I’m shocked, delighted and more than a bit excited to share that I’ve been awarded funding from Arts Council England as part of their Develop Your Creative Practice fund. It’s a hugely competitive fund, with hundreds (sometimes thousands) of applicants, so I’m beyond grateful to receive this support.
The grant will help fund a process of research, learning and creative experimentation as I work towards my first collection of speculative short fiction this year. Through these stories, I’m hoping to explore themes of identity, mythmaking and remembrance in a time when digital and bio technologies are reshaping human customs. Who or what will forge the myths of our time? What new rituals are emerging or can be imagined? What does it mean to be human? What is the shape of our grief or our memories?
As a freelance creative it can be difficult to fund time, space or activities to nurture your personal development. This fund will make a huge difference, allowing me to carve space around professional collaborations to take creative risks, find my voice and explore themes that are important to me. It also feels like a professional vote of confidence in my practice, and to keep doing what I’m doing. So watch this space! Hopefully I may one day get to fulfil a lifelong dream of adding ‘published author’ to my CV.
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