The Blake Poetry Prize

Since 1951, The Blake Prize has engaged artists, nationally and internationally, with ideas of spirituality and religion. The prize takes its name from William Blake, the world famous 18th Century artist and poet who threaded the religious and artistic throughout his practice.

From 2017 Casula Powerhouse Arts Centre in collaboration with WestWords, has delivered The Blake Poetry Prize as a biennial event. The Blake Poetry Prize is in addition to The Blake Prize coordinated by Casula Powerhouse Arts Centre- please see www.casulapowerhouse.com/get-involved/prizes

Entries for The Blake Poetry Prize will close 9 March 2020. The Blake Poetry Prize ($5,000) challenges Australian poets of varied styles and religious and spiritual allegiances to explore the wider experience of spirituality, religion, and/or belief in a new work of 100 lines or less.

The Blake Poetry Prize is strictly non-sectarian. The entries are not restricted to works related to any faith or any artistic style, but all poems entered must have a recognisable religious or spiritual integrity and demonstrate high degrees of artistic and conceptual proficiency.

A three-person independent judging panel will select the shortlist and winner. The shortlisted and winning poems will be exhibited as part of the Blake Prize exhibition.

Entries for the 66th Blake ART Prize click here

KEY DATES

Entries Open: 29 November 2019

Entries Close: 9 March 2020

Finalist Notification: 15 May 2020

Exhibition Dates: 1 August – 13 September 2020

Launch/Winner announcement : 8 August 2020 from 3-5pm

PRIZES

The Blake Poetry Prize | $5,000 | Non-Acquisitive

Established in 1951, The Blake Prize is an open poetry prize that challenges artists to engage in conversations relating to religion and spirituality. It is open to all faiths and artistic styles.

• All entries that meet the conditions of entry are eligible for consideration for The Blake Prize.

• One winner will be chosen

HOW TO ENTER

1. Complete this online entry form (If paper form required please visit the Casula Powerhouse Arts Centre front desk).

2. Each entry will incur a fee. $25 for one work, with a maximum of five entries per applicant. Each Entry must be submitted on an individual entry form.
The entry fee can be paid online through the online entry form. Any work for which the fee has not been received will be ineligible for any of the prizes. All entry fees are non-refundable.

3. Each entry must be submitted on a seperate entry form.

4. Once your entry form has been successfully submitted you will receive a confirmation email.

5. Finalists will be notified on Casula Powerhouse website on 15 May 2020 followed by an email with further instructions.

CONDITIONS FOR ENTRY

• All entries must demonstrate recognisable engagement with the themes of spirituality, religion, and/or belief.

• All entries must demonstrate high degrees of artistic and conceptual proficiency.

• All entries must have been created within the last 2 years of the date set for entry (March 2018 or later).

• Entries must be completed and submitted by midnight 9 March, 2020. Late or incomplete entries will not be accepted.

• Entries must be between 1 and 100 lines. The title does not count as a line, however a footnote or sub-heading does.

• Poets must submit a 200 word biography.

• Poets must submit work in either PDF or Word format without inclusion of any identifying information.

• Entries can be made using a pseudonym, however the entrant’s real name must be included on the entry form.

• The poet warrants that the submitted work is original and does not infringe on copyright/moral rights/other rights.

• CPAC/WestWords reserves the right to request a Statutory Declaration from any artist regarding the works originality, its production within the specified timeframe and/or that all components relating to the work have full copyright clearance.

• Entries may have been published elsewhere, for example online, in a literary journal or self-published book, however if that poem is longlisted for a prize elsewhere the entrant will have 24 hours to decide if they would like to withdraw their poem on offer elsewhere or from the Blake Prize. It is the obligation of the entrant to inform the organisers of such an eventuality. Failure to do so will result in the poem being disqualified for consideration for the Blake Prize.

• Eligible entries using or referring to Aboriginal content and/or entries from writers of Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander descent or who identify as an Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander must be in accordance with the Indigenous Peoples' rights to their heritage (ICIPR) guidelines and to the Aboriginal protocols of the region where they have been produced.
https://www.artslaw.com.au/information-sheet/indigenous-cultural-and-intellectual-property-icip-aitb/

• By submitting an entry into the Blake Poetry Prize for consideration the poet grants permission for CPAC/LCC to print and display the poems of the six finalists in full for the duration of the 66th Blake Prize exhibition.

• Entering work/s into The Blake Prize does not transfer from the artist the ownership of, or copyright in, any of the work they produce. However, the poet agrees that the work may be photographed or reproduced in whole or in part for CPAC/WestWords records or critical review, publicity archives and/reports and other purposes. CPAC/WestWords does not condone and/or endorse the photography of the artist’s work including the reproduction, modification, distribution, uploading without the written consent of the artist. CPAC/WestWords will not be held responsible for any deliberate infringement to copyright.

• Any questions or uncertainties from a submitting poet will be directed to WestWords and any decision will be final.

SELECTION & NOTIFICATION PROCESS

• All eligible entries will be considered.

• The selection of shortlist and winner is made by an independent panel of judges with extensive artform knowledge and/or relevant academic qualifications. Selection is undertaken by individual assessment of unidentified copies of the work.

• The judging panel will be guided by the conditions of entering The Blake Poetry Prize.

• The judging panel will review entries and an entry will be deemed a finalist when a unanimous decision has been reached. Six finalists will be selected.

• Casula Powerhouse Arts Centre, Liverpool City Council and WestWords staff and family and friends of judges are eligible to enter, however judges must declare any conflict of interest and they will be excused from judging process in relation to those poets.

• The judges’ decision is final. No correspondence will be entered into.

NOTIFICATION

• Shortlisted finalists will be listed on the CPAC and WestWords websites by close of business on 15 May 2020.

• After notification, preselected finalists will be provided with any further instructions and information.

Artists entering works in The Blake Poetry Prize must agree to the terms and conditions as a condition of entry. Please note that a seperate form must be completed for each entry.

ENTRY FEE

The Blake Poetry Prize entry fee is $25 per poetry entry. Please pay your entry fee as part of the completion of your form. A new entry form must be completed if you are entering additional poems but payment can be made for all entries.

SABO ticketing system is utilised for payments.

Pay here