Poetic Frequencies residency in Heidelberg open to Edinburgh-based poets

Through the Cities of Literature network, you can currently apply for this three-month residency in Heidelberg. The Hertzlab at ZKM in Karlsruhe (UNESCO City of Media Arts) in collaboration with Heidelberg UNESCO City of Literature — represented by the Cultural Office of the City of Heidelberg — cordially invites poets from all UNESCO Cities of Literature worldwide to apply for this residency programme.

Residency Overview

· Duration: 1 September, 2025 – 30 November, 2025

· Purpose: To foster the intermedial, i.e. literary engagement with ZKM’s distinguished collection of videopoetry and to inspire and/or enable professional artists to experience the rich potential of artistic expression in different media.

· Eligible to apply are poets (or those working professionally and poetically with language) with a clear connection (center of life and/or work) to one of the 53 UNESCO Cities of Literature worldwide (a complete list of all UNESCO Cities of Literature worldwide can be found on their joint website www.citiesoflit.com)

Benefits for selected poet

·Accommodation provided in ZKM’s artist apartment (common areas such as kitchen and bathroom are shared with 2 other artists), conveniently accessible by public tram service.

·A monthly stipend of €1,000 to cover living expenses.

·Financial assistance for travel expenses up to €2,000.

·Exclusive access to a personal office and a workstation within ZKM’s premises for independent creative work.

·Expert guidance for exploring and researching ZKM’s videopoetry collection.

·Full utilisation of the Hertzlab’s advanced technical equipment for the production of innovative media art (for capacity reasons, the consulting options for using the technical equipment are limited, i.e. certain prior knowledge is desirable).

Resident's Obligations

The resident is expected to:

· Participate in a Meet and Greet event with key members of the literary community in Heidelberg.

· Conduct a public reading or literary event in Heidelberg.(travel costs between Heidelberg and Karlsruhe will be reimbursed)

· Host a concluding public event at ZKM, which may be conducted as a hybrid-format session.

· Optionally lead a workshop at ZKM, subject to prior agreement. international cultural event.

Application Requirements

· Eligible poets (with strong connection to a UNESCO City of Literature) are required to submit their applications in English or German and include the following:

· A concise biography suitable for publication, accompanied by a printable portrait image (min. 300 dpi, mentioning the name of the photographer and with permission for its unrestricted publication).

· A detailed description of a proposed project idea, clearly delineating how the engagement with the videopoetry collection would contribute to the creative endeavor. Applicants should provide a brief project outline (max. 3000 characters incl. spaces) supplemented by a work plan and, if applicable, specifications for technical requirements.

· Up to 2 examples of past work, either as a text or via the link provided in the application.

Please send the above application documents in one coherent PDF file. The exception is the required portrait photo: This should be attached to the e-mail as an additional jpg.

Deadline for applications: 18 May 2025 CEST

Address for applications:

Please send the pdf with all application documents and the portrait picture (jpg) as attachments in an e-mail to: unesco.creative.city@heidelberg.de.

More information about the opportunity and the hosts can be found on the following websites www.zkm.de and www.cityofliterature.de.Further information about the opportunity Poetic Frequencies can be found on the Heidelberg City of Literature website.