FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Sarah Juckes, Project Manager
Creative Future
+44(0)1273 234 780
DEAN ATTA APPOINTED CREATIVE FUTURE WRITER IN RESIDENCE 2017
The Creative Future Literary Awards is pleased to announce performance poet Dean Atta as its Writer in Residence 2017.
This unique residency places a successful under-represented writer in a social care organisation for six months. As well as having the time and space to write afforded by a residency, Atta will provide a positive role model for service users.
The residency will take place at Preston Park Recovery Centre in Brighton – a supportive environment for those who have experienced mental health challenges.
On being appointed Writer in Residence, Atta said:
Mental Health has been a subject matter in the background of my writing for over a decade but it's only now coming to the foreground. I think this mirrors what we are seeing in society at large; finally mental health is becoming less of a taboo and more openly spoken about and understood.
I hope what comes out of this residency can add to the conversations that are already taking place and help more people to speak out about and understand mental illness. As a black gay man, I have seen how so many men, people of colour and LGBT people do not seek help when they need it. If what I write on this residency helps one person to do this it will have been worth it.
Alongside the residency, Atta will receive bespoke training from Creative Future and New Writing South, as well as a £1400 bursary. Work that Atta produces during the residency will also be published in the Creative Future Literary Awards anthology, alongside award-winning writers like Lemn Sissay.
Beth Shepherd, Assistant Contract Manager at Preston Park Recovery Centre said:
We are delighted to be working with Creative Future again. We feel very lucky to be able to welcome the greatly respected well renowned poet Dean Atta as our new writer in residence at the centre to inspire budding writers to explore their ideas and gain more confidence in their work.
Last year’s pilot residency featured Lewes-based writer, Tara Gould, and received extremely positive reviews from both the writer and service users. Partners New Writing South said:
We’ve had the pleasure of working with Dean Atta in a number of roles over the past five years and we look forward to seeing what comes out of this residency with Preston Park Recovery Centre.
Atta’s progress on the residency will be documented via a series of posts on the Creative Future Literary Awards website:
ENDS
Notes to the Editor
Dominique De-Light (Creative Future’s Director),Sarah Juckes (CFLA Project Manager) and Dean Atta(Writer In Residence) are all available for interview. They can be reached at +44(0)1273 234 780 or .
A number of high resolution photos of last year’s CFLA Showcase event are available for download here:
A short online video which gives an overview of the Awards can be found here:
We define under-represented writers as those who have: a mental health issue, a physical disability, a substance misuse issue, or a learning disability; or are: homeless / in temporary accommodation, refugees, survivors of abuse, long term unemployed, carers, care leavers, offenders or ex-offenders, travellers, members of the BME community, members of the LGBT community, or older people (65+).
About Dean Atta: Dean Atta is a writer and performance poet. He has been commissioned to write poems for the Damilola Taylor Trust, Keats House Museum, National Portrait Gallery, Tate Britain and Tate Modern. Dean won the 2012 London Poetry Award and was named as one of the most influential LGBT people bythe Independent on Sunday Pink List 2012. He is an ambassador for the Spirit of London Awards for Achievement through the Arts. His debut collection I am Nobody’s Nigger was published by The Westbourne Press in 2013.
About The Awards: The Creative Future Literary Awards is a national literary competition and high profile awards ceremony which celebrates talented writers who lack opportunities due to mental health issues, disability, health or social circumstance. Prizes are awarded for both poetry and short fiction. There is no entry fee. Winners are selected by a panel of industry experts. Prizes include £1000 of cash prizes & professional writing development support.
About Creative Future: Creative Future is an award-winning charity based in Brighton that provides training, mentoring and showcasing opportunities for talented people who lack opportunities due to mental health issues, disability, health or social circumstance. Since 2007, we’ve worked with > 3.5K marginalised artists though 224 workshops and courses.
About New Writing South: New Writing South is the pre-eminent creative writing hub in south-east England, dedicated to inspiring, nurturing and connecting all kinds of excellent creative writers at whatever stage of their career and from all genres.
About the Preston Park Recovery Centre: The Preston Park Recovery Centre offers a supportive environment to meet other people who have experienced mental health challenges, to socialise, learn new skills, and join groups and activities.
Creative Future is a registered charity and a company limited by guarantee
Charity number: 1132889 Company no: 6891365
Community Base, 113 Queens Road, Brighton BN1 3XG. 01273 234780