Language is a Queer Thing

The 2026 edition of Language is a Queer Thing focuses on immersing live audiences in story through poetry and sound. We will bring together queer spoken word and sound artists from South Asia, Southeast Asia and the United Kingdom to develop new work that combines spoken word, sound, and live performance.

Rather than presenting individual sets, participants will work as a team to:

• develop new writing
• experiment with multilingual expression and dramaturgy
• build an ensemble set to be presented to live audiences

This process involves reworking, adapting, and reinterpreting each other’s material, and moving beyond familiar ways of creating and performing.

Each selected artist will receive a commission fee of £500 GBP for their participation in the programme.  Travel, accommodation, and local transport for the residency will be covered by the programme. Participants are responsible for securing their own visas.