1455 Literary Arts, a nonprofit organization seeking to advance the appreciation of and passion for both creativity and community, seeks proposals for presentations, workshops, craft talks and creative readings for its 3nd Annual 1455 Summer Festival to be held Thursday July 15th—Saturday, July 17th, 2021. To ensure both safety and maximum inclusivity, all programming will be virtual and accessible online. This year’s keynote speaker is Douglas Stuart, author of the Booker Prize winning novel SHUGGIE BAIN.
The festival will feature a variety of international artists and thinkers, including National Book Award Finalist Deesha Philyaw, award-winning author S.A. Cosby, Egyptian author Ahmed Naji, Edgar Award winning novelist Angie Kim, and author (and industry expert) Jane Friedman. 1455 is actively seeking a diverse offering of authors, speakers and contributors, from a variety of genders, cultures, ethnicities and socio-economic backgrounds.
FESTIVAL INFORMATION
This year’s festival will focus on the power of storytelling and the crucial role plays in Creative, Media, Business, Sports, Education, Politics, Social Justice, and more.
- Programming will be split amongst three concurrent tracks: “Inspiration & Advocacy,” “Timely & Topical,” and “Craft & Community.”
- Sessions will be 50 minutes.
- Proposals may include panel and roundtable discussions, creative readings, or workshops.
- Group and individual proposal submissions are welcome.
- Individual proposals and creative readings will be grouped into panels by conference organizers.
PRESENTATION TOPICS
We seek proposals that include a diverse cross section of voices and experiences, and encourage submissions from people of all ages, races, backgrounds, and sexual orientation. Possible topics for proposals include (but are not limited to):
- Responsibly engaging diverse voices and perspectives through storytelling
- Literary topics in all genres
- Women leadership & Girl empowerment
- Using creativity and/or community in overcoming adversity
- Writing about identity and marginalized experiences
- Writing for mass media: journalism, blogging, podcasts, radio, etc.
- Children’s & YA writing and publishing
- Screenwriting and/or Playwriting
- Comics & graphic novels
- Film & new media
- Engaging & sustaining a writing life
- Creative writing education and outreach to incarcerated people
Deadline for proposal submissions is 12:00am ET on Friday, May 1.
ATTENDING THE FESTIVAL
The 2021 Summer Festival will be a multi-day virtual event focused on celebrating the art of storytelling: it is envisioned as a festival of ideas and celebration of community. All programs are open to the public and free to attend.
Previous 1455 Summer Festivals have featured more than 150 panelists, ranging from best-selling fiction and non-fiction authors, journalists, professors, as well as local artisans and leaders from the business, and academic fields. Several of the panels will feature faculty from local universities, including George Mason University, Marymount University, Hollins University, and Shenandoah University.
ABOUT 1455
1455 is a nonprofit organization seeking to advance the appreciation of and passion for the creative arts through programs that support expression, education, and the sharing of performing arts, visual arts, writing, and literature. 1455’s mission is to build and support a dynamic, innovative community that provides established and emerging writers with time and space to create, and the resources to encourage and inspire storytellers at all stages of their careers.
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Contact Pamela Sorensen to learn more at pamela@highfrequencyllc.com
