The Youthful Cities Programme is a cultural and creative skills exchange between Coventry (UK) and four international cities: Nairobi (Kenya), Bogota (Colombia), Detroit (Michigan, United States of America), and Beirut (Lebanon). Based in Coventry, UK’s 2021 City of Culture, the program is for young adults (18-25) to creatively respond to important, urgent and youth-focused issues in their cities. The program will culminate in the creation of four new artworks and an event which brings together the ideas and innovations from the exchanges to the BBC Contains Strong Language Festival and a digital three-day Global Youth Summit in Coventry.

In seeking out “youthful” cities with which to collaborate, Beirut fit the description as a city “moving forward and taking control of [its] communities through art, creativity, technology and civic participation with activism at the forefront,” according to the Youthful Cities Index and Survey.

We are thrilled that Rusted Radishes: Beirut Literary and Art Journal was chosen as the Beirut arts organization partner to engage with the poetry, storytelling, and spoken word component.

For more info on the Youthful Cities Programme, please see www.youthfulcities.com.

Rusted Radishes is seeking six youths (18-25) to participate in the Beirut cohort of the Youthful Cities Programme which has five phases:

1. Cultural and Skills Exchange (Jan – Mar 2021): Youth and coordinators will meet virtually with the aim to explore mutual connections and creative synergies, as well as explore their respective social and cultural contexts.
2. Labs (May – June): This phase aims to devise the creative output including project plan, resources needed, roles, responsibilities, and milestones.
3. Creation (July – August): This phase will be the culmination of the previous months’ collaboration in which the artistic output will be created.
4. BBC Festival (Sept 23-26, 2021): Travel to the UK to participate and present Beirut X cohort artwork in the BBC “Contains Strong Language” Festival.
5. The Global Youth Summit (Nov-Dec 2021): This 3-day digital event will gather young people and young adults across the UK, with a focus on the international relationships we hold. The main element of the summit will be about showcasing the work from the Project Teams who will present to key and influential decision makers, funders and other stakeholders to move one or more of their ideas forward. In the same ilk as The Mayor of London’s Civic Innovation Challenge and Future of Urban Work Summit Youthful Cities Programme could be a forerunner in creating innovative solutions by using art and culture.

Applicant Requirements

We are seeking a diverse group of applicants who are self-motivated, creative, and committed to exploring this nearly year-long project with a team and cohorts in four other cities. Applicants should be strong writers, performers, storytellers, or spoken word poets. All applicants must be based in Beirut and between the ages of 18-25. For any questions about the application process or the Programme, please write to [email protected].

Application

Applicants should respond to the following questions in a Microsoft Word document, which should not have a name or identifying information anywhere. Applicants should also submit a writing or audio sample.

All applications will be considered on a blind basis. Short-listed applicants will be interviewed. All materials should be submitted through Submittable at this link by December 10.

Applications which include any information revealing the applicant’s identity will be automatically disqualified.

Reward

All youth participants will receive 2000 British pounds as well as travel to the UK in September for the BBC “Contains Strong Language” Festival.

Questions

1. Date of Birth (MM/DD/YYYY)
2. City of Birth
3. Cultural Heritage
4. Please share how you function in a team setting and provide an example of how you have participated in a creative community.
5. What genre(s) do you write or perform in? How does this genre best express your artistic ambitions?
6. Briefly describe a project you are currently working on.
7. Describe what interests you about the prospects of the Youthful Cities Programme.
8. What are some potential conflicts that might emerge in collaborating with a local and international cohort, and how might you overcome them?
9.  Anything else you’d like us to know about you?