A call for audio poems by and for Calgarians
PUBLIC SERVICE ANNOUNCEMENT
January 14, 2021
Deadline to submit is February 14, 2021
(Calgary AB) – Do you have a way with words? Everyone is invited to write and record original poems that address the challenges facing us right now and submit them to This Might Help—an online collection of audio poems by and for Calgarians.
This Might Help—a project by university professor and Calgary’s fifth Poet Laureate Natalie Meisner—functions as a modern jukebox. A compendium of click and listen audio poems will be uploaded over the next year and sorted by topic. This is a project with a mandate to put poetry in the hands of everyone.
No one expects poetry to substitute for food or shelter. We cannot eat a poem, nor will it set a broken bone. Poetry can, however, stitch up a broken heart, help us see the world through one another’s eyes and find beauty in odd places.
Submissions are open to poets from Calgary and across Canada. Authors of audio poems chosen for publication will be paid. Submissions must be in MP3 format and must not exceed three minutes.
The Calgary Poet Laureate program is supported by Calgary Arts Development, Calgary Foundation, and Calgary Public Library. This Might Help is also supported by Mount Royal University.
For more information on how to participate, visit thismighthelp.ca.
About the Calgary Poet Laureate
On July 26, 2011, City Council approved a motion to establish a Calgary Poet Laureate position, funded by a group of Calgary Poet Laureate ambassadors. Calgary Arts Development administers the program in conjunction with a volunteer selection committee, which appoints each Calgary Poet Laureate for a two-year term. The Calgary Poet Laureate is intended to be an artistic ambassador for Calgary, presenting at civic events and producing literary work that reflects our city and its citizens.
About Calgary Arts Development
As the city’s designated arts development authority, Calgary Arts Development supports and strengthens the arts to benefit all Calgarians. We invest and allocate municipal funding for the arts provided by The City of Calgary and leverage these funds to provide additional resources to the arts sector. Our programs support hundreds of arts organizations, individual artists, artist collectives, and ad hoc groups in Calgary.
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Further Information
Questions regarding submissions can be directed to natalie.meisner@
