Inclusion & Diversity Strategy 2018 Poetry Ireland: Inclusion & Diversity Strategy 2018
oetry Ireland’s mission is to connect people and religion, age, disability, race, and membership of the Traveller Ppoetry. That mission can only be achieved when community. we fully represent the diversity of voices within our poetic community. We have also sought feedback from poets from diverse socio economic backgrounds. It is for this reason that Poetry Ireland has embarked on a review and analysis of its activities and policies to ensure In response to the feedback provided, we have focused this poetry from Ireland in all its diversity is visible. strategy on four key areas in an attempt to confront and correct the existing inequities in Irish poetry. We do not believe this mission to be altruistic; we know that it is necessary for the health and relevance of Irish poetry. This commitment will be met by piloting a series of initiatives during 2018, as well as a schedule of actions for 2019-2020. The Poetry Ireland has sought out feedback from poets from piloted 2018 events and initiatives will be reviewed at year-end marginalised communities, with particular consideration to by the staff and director of Poetry Ireland, and reported to the the nine grounds of the Equal Status Acts: gender (including organisation’s Board, with a view to ensuring those successful transgender), civil status, family status, sexual orientation, initiatives are continued and developed in future years. Theme Objectives Actions 2018 Actions 2018-2020
Right now, not all poets receive • A writing workshop geared towards • Meetings will be hosted at Poetry Breaking Down equal opportunities in Irish poetry. poets of colour was facilitated by Ireland three times a year for poets Barriers To correct this imbalance, Poetry Jackie Kay in January 2018. who face discrimination in Ireland Ireland will: to discuss their experiences and to • A writing workshop geared towards Poetry Ireland recognizes the assess and modify existing plans to • Offer professional development LGBTQI+ poets was facilitated by combat discriminatory practices. importance of highlighting and seminars and workshops on a Eileen Myles in March 2018. developing diverse voices. We will wide variety of topics for poets • Poetry Ireland Review will undergo encourage poets with disabilities and falling under the protection of the • A seminar on reviewing poetry will a redesign to make it more of all genders, ethnic and social groups Equal Status Acts. Poetry Ireland be held in autumn to upskill poetry appealing to a wider readership. to develop and present their work by will take steps to ensure that critics from diverse backgrounds. If necessary we will solicit providing an increased number of these opportunities are made as submissions for Poetry Ireland specialized opportunities. • We will host a seminar in autumn physically and financially accessible 2018, responding to the debate Review from excellent writers from as possible to everyone who wishes concerning gender representation underrepresented groups. We will to participate. in the Irish poetic canon, featuring ask each new editor of the review to papers exploring ‘Missing Voices: write their own inclusive • Offer specialized mentorship manifesto for Poetry Ireland opportunities for poets. Irish Women Poets, 16th-21st centuries’. A call for papers will be Review, which will be available on • Facilitate networking events for announced later in the spring. the submissions page. poets from diverse backgrounds. • The ‘Access Cúirt’ bursary will • We will ensure that the submissions • Seek feedback on an ongoing basis be offered by Poetry Ireland and process for Poetry Ireland Review from poets from marginalized Cúirt for an emerging poet from a is promoted widely to a diverse groups to assess and modify marginalized community to attend market, and that our submission existing needs. the Cúirt festival in April 2018. guidelines include an explicit invitation welcoming poets from • Rafeef Ziadah will deliver a diverse or under represented workshop in Poetry Ireland on May communities to submit. 10th. Four of the 12 places in the workshop will be reserved for free attendance by Creative Space and Direct Provision writers. Theme Objectives Actions 2018 Actions 2018-2020
In order to achieve this, we will: • Poetry Ireland will run a year-long • Poetry Ireland will increase its Communication & campaign from summer 2018 – communications with organisations Outreach • Ensure that Poetry Ireland’s 2019 to increase the visibility of that work with diverse commitment to inclusivity poets of all backgrounds. communities to ensure that the is communicated clearly and opportunities that we provide are Poetry Ireland will be more proactive • Poetry Day Ireland 2018 will about developing audiences from energetically in all our promotional signposted as open to all. material and publications. digitally spotlight a number of diverse communities. We want Poetry diverse voices. • Poetry Ireland will develop ongoing Ireland and more broadly the Irish • Build new connections to actively relationships with organisations poetry community to represent a space market existing Poetry Ireland • Poetry Ireland will work in that have expertise in the field of of inclusivity and equality. resources and opportunities to conjunction with organisations diversity & inclusion, eg. Artsekta. more diverse communities. such as Mother Tongues to facilitate events that celebrate • Collaborate with a wider range multiculturalism and of organisations to welcome new multilingualisim. audiences and broaden the idea of what is considered ‘proper’ or ‘legitimate’ poetry.
We will meet this objective by: • Poetry Ireland will develop Leadership guidelines for its event partners, • Actively promoting and recognising which will be listed on our website As Ireland’s national organisation diversity and inclusion efforts beginning in 2018, and circulated for poetry, Poetry Ireland has a through our online platforms. to partners prior to funding responsibility to set a standard not agreements. only for itself, but for other poetry organisations across the island. Theme Objectives Actions 2018 Actions 2018-2020
• Before confirming financial or • The progress of this strategy will promotional support to events, be an item on the agenda of every Poetry Ireland will ensure that second Poetry Ireland board adequate efforts have been made to meeting. meet guidelines around diversity and inclusion. We will ensure that • Poetry Ireland will utilise our our values around inclusivity and social media platforms to ensure diversity are communicated to all all relevant diversity and inclusion our partners. activities are shared and promoted.
Poetry Ireland will nurture a more • Poetry Ireland will have practical • Poetry Ireland will work with Opening Doors inclusive environment by: access advice available on its Access Consultancy Ireland to • Poetry Ireland can take increased website from 2018. conduct an access audit. • Undertaking an assessment of the steps as a physical and online space ways in which it currently does and • Poetry Ireland will carry out • Poetry Ireland will include an to ensure that people from all does not offer equitable access to an online survey in summer increased emphasis on accessibility backgrounds feel that our premises all. 2018 to obtain feedback on in our ongoing discussions around is welcoming. what a welcoming space looks the architectural plans for 11 • Poetry Ireland will work in • On a practical level, Poetry and feels like to people from all Parnell Square East. conjunction with specialized Ireland’s new home at 11 Parnell backgrounds. organizations to ensure that we are • From winter 2018 onwards, Square East, Dublin 1, is currently equipped to provide a space that is • Poetry Ireland staff will undertake Poetry Ireland will utilize its social in the process of fundraising to as inclusive as possible. Disability Equality Training in media platforms to livestream an become Ireland’s first dedicated April. increased number of events. Poetry Centre. As an integral aspect • Poetry Ireland will clearly display of this development, a lift will be a code of conduct, requesting • Consideration will be given to the added to make the building more that visitors to Poetry Ireland are accessibility of our submission and accessible. expected to behave in a way that is application processes, as well as to respectful and never exclusionary the accessibility of our workshops, or demeaning. performances and other events. f you have any comments or suggestions on IPoetry Ireland’s Inclusion & Diversity Strategy, please contact us at the details below. We welcome all feedback.
Elizabeth Mohen Poetry Ireland, 11 Parnell Square East, Dublin 1 01 678 9815 | [email protected] | www.poetryireland.ie | @poetryireland