Breakthrough x Black Ballad Mentoring Programme
Applications
← Back to Courses
Breakthrough x Black Ballad Mentoring Programme
This nine-month mentoring programme will support four talented black women writers. This opportunity is funded by our Breakthrough Writers’ Programme for under-represented writers.
We’re delighted to have partnered with Black Ballad to run the Breakthrough x Black Ballad Mentoring Programme. Black Ballad is Europe’s leading media platform and membership helping black women live their best lives. By putting black women first in everything they do, Black Ballad’s vision is to empower every black woman to change her world with every click she makes and every conversation she has.
This opportunity will support four budding writers through one-to-one guidance from a published author-mentor, plus a tutorial with a literary agent. The programme will run from May 2023 to Feb 2024.
Mentoring sessions will take place via Zoom/phone calls. We are able to make accessibility adjustments to the programme if required. For example, by providing a British Sign Language interpreter. Find out more about how the mentoring programme works here.
You can apply for mentoring with respect to a project at any stage of writing (from just starting to redrafting) and for a work written in any of the following genres/categories:
- Novel written for adults
- Novel written for children (older than 7) or young adults
- Collection of short stories
- Memoir
- Narrative non-fiction
One mentoring place will include a free one-year premium membership to Black Ballad (worth £69), and will be awarded to a writer with limited financial means. The three further mentoring places will be awarded to new and existing members of Black Ballad. Membership starts from £4.99 a month and provides access to a digital magazine, events, discounts and the Black Ballad community that puts black women first. Learn more about how you can become a member here (memberships starts from £4.99 a month).
Mentors
Writers will be paired with a mentor who is an established author working in a relevant genre. Further mentors still to be announced.
ELIGIBILITY
The Breakthrough x Black Ballad Mentoring Programme will support four Black women writers over the age of 18, writing in English.
Three places on this mentoring programme are open exclusively to new and existing Black Ballad members. Find out how you can become a member here.
All applicants must have one of the following categories of ethnicity: Black African; Black Caribbean; Black Other; Mixed – White and Black Caribbean; Mixed – White and Black African; any other mixed background (to include Black African, Black Caribbean or Black Other).
We are also offering one mentoring place to a talented writer with limited finical means. The winner of this place will also be granted a free one-year membership to Black Ballad.
Low-income criteria:
- Unmarried and not co-habiting with a partner, with an annual (gross, pre-tax) income of less than £25,000 and personal savings of less than £5,000.
- Married or co-habiting with a partner, with a total annual (gross pre-tax) household income of less than £35,000 and personal savings (jointly or individually) of less than £5,000.
Our form asks you to make a statement about your ethnicity and the reason you deserve this fully funded opportunity. You will also be asked to confirm that you are currently a member of Black Ballad or to confirm that you fulfil our low-income eligibility criteria.
TERMS & CONDITIONS
- Applicants to the Breakthrough x Black Ballad Mentoring Programme must fulfil our eligibility criteria. Our form asks you to confirm that you are a current Black Ballad member and to make a statement about your ethnicity.
- Applicants wishing to be considered for a Black Ballad members place must be a member of Black Ballad at the time of application and when the mentoring programme begins in May 2023.
- Applicants wishing to be considered for the low-income place will be asked to make a statement about their income.
- With respect to the earnings thresholds set out in our eligibility section: for salaried applicants, your current salary at date of application must be under the threshold. For self-employed applicants, your gross pre-tax profits (average figure for the last two financial years) must be under the threshold. State benefits such as jobseeker’s allowance should be counted as income.
- Applicants may be asked to provide proof of their financial circumstances in support of their application.
- Applicants must not be represented by a literary agent or have previously published a full-length book with a traditional, non-academic publisher.
READY TO APPLY?
Curtis Brown Creative offers mentoring places on the basis of proven writing ability. We ask applicants to send us the first 3,000 words of a novel/memoir/short story/narrative non-fiction project in progress, with a one-page synopsis, and to fill out our application form. Mentoring places will be awarded to applicants with submission material that shows the greatest potential and promise in our view. The decision will be made by the Curtis Brown Creative team.
Our application process is simple, and we encourage all writers meeting the eligibility criteria to apply.
Don’t worry if you have little or nothing to say in response to questions about e.g. writing experience or employment. Just fill out the form, upload your work and we’ll be in touch soon.
The deadline for applications is Sun 23 April, and we will respond to applicants by Thurs 27 April. If you encounter any problems during the application process or have any more questions about the courses, please email help@curtisbrowncreative.co.uk for assistance.
This new mentoring programme will support four unpublished black women writers.
Tutor
Irenosen Okojie
Yvvette Edwards
Catherine Johnson
Patrice Lawrence