The Middle Way Mentoring project is a two year professional development scheme for Black, Asian, Minority Ethnic writers based in the Midlands. There are 14 places on the scheme.
Following a successful pilot, the second round of the project is expanding to support two cohorts based across the East and West Midlands which will meet at Curve Leicester and Belgrade Theatre Coventry respectively.
Masterclasses will be held at Curve Leicester on the following dates:
Masterclasses will be held at Belgrade Theatre on the following dates:
29/4, 27/5, 24/6, 22/7, 19/8, 2/9, 30/9
Each session will be 3 hours long and take place between 2 – 5 pm.
We are hosting a Meet and Greet event on Zoom on Tuesday April 25th at 7.30 pm. There will be an additional masterclass for both cohorts on 14/10 to be held at Curve Leicester.
Attendance to these sessions is mandatory and travel expenses will not be provided. Please ensure your availability before applying.
Writers will receive mentoring for a period of twelve months from an experienced writer, and participate in a series of masterclasses designed to develop the craft of writing. Mentoring sessions will be mentee-led and delivered over six sessions, to include verbal and written feedback on up to 3,500 words per session.
During the second year, writers will begin to focus on completing a portfolio of new writing to send out to prizes, literary journals and to put forward for the scheme’s anthology. Writers will participate in a series of workshops and talks delivered by industry experts, receive bespoke career coaching and showcase their writing at a number of festivals. The scheme will culminate in the Platform conference to be held at Curve Leicester in April 2025.
Meet the team and previous mentees at this year’s Platform conference.
Learn more about any aspect of the scheme or your suitability by attending our open Zoom session on March 11th or contact Farhana Shaikh on f.shaikh@dahliapublishing.co.uk to arrange an informal chat.
ELIGIBILITY CRITERIA
The programme is open to Black, Asian, and minority ethnic un-agented writers who have not yet published a full-length work of fiction or non-fiction. Previously self-published writers may apply.
The scheme is designed to support the development of new and emerging prose writers. You must be committed to working with a mentor and able to produce 3,500 words of new writing for each mentoring session.
Writers must be based in the Midlands:
The West Midlands region includes Staffordshire, Warwickshire, Worcestershire and Herefordshire and Shropshire. It includes cities of Birmingham, Coventry, Dudley, Stoke on Trent and the borough Telford and Wrekin.
The East Midlands region includes Derbyshire, Leicestershire, Lincolnshire, Northamptonshire, Rutland. It includes cities of Derby, Leicester, and Nottingham.
HOW TO APPLY
Please submit the following using our submissions portal below:
- A cover letter of why you would like to join the scheme, how you meet our criteria and how it will benefit your writing. Include a short statement on how being part of our community will develop your practice
- A writing sample (of up to 3,500 words)
- A writing CV and a biography
- Preference for cohort location
The closing date for applications is 5pm on Monday 27 March 2023. All applications received by the deadline will be considered by a steering committee consisting of our project partners and alumni. Early applications are encouraged. Applicants will be notified of the outcome by 17th April at the latest.