At Wolverhampton Literature Festival, we are dedicated to championing the creative voices of Wolverhampton and the West Midlands. We aim to share diverse stories and showcase the talents of our creative communities. This year, we are welcoming proposals from individuals, organisations, community groups, and venues to present their events, ideas, concepts, performances, readings, concerts, or talks as part of the Wolverhampton Literature Festival 2026 programme, running from the 6th to the 8th of February.

While we are primarily a Literature Festival, we are open to a range of art forms for the 2026 festival. If you have an idea or would like to showcase your talents on our stages, please do get in touch.

We encourage submissions from those who are underrepresented in our programming, including but not limited to disabled artists and people from Black, Asian, and global majority backgrounds.

The closing date for proposals is Midnight on the 17th of August.

Terms and Conditions:

• Notification of Successful Applicants: Due to the large number of applicants, only successful applicants will be contacted. If you have not heard back from us within 4 weeks following the closing date, please assume that your proposal was unsuccessful.


• Evaluation Criteria: Festival organisers will assess proposals based on their relevance to festival themes, cost-effectiveness, and alignment with the overall festival programme.


• Ticket Pricing: The festival organisers retain discretion in setting ticket prices, taking into account budgetary considerations, associated fees, and potential revenue.


• Commissioned Works: If you are looking for the festival to commission new works, please be aware that we are not able to commission large pieces of work or projects. If you are looking for funding, we may be able to support in kind, but please do get in touch for further discussions. 


• Budgetary Limitation: Events with an individual budget exceeding £500 are beyond the scope of our support. If proposing multiple events, please break down the cost of each event in the box provided. Average expected fee ranges between £75-£200 per speaker/performer. Please note,  we are not a funder and therefore cannot support wider projects but can support in kind project bids. If this is of interest, please do get in touch for further discussions. 


• Fee Negotiation: Festival organisers reserve the right to discuss fee arrangements with proposal authors to ensure alignment with available budgets.


• Flexibility of Dates: If your proposal is successful, the festival organisers will provide you with a suitable date over the festival weekend.

If you have any questions or are unsure whether your proposal fits the terms and conditions, please get in touch at LitFest@wolverhampton.gov.uk. A member of our team will be happy to provide guidance.

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