re encouraging everyone to bring a buddy — someone who’s quietly making a difference and ready to take their next step.

🗓 Tuesday 22 July
🕕 1.30pm-3.30pm

📍Southampton Coalporters Amateur Rowing Club & Hall hire.Northam Road Southampton SO14 0QE

Expression of Interest Form

Meet Our Guest Speakers

Hayley Binstead

Relentlessly, I have been driven to help others. I am a mum of 2 amazing daughters a ‘Nanny Nugget’ to 2 grandchildren, and a wife of 31 years to an incredible man. We help all from friends, colleagues to complete strangers, who come and see us at Board in the City. This has led to the place we are in today. A communal space with over 1200 board games, as the hook, to entice people in through the door.
We use the space and resources to develop people – giving them work experience, training, and references to give a snapshot of some of our work. Last year I managed a team of 78 active volunteers, and it looks close to the same number again this year. It is just the most interesting role with incredibly diverse situations every single week. I am incredibly lucky and blessed.
Come and roll the dice with us someday…

Jack Willis

Jack brings a wealth of experience accumulated over 12 years within the NHS. During this time, he has held roles in Business Intelligence and Analytics, particularly in leadership positions, where he has developed profound knowledge in operational delivery and relationship management.

Having received a recognition award in Senior Healthcare Leadership in 2022, he is continuing to advance his professional development through the final stage of an Operational Departmental Management apprenticeship.

Passionate about engaging in thought-provoking conversations, Jack thrives on challenging assumptions and expanding perspectives.

His interests span from exploring psychological and philosophical concepts to delving into leadership theories. He is genuinely enthusiastic about learning through dialogue, sharing experiences, and transforming insights into practical real-word actions.

His commitment to fostering open and transparent conversations is unwavering, and he strongly believes in the value of shared learning.