If you have any particular access requirements or concerns, please email us in advance: rtbspokenword@gmail.com

Eligibility

These courses and retreats are open to anyone over the age of 18 residing in South West England, defined as consisting of the counties of Cornwall (including the Isles of Scilly), Dorset, Devon, Bristol, Gloucestershire, Somerset and Wiltshire. Applicants must be resident in the South West both at the time of application and throughout the duration of the course applied for. These courses are not designed for complete beginners and experience of writing poetry is required for all applications. There is no cast-iron definition to determine the criteria of each course type, but the following lists may be useful in helping pick you the one that most accurately matches your level of experience:

An emerging poet:

• Will have less than 3 years experience as a writer/performer

• Will usually work mainly in the local area, and be seeking to expand their profile

• May regularly attend poetry workshops and courses, or perform unpaid at open mics or slam competitions

• May have minimal experience of being published in journals/magazines/competitions

• May have a pamphlet or debut book of poems published

• May have some experience performing paid support slots at poetry events

• Will consider poetry to be more than just a hobby. Will be actively working on their professional skills and seeking opportunities to advance to a post-emerging / mid-career level of career experience

A post-emerging / mid-career poet:

• Will have more than 3 years experience as a writer/performer, in a part-time capacity or as part of their profession

• Will usually make a significant chunk of their income from poetry-related work.

• May have significant experience of being published in journals/magazines/competitions

• May have at least one full-length poetry collection, album or body of work

• May have significant experience headlining events and being paid for their work, including outside of their town/city/region

• May have performed, or been published, internationally

• Maybe paid to judge competitions or sit on panels

• May be paid to edit or mentor other poets’ work

• May have work commissioned by organisations on a semi-regular basis

• Will still be seeking to further their professional skills in order to become an established poet with a full-time, or majority of their, income coming from writing/poetry-related work (including teaching, producing and facilitating). 

Accessibility

Day retreats: The day retreats will be held at the Community Farm, Chew Valley. Car parking is available very close to the retreat venue. The venue has ramps and is wheelchair accessible. There is a ramp leading to the compost toilets and one of the toilets is wheelchair accessible. The pond area extends into the garden and the decking surrounding it is fully accessible. The garden area is uneven grass and may not be wheelchair accessible depending on weather/mud/wheelchair type/individual wheelchair user’s comfort levels.

Weekend retreats: The weekend retreats will be held at Barley Wood, a historic 18th century house in Wrington, and former home of poet Hannah More. There is no step-free access to any of the bedrooms. The ground floor has step-free access to the ground floor of the house. The conference and dining rooms are accessible for wheelchair users and people with limited mobility, as well as much of the gardens (depending on weather/ground conditions). The toilets on the ground floor are small with narrow doors and may be unsuitable for wheelchair/mobility aid users depending on model.

Accommodation 

Accommodation at the retreat is available in solo or shared rooms. Applicants will be asked which gender/s they are happy to share a bedroom with and rooms will be allocated accordingly. All toilet and bathroom facilities are single-person and multi-gender, and no course attendees have en-suite rooms. 

• Solo accommodation consists of a standard or large room containing 1 x double bed. Large/standard rooms are priced at £300/£250 respectively.

• Shared accommodation consists of a standard or large room containing 1 x double bed (£200) and EITHER 1 x double sofa bed (£150), OR 1 x double inflatable mattress (£150). 

Bursaries

A small number of financial and travel bursaries are available for low-income attendees and for those who would otherwise find it difficult to attend due to their remote/rural location. These must be applied for separately during the general course application. Please note that application for either of these bursaries does not guarantee acceptance and RtB’s decision is final. 

Financial bursaries: There are 2 bursary spaces available for each weekend retreat (priced at £100), and 3 bursary spaces available for each day retreat (priced at £25). Candidates attending via a financial bursary will be in shared accommodation unless accessibility considerations prevent this.

Travel bursaries: There are two travel bursaries of up to £25 available for each retreat to contribute to costs of public transport / fuel.

Code of conduct

We expect all course attendees to treat each other with respect and will not tolerate racism, homophobia, ableism, sexism, ageism etc., or any conversation or poetic content which discriminates against a minority/marginalised group, or attacks someone in a less powerful position. RtB reserves the right to ask people to leave the course if this expectation is breached. 

During the course you may be invited to share your experiences and/or poetry. Please be mindful of others if you wish to share content which could be particularly triggering or upsetting. Our open mic rules of ‘no punching down’ and ‘no public nudity’ apply during our courses too! Each room has its own key and everyone’s privacy should be respected.

Inclusivity

A number of spaces on Raise the Bar’s courses and retreats are reserved for candidates from marginalised identities, and we aim to create an environment that is as safe and welcoming as possible. Raise the Bar is a trans-inclusive organisation and supports individuals’ right to self-identification. In the absence of explicit alternative clarification, the terms ‘male/men’ and ‘female/women’ should be assumed to include trans men and trans women respectively. The term non-binary should be assumed to include both AMAB* and AFAB** individuals. 

*AMAB - assigned male at birth

**AFAB assigned female at birth

Payment

Please note that application to one or more retreats does not guarantee acceptance, and that acceptance is conditional on meeting the geographical criteria and paying the total required fee by the final payment date. 

A payment plan is available for those who wish to spread the expense. Full details of payment plans and final payment dates will be sent to successful applicants. Failure to pay the full amount due by the required date will be deemed a voluntary cancellation and the applicant will forfeit their place on the course and up to 100% of their course fee. 

If paying all at once: Total payment must be received no later than 4 weeks before the event

If paying in 2 parts: 1st payment to be made no later than 6 weeks before the event; 2nd payment to be made no later than 2 weeks before the event

If paying in 3 parts: 1st payment to be made no later than 6 weeks before the event; 2nd payment to be made no later than 4 weeks before the event, final payment to be made no later than 2 weeks before the events.

No payments may be made less than 2 weeks before the events. This is to protect Raise the Bar financially and to ensure there is time to fill an unused place.

Refunds

The terms below apply if an applicant cancels their course attendance after having been offered and accepted a place, or if an applicant’s attendance is cancelled due to non-payment of due fees. 

• More than 8 week’s notice prior to the course start date: Candidates are entitled to 100% refund of any fees already paid minus a £25 administrative charge.

• Between 4-6 week’s notice prior to the course start date: RtB will refund 75% of a candidate’s course fee minus a £25 administrative charge.

• Less than 2 week’s notice prior to the course start date: The candidate must pay the full remaining amount of their course fee and are not entitled to a refund for any portion of that fee already paid. 

Please note: If an applicant cancels with less than 8 week’s notice, and depending on whether they have the time and resources to do so, RtB may attempt to fill their place at the same cost from other applicants on the waiting list. If we successfully fill the cancellation and receive the full original fee from the replacement candidate, then we will refund the original candidate their course fee minus a £25 administrative charge. If we successfully fill the place at a lesser rate then we will refund that lesser amount to the original candidate minus a £25 administrative charge. 

e.g. 

• Scenario 1. Applicant A pays £300 but cancels attendance with 6 week’s notice. RtB finds a replacement candidate at the same fee level. Applicant A receives a refund of £275 (£300- £25).

• Scenario 2. Applicant A pays £300 but cancels attendance with 2 week’s notice. RtB finds a last-minute replacement by dropping the price to £250. Applicant A receives a refund of £225 (£250 - £25).