is creative writing a performing art

The 2025-26 Competition is now open. Applications must be submitted by the national deadline of October 8, 2024 at 5pm ET.

Current U.S. Student

United States citizens who are currently enrolled in undergraduate or graduate degree programs are eligible to apply.If you are currently enrolled in an undergraduate or graduate program at a U.S. college or university, you will apply through that institution, even if you are not currently a resident there. Find the Fulbright Program Adviser on your campus.

U.S. Citizen but not a Student

If you are a U.S. citizen, will hold a bachelor’s degree by the award start date, and do not have a Ph.D. degree, then you are eligible to apply. Non-enrolled applicants should have relatively limited professional experience in the fields (typically 7 years or less) in which they are applying. Candidates with more experience should consider applying for the Fulbright Scholar Program .

The Getting Started page will provide information on eligibility and next steps.

The Fulbright U.S. Student Program welcomes applications in the creative and performing arts. Arts candidates for the U.S. Student Program should have relatively limited professional experience in the fields (typically 7 years or less) in which they are applying. Artists with more experience should consider applying for the Fulbright Scholar Program .

Creative & Performing Arts projects fall under the Study/Research grant category and are available in all countries where Study/Research grants are offered.

U.S. Professor/Administrator

If you are a U.S. citizen and a professor or administrator at a U.S. institution and are interested in applying for a Fulbright Scholar Award, you will need to apply through fulbrightscholars.org .

To support your students in applying for a U.S. Student Program award, please connect with the Fulbright Program Adviser at your institution.

Non U.S. Citizens

If you are a non-U.S. citizen interested in applying for a Fulbright Award to the United States, you will need to apply through the Fulbright Commission or U.S. Embassy in your home country. Find out more information on the Fulbright Visiting Scholar Program or Fulbright Foreign Student Program .

• Getting Started
• Study/Research Awards
• English Teaching Assistant Awards
• Fulbright-National Geographic Award
• Critical Language Enhancement Award
• Fulbright-Fogarty Fellowships in Public Health
• Search for a Fulbright Program Adviser
• Award Search
• Study/Research: Academic

Study/Research: Creative & Performing Arts

• Fulbright-National Geographic
• Information Sessions
• Fulbright Online Application

Application Components: Creative & Performing Arts

Descriptions of the Creative & Performing Arts fields are provided here .

All applicants must complete and submit their applications via the Fulbright Online Application . This is where you enter data, upload documents and supplementary materials, and register your recommenders and foreign language evaluator. 

The following items comprise the components of the Arts application:

Biographical Data

The Personal and Contact Information pages asks for your basic personal information such as your name, contact information, birth date, etc.

• Complete all required fields:  You should take care to accurately complete all of the required fields in this section.
• Use proper capitalization and punctuation:  This is a formal grant application, and you are advised to follow the English language rules on capitalization and punctuation. Do not enter responses in all caps. Be sure to proofread your responses in the PDF proof prior to submitting your application.

Program Information

On the Program Information page, you must include a Project Title and an Abstract/Summary of Proposal. These sections are a quick reference for screening committees and other reviewers. They should be able to determine the basic who, what, when, where, why and how of your project by reading this abstract. The project title should be informative, as well.

• Field of Study: Select from the drop-down the most closely related field for the proposed project.
• Project Title (90-character limit): A succinct title that clearly introduces the proposed project. This title will be listed in the Grantee Directory, should you be awarded a grant.
• Abstract/Summary of the Proposal (1750-character limit): A concise description of the what, where, and why of the proposed project. If you are proposing the pursuit of a graduate degree program, summarize the program and relevance to your career/education plans․
• Host Country Engagement (1750-character limit): At its core, the Fulbright program aims to promote mutual understanding and seeks individuals who can be cultural ambassadors while living abroad. This section should offer a description of the ways in which you will engage with the host country outside of your grant activities to fulfill this mission. How do you plan to share your culture and values in your host community? Specific ideas should be included.
• Plans Upon Return to the U.S. (850-character limit): A brief description of your future career and/or educational plans following completion of the Fulbright grant.
• Arts Experience Summary (850-character limit): A summary of your practical study, training, and experience specific to the proposed project.
• Arts Portfolio Description (850-character limit): A brief description of the supplementary materials uploaded to the portfolio page of the online application. Concisely details how piece(s) were selected, relevance to the proposed project, time spent completing, location and date of completion, developmental trajectory vs. single series, and any information that will tell reviewers what they are looking at/listening to and why. For collaborative works, your contribution should be clearly specified.

Statement of Grant Purpose

This 2-page document outlines the Who, What, When, Where, Why, and How of what you are proposing for your Fulbright grant. Developing a strong, feasible and compelling project is the most important aspect of a successful Fulbright application.

The first step is to thoroughly review the award description for your selected host country to understand the specific type of proposal accepted for that award: Independent Study/Research of Graduate Degree Enrollment. Depending on the country and award parameters, applicants may have the option to propose completing a graduate degree program. Some countries have specific arrangements or named awards for graduate study. In this case, applicants should focus on demonstrating the reasons for pursuing the proposed graduate program at a particular institution in the host country.

Whether you are applying for independent study/research or graduate degree enrollment, the proposal should indicate a clear commitment to the host country community and a description of how you will engage with it.

Develop an intellectually compelling and feasible project:  This is the most important factor in presenting a successful application. Program design will vary country and award, and while some countries encourage applicants to incorporate coursework into a project, others prefer independent research. You should ensure that your proposed project fits the program guidelines for the host country and award.

For applicants proposing independent study/research projects, address the following points:

• With whom do you propose to work?
• What do you propose to do?
• What is innovative about the project?
• What are the specific goals?
• What is important or significant about the project?
• What contribution will the project make toward the Fulbright goal of promoting cultural exchange and mutual understanding?
• When will you carry out the project? Include a feasible timeline.
• Where do you propose to conduct your grant activities? Why did you choose this location?
• Why do you want to undertake this project?
• Why does the project have to be conducted in the country of application?
• What are your qualifications for carrying out this project?
• How will your project help further your professional development?
• How will you engage with the host country's community? Give specific ideas that relate to your own personal or professional interests.

Design a feasible project:  You must demonstrate that your project is viable, including its content and timeframe. Address the following points:

• How will the culture and politics of the host country impact the work?
• Will the resources of the host country support the project?
• Have you developed a connection with a potential adviser in the host country?
• Do you have the necessary background and artistic experience to undertake the proposed project?
• You should consider that, even if a country indicates that English will be sufficient for carrying out the proposed project, for purposes of engaging with your host community, at least a basic level of language skill should be obtained prior to leaving the United States for the host country.
• What are your plans for improving your language skills, if they are not adequate at the time of application? 
• Are there any possible sensitive topics or feasibility concerns that the project could evoke?

For applicants who are proposing to complete a graduate degree program, the Statement of Grant Purpose should address the following points:

• Why do you want to pursue the proposed program in the country to which you are applying?
• What are your reasons for selecting this particular institution?
• Do you have the requisite academic/field-specific background to gain admission to and understake the proposed graduate degree program?
• Why do you want to gain a better understanding of the people and cultures of your host country? Please demonstrate specific ideas on how you will integrate into the host country community that relate to your own personal or professional interests.
• Do you have sufficient language skills to successfully complete the program, especially if the program is not taught in English?
• Do you have the flexibility and dynamism necessary for active involvement in the host country?

Candidates applying through U.S. institutions are urged to consult professors in their artistic field/discipline or faculty members with experience in the host country, as well as their Fulbright Program Advisers, about the feasibility of their proposed projects. At-Large applicants should consult similarly qualified persons in their fields.

Crafting your proposal:

• Be clear and concise. The individuals reading the proposal want applicants to get to the point about the 'who, what, when, where, why and how' of the project. Avoid discipline-specific jargon and ensure your application can be clearly understood by a general audience.
• Organize the statement carefully.
• Don't make reviewers search for information. We urge you to have several people read and critique your Statement of Grant Purpose, including a faculty adviser, a faculty member outside your discipline, a fellow student, and/or a colleague.

Adhere to the proper format:

• Length is limited to a maximum of two single-spaced pages. The application system will not allow documents longer than two pages to be uploaded.
• Do not include any bibliographies, publications, citations, etc., except those that will fit in the two-page limit. Citations are not required for your Statement of Grant Purpose.
• Use 1-inch margins and Times New Roman 12-point font.
• At the top of the first page include:
• On line 1: Statement of Grant Purpose
• On line 2: Your Name, Host Country, and Field of Study
• On line 3: Your Project Title as it appears in the Program Information page of the application.
• On the second page of the Statement, enter the same information or just Last Name, Grant Purpose, Page 2.
• Do not include information in headers, footers, or margins.
• Do not include links to websites or external files/materials. Adding any URLs to external websites may affect the eligibility of your application.

Affiliation Letter

Many Fulbrighters undertaking projects in the arts will affiliate with universities, although in some countries it is possible to affiliate with other types of organizations such as a theater troupe or an arts academy. 

For Study/Research Applicants, affiliation with an educational institution or other sponsoring entity in the host country is required, even if the grant project is primarily research or artistic activity, or does not require enrollment in regular classes. All applicants are required to list a proposed affiliation, with some awards requiring a letter of affiliation to be submitted at the time of the application deadline. Please refer to the award description for specific requirements on which institutions or organizations can serve as an affiliate.

Failure to submit a letter of affiliation for an award that requires one at the national deadline may result in an application being deemed ineligible.

The affiliation letter should come from the institution and/or individual in the host country with whom you are proposing to work. It should be written in or translated to English, printed on official letterhead, and should be signed by the author (electronic signatures are permitted).   

Understand the affiliation requirements for the country to which you are applying: Affiliation arrangements vary by country and may not be required at the time of application. Carefully review the affiliation information provided in the award summary for your host country.  All academic grantees must have an affiliation in the host country listed in their application, even if a letter is not required at the deadline.

Countries differ in the kinds of host affiliations that are acceptable. Examples of affiliations include universities, laboratories, libraries, non-governmental organizations, and so on. Pay special attention to the requirement in some countries to attend classes and/or affiliate with academic institutions. Proposing an affiliate that does not meet the requirements for your chosen award may affect the eligibility of your application.

Identify an appropriate affiliation for your project: The affiliation is your proposed host in the country to which you are applying. Fulbrighters have used a number of methods to contact potential hosts and solicit support for their projects. One primary method is to use the contacts and advisers that you already have. Ask current or former professors to put you in contact with the appropriate people in the host country. If the proposal contains a strong research component, you must have host country contacts that can support the research, provide access to required resources, and/or advise you during the grant period. It is your responsibility to identify, contact, and secure an affiliation from a potential adviser.

Potential avenues to identify an appropriate affiliation/host country adviser include:

• Faculty at your home campus.
• International students.
• Visiting Fulbright Professors in the U.S. or U.S. Fulbright Scholars who had grants to your host country. Directories are available  here .
• Internet searches of faculty at potential host institutions with your interests, or organizations in the host country that work with issues related to your topic.
• Other U.S. academics with expertise in the location/subject matter of the proposed project.
• Contacts from previous experience abroad.
• Educational Advising sections of Embassies or Consulates of your potential host country.

Start early: Obtaining an affiliation letter from overseas can be a time-consuming process and sufficient lead time must be given to receive signed affiliation letters before the application deadline. Late affiliation letters will not be accepted after the application deadline.

Request the Affiliation Letter:  After identifying the appropriate host institution and the individual at that institution best suited to serve as an adviser for the proposed project, contact the potential adviser to determine if they are willing to write an affiliation letter. Before requesting the letter, you should provide the author with a copy of the Statement of Grant Purpose. The affiliation letter should indicate the author’s willingness to work with you on the intended project and it should speak to the feasibility and validity of what is being proposed. The letter should also indicate any additional resources or contacts that the adviser can provide to support the work.

• Scanned versions of the original hard-copy letters with hand-written signatures should be uploaded into the application. Letter writers can either send the original hard-copy letters or electronic copies to the applicants.
• Since affiliation letters are not confidential, you will upload the letter yourself into the online application system. Affiliation letters written in a foreign language must be translated into English and both the original letters and the English-language translations must be uploaded into the application. An 'official' translation of the letter is not required.
• Instructions on uploading letters of affiliation are available in the Fulbright online application system.  IIE will not accept any affiliation letters via email, fax, or mail.
• The affiliation letter must be printed on an institutional letterhead and must be signed by the author.
• Copies of email correspondence will not be accepted.
• Do not upload any documents other than a letter of affiliation to this field of the application. Uploading extraneous materials to this field may result in your application being deemed ineligible.

Personal Statement

The statement should be a one-page narrative that provides a picture of yourself as an individual․ It should detail your personal history, family background, influences on your intellectual development, the educational, professional, and cultural opportunities that you have (or have not) accessed, and the ways in which these experiences have affected you and your personal growth․ Also include your special interests and abilities, career plans, and life goals, etc․ It should not be a list of facts already noted in the application or an elaboration of your Statement of Grant Purpose․ Rather, it should be specifically related to you and your aspirations as they relate to the specific Fulbright Program award to which you have applied․

Do not repeat information from other parts of the application.

• Length is limited to a maximum of one single-spaced pages. The application system will not allow statements longer than one page to be uploaded.
• At the top of each page include:
• On line 1: Personal Statement

Foreign Language Forms

Language requirements vary by country, so before starting the application you should review the specific language proficiency requirements of your selected award. You must possess the necessary language skills to successfully complete the project you are proposing.

For programs where language skills are required , you must complete the Language Self Evaluation form within the application, and register an individual to complete the Foreign Language Evaluation Form. The Foreign Language Evaluation form is completed by a professional language teacher, preferably a university professor. 

Submission of both the Language Self-Evaluation portion of the application and Foreign Language Evaluation form is mandatory, even if you have advanced skills or are a native speaker of the language. The application system will not allow the submission of an application if a required Foreign Language Evaluation form is not registered. Failure to submit the required language forms may affect your eligibility.

For programs where language skills are recommended or not required, if you possess some language skills relevant to the host country or proposed project, you should complete the Language Self Evaluation and submit a Foreign Language Evaluation Form. It will be beneficial to have your language ability documented, even if it is not required for the award. Remember, even if a country indicates that English will be sufficient for carrying out the proposed project, for purposes of engaging with your host community, at least a basic level of language skill should be obtained prior to leaving the United States for the host country.

For programs in countries where English is one of the national languages, you do not need to submit any foreign language forms unless a foreign language is required for your project.

If language proficiency is not required for the award and you have little or no knowledge of the language relevant to the host country, but plan to acquire proficiency prior to the start of the grant, you may discuss your plans in the Language Self Evaluation. In this case, you should not obtain a Foreign Language Evaluation.

For Commonly-Taught Languages : The Foreign Language Evaluation should be completed by a professional language teacher, preferably a university professor. The language evaluator cannot be related to the applicant.

For Less-Commonly-Taught Languages :If a professional language teacher is not readily available, a college-educated, native speaker of the language can be used. The language evaluator cannot be related to the applicant.

Provide your language evaluator with the  Instructions for Foreign Language Evaluators . You can print these out and discuss them with the person completing the form.

If you wish to have the same person complete both a recommendation and a Foreign Language Evaluation, you will need to register the person once for the recommendation and once for the Foreign Language Evaluation. Please check with your evaluator/recommender to ensure they receive the correct forms. If your evaluator/recommender is having issues accessing the forms, please instruct them to email [email protected] for assistance.

Recommendations

You must submit three recommendation letters as part of the application. The authors should be the three individuals who can best speak to your ability to carry out the project being proposed; they should discuss your intellectual and professional preparation, and your ability to represent the U.S. abroad. You should provide the recommender with a copy of your Statement of Grant Purpose before requesting the recommendation letter. The recommendation letter should NOT simply be a character reference, as this will be of no value in assessing your ability to complete the proposed project. 

• Recommenders cannot be related to you. Do not submit recommendations from a parent, sibling, or other relative.
• Provide reference writers with copies of the Statement of Grant Purpose and the Personal Statement so that they can write well-informed recommendation letters.
• It is common courtesy to give recommenders at least 4-5 weeks to complete the recommendation letters. Confirm with your recommenders that they can submit your recommendation letters within this timeframe, and ahead of the national deadline.
• You must register the recommenders in the online application system so that they can upload their recommendation letters directly into the application. When available, it is preferred you register your recommenders using their professional or institutional email address. Let your recommenders/evaluators know that they should be expecting an email message with the following information in the header
• From:  Fulbright U․S․Student Program ([email protected])
• Subject:  Fulbright Recommendation for [Your Name]
• Recommendations must remain confidential. Applicants cannot upload recommendation letters on behalf of their recommenders, and recommenders should not share their recommendations with applicants.
• Recommendation letters should be printed on institutional letterhead, signed by the authors, and then uploaded into the online application system. Digital signatures are also acceptable.
• Provide your recommenders with the Instructions for Study/Research Recommendation Writers
• All recommendations must be written in English. If the original recommendation letter is written in a language other than English there must be an official English translation. Because the recommendation letter is confidential the translation cannot be done by the applicant. Both the original recommendation letter and the English-language translation must be uploaded into the Fulbright application as a single document.
• After the recommendation is submitted, it cannot be edited. However, if there is a significant error and the recommender agrees to submit a revised recommendation, the following process must be followed:
• The deadline to request a letter be un-submitted is Friday, October 4, 2024 at 5:00pm Eastern Time.
• The recommender sends an email from the registered email account to [email protected] to request that the recommendation be un-submitted.
• The email to [email protected] must include the applicant’s full name and country of application.
• The recommender will need to allow at least 48 hours for the request to be implemented.
• Once the recommendation is un-submitted, the recommender can edit the recommendation and resubmit.
• All recommendations must be submitted by the application deadline, Tuesday, October 8, 2024 at 5:00pm Eastern Time. Late recommendation submissions under any circumstances.
• If a recommendation letter needs to be removed from the application after being submitted, the recommender must send an email from the registered email account to  [email protected]  to request that the recommendation be deleted from the application.

Note: Applicants and Fulbright Program Advisers cannot request that a recommendation be un-submitted. 

Transcripts

The Fulbright Program requires a complete academic record of your higher education. You must provide transcripts from all undergraduate and graduate institutions from which you received degrees. Transcripts must also be submitted from other institutions where you studied and received credit for coursework.  You may submit documentation of certificates (e.g. non-degree programs) only if relevant to your Fulbright Grant Purpose․ ) only if relevant to your Fulbright Grant Purpose․ However, do not submit extraneous documents as they will not enhance your application․

Failure to submit any required transcripts will result in your application being declared ineligible.

• You must upload one unofficial academic transcript from each post-secondary institution from which you received (or expect to receive) a degree. Additional transcripts should be uploaded for coursework and grades not reflected on degree-granting transcripts.
• If a degree is still in progress, you may upload a copy that shows the most recently completed semester.
• Make sure that the document that you submit clearly shows your name, the name of the institution, and appears as an academic record that is organized chronologically--with course dates, titles, credits and grades. Screenshots of online academic portals (e.g. a course schedule) will not be accepted.
• Graduate-level students who do not include undergraduate transcripts will be considered ineligible.
• Consult the  Transcript and Upload Instructions  page for more detailed information.

Portfolio Requirements

All candidates applying in the creative and performing arts must submit a portfolio of their artistic work. These portfolio items, along with the written portions of the application, will be evaluated by screening committee members in their chosen artistic field/discipline..

The submitted arts portfolio should be a body of work that relates to the proposed project and best shows the applicant’s artistic strengths. Arts applicants should understand that they will be evaluated first and foremost on their technical and artistic skills within their chosen artistic disciplines and that the supplementary materials need to be complied in a professional manner.

• Carefully review and follow the instructions in the  Required Supplementary Materials for Arts Applicants . Understanding and adhering to the guidelines for your chosen artistic field of study is crucial in ensuring your portfolio adheres to the stated requirements and your application is eligible for review. Please contact [email protected] if you have any questions regarding the Arts materials requirements.
• You should assemble a portfolio that relates to the proposed project and demonstrates your artistic skills and growth in the field. Portfolio material should not be outside of the artistic discipline you have selected. There is no option for ‘interdisciplinary’ or ‘multi-media’ arts, so applicants are responsible for choosing one field of study and adhering to the corresponding portfolio requirements.
• You should solicit critiques from faculty members within the discipline and/or professional artists on the portfolios before submission.
• Work submissions need to be labeled in detailed fashion so that the National Screening Committee members are clear on the print size and/or dimensions of objects, the materials used, what your role in the production of the pieces was, etc.

List of Arts Fields

When completing the application, please select the below field of study that most closely relates to your proposed project and the genre of your portfolio materials. As the first stage of the selection process is organized by discipline for all Arts applicants, you must take care to select the best field of study for your proposal and portfolio. Interdisciplinary or multi-disciplinary is not an option for the purposes of applying to the Fulbright U.S. Student Program.

• Architecture
• Creative Writing
• Composition
• Harpsichord
• Historical Performance
• Jazz Performance
• Opera Stage Direction
• String Instruments
• Woodwind & Brass
• World Music
• Performance Art
• Theater Arts
• Design & Crafts
• Drawing, Illustration, & Sequential Art
• Installation Art
• Painting/Printmaking
• Photography

Consult the Required Portfolio Materials For Arts Applicants page for more detailed information on each field of study.

Applicants to Germany  are required to submit additional materials  at the semi-finalist stage. These materials are described in  Additional Materials For Music And Arts For Germany  and are in addition to the work samples described in the Required Supplementary Materials listed above.

Ethical Requirements

Applicants proposing research involving human beings or animals as research subjects should have their projects vetted by the Institutional Review Board (IRB) at their home institutions. Pending selection, grantees may be required to obtain research clearance from the host country (where applicable). Strong letters of affiliation should include the host institution’s commitment to guiding the applicant through any in-country clearance processes.

At-Large applicants should conduct an individual ethics review ensuring that their proposed projects are consistent with ethical standards for research involving humans as research participants as outlined in the National Guidelines for Human Subjects Research (U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Office of Extramural Research, National Institutes of Health), and in the National Guidelines for Animal Welfare at the National Institutes of Health’s Office of Laboratory Animal Welfare or other applicable internationally recognized ethics guidance documents.

Human subjects research includes: 

• Clinical investigations (any experiment or study on one or more persons which involves a test product/article, whether a drug, treatment, procedure or device); 
• Social-behavioral studies which entail interaction with or observation of people, especially vulnerable populations (i.e., as minors, pregnant women, inmates, drug-users, the mentally impaired, displaced/refugee populations); and, 
• Basic scientific research to study the biology of animals, persons, or organs and specimens thereof. 

The most fundamental issues in studies involving human research subjects include: valid scientific questions and approaches; potential social value; favorable risk-benefit ratio; fair selection of study participants and an adequately administered informed consent process.

On the ‘Affiliation’ page of the application, applicants must note if their proposed project will involve activities that may require a license to practice and/or involve clinical training and/or patient care.

While IRB approval is not required at the time of application, individuals selected for grants must abide by all ethical requirements before commencing their research on human and/or animal subjects through a Fulbright award.

Arts Study/Research Application Components Overview

Checklist For Creative & Performing Arts Candidates

Starting The Application

• Contact the Fulbright Program Adviser at your school to discuss the campus application process and note any campus deadlines (pertains only to candidates applying through a U.S. institution).
• Carefully review the program summary for the country and award to which you are applying.
•  Abstract/Summary of Proposal,
• Host Country Engagement,
• Plans Upon Return to the U.S., 
• Arts Experience Summary, 
• Arts Portfolio Description.
• Consult the  Required Supplementary Materials For Arts Applicants  page and requirements for the specific creative/performing arts field.
• Draft a Statement of Grant Purpose that is feasible and culturally appropriate for the country of application.
• Identify a potential affiliation in the host country and make contact with an appropriate person there who might be able to serve as an adviser and who could write the Affiliation Letter for the Fulbright application. Provide the author of the affiliation letter with a copy of your Statement of Grant Purpose.
• If you are proposing a graduate degree program, review the admission requirements and application deadlines of the proposed host institution and program. Applicants proposing to pursue a graduate degree program must apply to the degree-granting program separate from their Fulbright application.
• Draft a Personal Statement that provides the screening committee members with a fuller picture of who and what has motivated you to pursue this Fulbright opportunity.
• Consult with professors and/or colleagues in the arts community with background in the country to which you are applying or those who have expertise in the field of study of the proposed project.
• Solicit critiques on the draft Statement of Grant Purpose from professors, advisers, mentors, colleagues, etc., and make revisions as appropriate.
• Request feedback from professors/artists on putting together a professional portfolio of supplementary material relevant to your proposed project to be reviewed by the National Screening Committee.
• Contact 3 individuals to write recommendations. These individuals should be those who can best speak to your ability to carry out the project being proposed. You should provide a copy of your Statement of Grant Purpose to each recommender. Allow enough time for the recommender to complete their recommendation before your institution’s campus deadline and/or national deadline.
• For candidates submitting Foreign Language Evaluations: Contact the professor or other professional foreign language instructor who will complete the Foreign Language Evaluation form for the application.
• Obtain transcripts from each post-secondary institution attended.

Before Submitting The Application

• Make any necessary revisions based on feedback from the Campus Interview Committee (pertains only to candidates applying through a U.S. institution).
• Check for typos—misspellings, capitalization errors, grammatical mistakes, etc.
• Make sure that all of the required fields on the Biographical Data pages have been filled in, including the Project Title and Abstract of Proposal sections.
• Check to make sure that your Statement of Grant Purpose, the Personal Statement, and the transcripts have been uploaded into the correct sections of the application.
• Confirm that recommenders and language evaluators are registered in the application system and have received the email link to complete the recommendation/evaluation. Applicants can submit their application before the recommendations/evaluations are submitted. After application submission and before the national deadline, applicants can log in to the application and resend email links.
• Double-check the portfolio materials to make sure that they will play/display properly.
• Preview the complete application in the Fulbright online application system by going to the Review page.
• Print a copy of the application for your records.

Department of Creative Writing

The Department of Creative Writing at UCR offers the only Bachelor of Arts in Creative Writing in the University of California system and the MFA in Creative Writing and Writing for the Performing Arts . It is a growing and dynamic program made up entirely of established writers and poets. Courses at UCR are designed for all students in the language arts, and they emphasize developing each student's skills and talents. Through writing fiction, poetry, nonfiction, and/or drama, students examine language and meaning both as practitioners and as readers as they develop and hone essential writing techniques.

Every writer needs to develop a critical sense to augment creative ability. For this reason, the Creative Writing Department offers two types of courses. Workshop courses are seminars that focus on writing and on the discussion of student work. Reading courses for writers focus on aspects of literature presented from a writer's point of view. Frequently, they employ writing in imitation as one of several approaches to understanding the craft of writing. Upper-division workshop courses are offered at the beginning, intermediate, and advanced levels in poetry, nonfiction, and fiction. Several reading courses link two genres such as fiction and poetry, and poetry and drama.

Give to Creative Writing Department

Announcements

Katie Ford 's sequence of poems The Anchoress — set as a monodrama by composer David Serkin Ludwig — was performed this summer at Chamber Music Northwest.

Laila Lalami published the New York Times Magazine cover story “A State of Uncertainty” and was named a Radcliffe Fellow at Harvard for 2023-2024.

Charmaine Craig ’s  My Nemesis  has been published this year by Grove Press.

Thalia Williamson ’s “The Silent Part” was published this summer in Joyland .

Quyen Pham ’s “Such Good Girls” was published this past spring in Room .

Emily Doyle  published “Thursdays for Haru” earlier this year in the Sun.

Tom Lutz 's  1925 A Literary Encyclopedia  is being published by Rare Bird Lit, and his novel  Archipelago  is coming out from Red Hen Press. His essay "Gravy Donuts" was published in Iowa Review .

Reza Aslan 's  An American Martyr in Persia was longlisted for the PEN/Jacqueline Beograd Weld Award.

Allison Benis White won the 2022 Pushcart Prize and the Lucille Medwick Memorial Award.

Allison Hedge Coke  was a 2022  National Book Award finalist for  Look at This Blue ,  a 2023 finalist for  CLMP Firecracker Award  and  ASLE Best Creative Book of the Year .   Look at This Blue , was awarded the  Emory Elliott Book Award  by CHASS Center for Ideas and Society and Hedge Coke was awarded the  2023 Thomas Wolfe Prize & Lecture  by the University of North Carolina and the [http://Thomas Wolfe Endowment Fund]Thomas Wolfe Society in  fall 2023 .

Susan Straight 's  Mecca was a finalist for the Kirkus Prize and named a Top Ten California Book of the Year by the New York Times and one of the best books of 2022 by NPR, the Washington Post and the Los Angeles Times.

Juan Felipe Herrera  was a recent recipient of the Poetry Foundation’s Pegasus Award and the LARB/UCR lifetime achievement award. The Fresno Unified School District named its latest school Juan Felipe Herrera Elementary.

Conversations With Steve Erickson has been published by the University Press of Mississippi as part of a series that includes Scott Fitzgerald, Ernest Hemingway, William Faulkner, James Baldwin, William Burroughs and Toni Morrison.

Employment Opportunities

None at this time.

Statement of Solidarity with the Asian American Pacific Islander Community

We are grieved by the recent killings in Atlanta, as well as by all other anti-Asian bigotry and violence, and stand in solidarity with our AAPI colleagues, students, and, more broadly, all AAPI across the nation. We stand against all anti-AAPI hate crimes, discrimination, and dehumanization, knowing that the group Stop AAPI Hate has reported 3,975 hate incidents against Asian Americans between March 19, 2020 and February 28, 2021.

To take action:

• Educational resources and petitions to sign: HERE .
• Report hate incidents HERE and HERE .
• Attend a bystander intervention training to learn ways to stop anti-Asian American and xenophobic harassment.  [ March 29 at 3 p.m. ] [ April 20 at 2 p.m. ]
• Send a message to elected officials.

To learn more:

• The New Yorker : Ed Park, "Confronting Anti-Asian Discrimination During the Coronavirus Crisis"
• The House Judiciary Committee held a hearing on Discrimination and Violence Against Asian Americans

Statement of Solidarity with Black Lives Matter

We stand in solidarity with Black Lives Matter. The brutal killings of George Floyd in Minnesota, Breonna Taylor in Kentucky, and Ahmaud Arbery in Georgia are part of a pattern of state violence against Black people, which too often remains invisible and unpunished when it is not blamed on the victims themselves.

America’s institutionalized practice of settler colonialism, genocide, slavery, and segregation continues in the form of continued occupation, discrimination, mass incarceration, and racist policing.

The nationwide protests we are witnessing this week are an expression of anger at police violence, a rejection of white supremacy, and a call to our leaders that they live up to the nation's founding proclamation of equality. We demand accountability from the police, disinvestment from law enforcement in favor of education, housing, and community services, and, above all, justice for the victims.

Recognition of Native Lands Statement

We acknowledge that the land on which we gather is the original and traditional territory of Tongva people [ Tongva and Cahuilla people] and within Tongva, Cahuilla, Luiseño & Serrano original lands and contemporary territories.

In the spirit of Rupert and Jeanette Costo’s founding relationship to our campus, we would like to respectfully acknowledge and recognize our responsibility to the original and current caretakers of this land, water and air: the Cahuilla , Tongva , Luiseño , and Serrano peoples and all of their ancestors and descendants, past, present and future. Today this meeting place is home to many Indigenous peoples from all over the world, including UCR faculty, students, and staff, and we are grateful to have the opportunity to live and work on these homelands. Please also visit our university founder's  legacy page, Cahuilla Scholar Rupert Costo ,  California Indian Studies & Scholars Association , UCR's  California Center for Native Nations ,  Native American Student Programs  (NASP), and the page of UCR's  Rupert Costo Chair, Dr. Clifford Trafzer .

Download UCR Native American Student Programs Land Statement

Faculty Publications

Writers Week

CREATIVE WRITING

CREATIVE WRITING was added as an arts track option in 2021. Primary courses include Poetry, Creative Nonfiction, Fiction, Playwriting, and Screenwriting. Students learn from award-winning storytellers and poets and have access to the rich and diverse Twin Cities community of writers connected to such world-renowned literary organizations such as The Playwrights’ Center and The Loft. A number of courses already offered in Creative Writing include Nature Poetry, World Building, Unreliable Narrators, The Shape of Poetry, First-Person Narratives, Manifesto, Portfolio, How to Write Like…, Performance Poetry, and Creativity Workshop. 

Creative Writing Faculty

Creative wrirting vision and priority standards, creative writing curriculum.

Please view our Academic Course Guide

Need more? Schedule a Visit today.

©2023 Saint Paul Conservatory for Performing Artists. Powered by WordPress and Smitty.

SAINT PAUL CONSERVATORY FOR PERFORMING ARTISTS p 651.290.2225 – f 651.290.9000 [email protected]

Join The club

SPCPA is authorized by the University of St. Thomas

• Program Finder
• Undergraduate
• Arts and Creative Industries

Take control of your creative ambitions and immerse yourself in studio and practical learning

At A Glance

What You'll Learn:

• Perfect your craft in creative writing, performance, or visual arts
• Gain industry-specific skills across the field of arts and entertainment, including organization, management, and problem-solving 
• Develop a portfolio of creative works in your chosen specialty

What You'll Do:

• Showcase your work through venues like theater, pop-up galleries, and an international journal of poetry and fiction
• Immerse yourself in experiential learning and internships, engaging with artists, libraries, museums, and more
• Work alongside faculty mentors to build on your creative talents and select courses that align with your career aspirations

Possible Career Options

• Film Producer 
• Graphic Designer
• Music Producer
• Non-Profit Arts Administrator
• Museum Curator
• Art Therapist
• Music Therapist

Program Level: Undergraduate

Offered As: Major, Minor

College/School: College of Arts & Sciences

Our Students

"Art has always been my passion, along with the other subjects I study at Bryant. Now, I’m able to combine them to create endless opportunities for myself."

Kristy Murphy '26

• Second Major: Literary and Cultural Studies
• Complementary Minors: Marketing and Psychology
• Hometown: East Islip, NY

"I'm passionate about the creation and sharing of all types of art and would love to include this passion in my future career. I'm specifically interested in film and media editing, which is why I'm double majoring with communication. "

Rowan McMahon '27 

• Second major: Communication 
• Complementary Minors: French and Human Resources  
• Hometown: North Kingstown, RI

"The ACI major allows me to express myself through art. Since art is part of my life, I want to incorporate it eventually into my psychology practice." 

Isabella Daly '27

• Arts and Creative Industries 
• Second Major: Psychology
• Hometown: Guaynabo, Puerto Rico

The Arts are Thriving at Bryant

Olivia Hillman, an ACI major who hopes to be an art teacher, paints during Bryant REDay.

Learn through experience.

At Bryant, we believe in learning by doing. Arts and Creative Industries students participate in experiential learning opportunities such as internships, guest lectures, research collaboration with faculty, student clubs and organizations, and campus events like REDay (Research and Engagement Day).

Internships

• Intern at culture and publishing organizations such as the Wilbury Theater Group, Motif Magazine, and Waterfire Arts Center
• Discover opportunities with theaters, dance companies, art museums, publishing companies, festivals, and more
• Micro-internships with campus arts organizations, campus art exhibits, Art Barn events development and coordination 
• Partner with community arts organizations like New Urban Arts, Festival Ballet Providence, and the Rhode Island Artists' Exchange

Clubs/Organizations:

• Advanced Evolution Dance Team  
• Bryant Arts Council
• Bryant Arts and Creativity Club    
• Bryant Players
• Bryant Singers
• Chamber Ensemble   
• Creative Writing Club
• Improv Troupe
• Jazz Ensemble
• The Bottom Line
• Thrive Magazine
• Velocity Dance Team 
• Present creative work and critical work at Pop-Up Gallery and Performance Night
• Work on socially engaged art activities on campus and in the local community
• Present and display work at the Day of Understanding and Research and Engagement Day
• Collaborate with faculty on research activities and arts-related projects

Travel / Events

• Arts in the City (annual trip to New York City)
• Study abroad in locations around the world, including Florence, Italy (renowned for its art)
• Visiting Writer Series

The Art Barn is a venue for members of the community to share in, appreciate, and expand the arts at Bryant. In addition to stopping in for special events, students are welcome to drop into open hours to relax, create, meet like-minded students, and help support the artistic community at Bryant. 

Choose Your Own Track

Program overview.

Students in this major master traditional administrative skills, learn about the changing fields of arts and creativity, are immersed in studio and practical learning in their chosen fields, and have concrete experiential learning courses both on campus and within the local arts and creative industries community. 

Students will graduate with the ability to leverage their practical and creative skills to work in a range of arts and creative industries, with the expectation of immediate employment with competitive salaries or graduate studies.

Choose Your Path

Choose to specialize in one of three areas, or combine disciplines for greater career flexibility:

• Creative Writing
• Performing Arts
• Visual Arts

Requirements for the Major

• ACI 220 Introduction to Arts and Creative Industries
• ACI 221 Arts and Creative Industries Incubator Seminar
• ACI 340 Arts and Entertainment: Issues in Arts Administration
• ACI 391 Arts and Creative Industries Internship
• LCS 491 Career and Portfolio Workshop

A minimum of 30 credits are required for the major. Learn more about these courses in Bryant's undergraduate catalog . 

Requirements for the Minor

Students interested in Arts and Creative Industries as a minor must complete a minimum of 12 credits. Of those, two courses are required:

Students can then take two electives in creative practices in performing arts, visual arts, or creative writing. Find a list of possible courses in the undergraduate catalog . 

Our Faculty

Our faculty include prominent scholars, teachers, and practitioners. They bring their expertise in research, publishing, art and community service to mentor and guide you in seeking internships, admission to graduate programs, and careers. Learn more by visiting their faculty pages:

• Barbara Byers, performance artist
• Valerie Carrigan , visual artist
• Taylor Maroney, visual artist
• Eric Paul, poet and musician
• Joan Zaretti , arts administrator and music educator

In The News

We invite you to read more about what's happening with our Arts and Creative Industries program, faculty, and students: 

Entrepreneurs rely on a blend of arts and business

From Broadway musicals to abstract art, NYC trip exposes students to creative industries

April is National Poetry Month: Become a poetry pro with these 7 tips

From Second City to political satire, Amber Day adds edge to the arts in, out of classroom

Dean Veronica McComb, Ph.D., on the arts industry, identity, and leading with empathy

Producer Don Reo, actor Mayim Bialik offer lessons in creativity and craft

Celebrating artistic expression: Bryant students to hold Arts Weekend for community

Bryant welcomes 15 new faculty members to the university community

Department Chair

Program Coordinator

More Information

Related Programs

Student art is yours to enjoy when you follow us on Instagram!

Vision 2030, Bryant's Strategic Plan, is evolving the Bryant experience. 

Combinable programs let students create their own education path.

Academic Programs 

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First-Year Apps  

Sports and recreation are a big part of the Bryant experience, whether you’re on the field or in the stands.

Review scores, browse schedules, and find ticket info on the official athletic site of Bryant.  

Stay active and get involved on campus by joining a competitive club sport or intramural team. 

Bryant University is proud of its Bulldogs! We’re home to 25 NCAA Division I varsity teams.

Bryant students are engaged in their campus experience.

Experience another country’s culture through one of more than 50 partner programs on six continents.

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International students from more than 60 countries study at Bryant University.

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Performing Arts

Writing in performing arts.

In the Performing Arts Program at CI, writing is a vital element of all the emphases (Dance, Music, and Theatre). Writing provides an opportunity for PA students to communicate their ideas in a variety of ways that are both creative and analytical. Whether commenting on existing performances (choreographies, compositions, plays, etc.), or devising original pieces, it is necessary for PA students to master writing skills, so they may convey their thoughts and express themselves to their full potential.

In creating works for performance, writing can be integral to the process (lyrics, dialogue, stage directions, etc.). Other times writing serves to introduce or explain a work (promotional materials, program notes, etc.), or to write reviews (concert, theater, CD, dance reviews, etc.), or to write adaptations or translations of existing texts. Examining or researching the works of others, and creating one’s own written work are skills that can be learned. These writing skills will serve PA students academically, professionally, and personally.

Types of Writing in The Performing Arts

Writing in the Performing Arts includes a great variety of assignments/tasks that fall into two main categories, analytical and creative writing, which may overlap in some cases.

Analytical writing: Task/assignment names may vary depending on the nature of the course and background of instructor

• Research papers
• Critical responses
• Presentations
• Concert reports
• Music journalist assignments
• Journal entries
• Peer reviews
• Personal reflection papers
• Scripts (original and adaptations of literature and narratives)
• Stage plays
• Song lyrics
• Stage directions

Writing Outcomes in the Performing Arts

When completing writing tasks in the Performing Arts Program, students are expected to do the following:

• Analyze and interpret primary sources (performance texts in a variety of forms—script, notation, live performance, recorded performance— whether dance, music, and / r theatre)
• Articulate, through a recursive process of drafting and revision, a critical research question or problem in clear prose
• Utilize the resources of the CI library and the Internet to locate sources (primary and secondary) to answer that question or solve that problem
• Analyze, synthesize, and evaluate sources (primary, secondary, or tertiary)
• Distinguish their thoughts and ideas from those of secondary sources by citing others’ work appropriately and articulating a thesis, i.e., the answer(s) to a question or solution(s) a problem
• Construct, through a recursive process of drafting and revision, a sound, logically supported, and persuasive argument in clear prose
• Utilize the resources of the CI library and the Internet to locate sources (primary and secondary) that serve as inspiration for original creative works of performance
• Analyze, synthesize, evaluate, and appropriately cite sources (primary, secondary, or tertiary) as context, inspiration, or adaptation material for composing or adapting a creative performance work
• Experiment freely with different choices in order to compose, through a recursive process of rehearsal and revision, an original performance work
• Articulate the significance, theme, and purpose of their work
• Write a plan for completion of a research or creative project
• Reflect on stages of an on-going or recently completed project in formal or informal writing
• Analyze and evaluate their creative or research project in an early phase in order to make revisions
• Analyze and evaluate other students’ creative or research projects in an early phase in order to provide constructive feedback

Assessment Rubrics

Research Paper CHECKLIST:

• Was the thesis/main idea clearly expressed?
• Was there a clear development/flow of ideas?
• Was each idea completed?
• Were there quotations from the primary source/text?
• How effective were they?
• Were there citations from secondary sources?
• Were they used effectively?
• Did you understand each sentence?
• Did spelling, grammar, and punctuation need revision?
• Were there any slang/colloquial expressions or jargon? Were they necessary?
• How successful was the conclusion?
• Was the Works Cited page formatted appropriately?

Journal Writing RUBRIC:

• Grades 4 - 12 Arts

Creative Writing

Mission statement.

The Creative Writing Department at SCPA is dedicated to creating an imaginative, inspirational and productive environment focused on the process of writing. In our community of artists, the objective is to write honestly, producing professional quality pieces resonating with life and voice. Through daily practice in reading, writing, listening and speaking, students will mature artistically and aesthetically while reaching a wide audience through numerous performance and publication opportunities.

Course Sequence

• Fundamentals 4-6 
• Techniques 7-8 
• Global Issues 9-11 
• Dramatic Process 10-12 
• Advanced Media Communications 11-12 
• Critical Concerns 11-12 
• Pandora’s Ink: Honors 12

Dramatic Process provides students with a foundation in theatre/film script writing. Students analyze and explore Dramatic Structure as it applies to theatre and film. Students work on script projects culminating in a theatre performance or film piece.

Advanced Media Communication is a continuation of the Dramatic Process class. Students conceptualize, write, revise and direct a play or film that is performed for the public and entered in local, state and national competitions.

National Standards: English/Language Arts

(Revised {see italics} by Dr. Joy A. Fowler for SCPA Creative Writing Department, 2002)

READING FOR PERSPECTIVE Students read a wide range of print and non-print texts to build an understanding of texts, of themselves, and of the cultures of the United States and the world; to acquire new information; to respond to the needs and demands of society and the workplace; to tap into the potential and power of literature and writing as an art, and for personal fulfillment. Among these texts are fiction and nonfiction, poetry and drama, classic and contemporary works.

UNDERSTANDING THE HUMAN EXPERIENCE Students read a wide range of literature from many periods in many genres to build an understanding of the many dimensions (e.g., philosophical, ethical, aesthetic) of human experience, reflected by the evolution of literature and the changing societal role of the author.

EVALUATION STRATEGIES Students apply a wide range of strategies to comprehend, interpret, evaluate, create and appreciate texts. They draw on their prior experience, their interactions with other readers and writers, their knowledge of word meaning and of other texts, their word identification strategies, and their understanding of textual features (e.g., sound-letter correspondence,, sentence structure, context, graphics).

COMMUNICATION SKILLS Students adjust their use of spoken, written, and visual language (e.g., conventions, style, vocabulary) to communicate effectively with a variety of audiences and for different purposes.

COMMUNICATION STRATEGIES Students employ a wide range of strategies as they write and use different writing process elements appropriately to communicate with different audiences for a variety of purposes.

APPLYING KNOWLEDGE Students apply knowledge of language structure, language conventions (e.g., spelling and punctuation), media techniques, figurative language, and genre to create, critique, and discuss print and non-print texts.

EVALUATING DATA Students conduct research on issues and interests by generating ideas and questions, and by posing problems. They gather, evaluate, and synthesize data from a variety of sources (e.g., print and non-print texts, artifacts, people) to communicate their discoveries in ways that suit their purpose and audience.

DEVELOPING RESEARCH SKILLS Students use a variety of technological and information resources (e.g., libraries, databases, computer networks, video) to gather and synthesize information and to create and communicate knowledge.

MULTICULTURAL UNDERSTANDING Students develop an understanding of and respect for diversity in language use, patterns, and dialects across time, cultures, ethnic groups, geographic regions, and social roles.

APPLYING NON-ENGLISH PERSPECTIVES Students whose first language is not English make use of their first language to develop competency in the English language arts and to develop understanding of content across the curriculum.

PARTICIPATING IN SOCIETY Students participate as knowledgeable, reflective, creative, and critical members of a variety of literacy communities.

APPLYING LANGUAGE SKILLS Students use spoken, written, and visual language to accomplish their own purposes (e.g., for becoming an author of literature, learning, enjoyment, persuasion, and the exchange of information).

Copyright 1996-2002 by Education World, Inc. All Rights Reserved. Italics added 6/1/2002 by Dr. Joy A. Fowler

Writing Department Policy

Boards proficiencies will be held in the Writing Department during January. All students will read a brief selection for other writing majors and teachers available during each particular class bell. All students will prepare a portfolio, the content of which is to be determined by the teacher. All students will critique the readers they hear. All students will receive the critique sheets from staff and students. Students taking more than one writing class will read and prepare portfolios for each class.  For juniors, this portfolio will be developed into an entry for the Corbett-Meyerson competition whether that student competes or not. The format and content will be similar to that of the National ARTS competition and Scholastic competition portfolio requirements. A similar portfolio review will take place after mid-term of the fourth quarter without the department-wide reading, but culminating in the Spring Festival recital.

Purposes of boards

• Assess student progress
• Assess artistic growth
• Provide a pathway to excellence
• Emphasize the importance of maintaining an up to date portfolio
• Provide an audience for student work
• Allow all teachers and students to hear a variety of work, practice audience skills, practice critiquing skills
• Practice presenting skills
• Demonstrate a continuum of writing skills and techniques
• Create a community of writers across age levels
• Teach and encourage professionalism

Boards requirements

Prepare portfolio items per class as assigned by teacher at beginning of quarter

• Arranged in chronological order
• Best of representative genre typed (depending on class and grade level)
• Selected by student with teacher input as requested for all drafts available to show strength in one area
• Two-minute reading limit  

Accompanying reflection in literary terms may include

• Written rationale for the choice of the piece
• Compare/contrast

(Public speaking rubric will be provided beforehand.)

Portfolios will be evaluated according to their completeness; adherence to the individual teacher's stipulated content, format and deadlines; and demonstration of artistic growth as a writer.  Individual pieces will be evaluated by the following department wide rubric developed from those used by Power of the Pen, CPS, Career Technical Education and the State of Ohio Proficiency tests. The scale will run from 1-4, with 1 indicating inadequate performance; 2, minimal performance; 3, acceptable performance; and 4, exemplary performance.

• Inadequate performance : Writing is absent, difficult to follow or lacks intelligibility.  Language and writing are unclear, dull, vague and/or unimaginative. There are irrelevant elements and details. The main idea is not developed or off topic. There is little demonstrated understanding of the purpose of the chosen genre.    Writing contains some concrete details but is not clearly developed. Some ideas are missing, out of order or inappropriate for audience or purpose.  Errors are distracting.
• Minimal performance : Writing is clear in the main but lacks creative organization, depth and/or detail. Content is communicated but does not sustain reader's interest. The topic is developed but with more telling than showing, and details are in evidence, but the voice is weak, the style fades and there is no depth. Writing is too personal, preventing audience identification. Language is understandable but unimaginative and/or uninspired.   The potential of the chosen genre is undeveloped. Mechanics involve little variation and contain some errors.
• Acceptable performance : Topics are well developed, genre elements are in evidence and details are well ordered and clear. Writing includes appropriate detailed description and fresh beginnings.  Ideas are creative and innovative. Voice and intensity are present but not sustained.  Message lacks universal application. Characters are not fully developed. Plot needs more energy. Poetry needs more power. The strength of the genre is not fully shown. Mechanical errors are rare.
• Exemplary performance : This writing is strong, effective, unique and captures the readers interest. The ideas are original, creative, imaginative, resonating and/or thought provoking. The writing is well organized, expressed with clarity and clear individual voice. The writing demonstrates technical mastery using vivid detail, complex imagery and/or subtle literary devices, creating a sustained level of excellence of expression. A strong sense of purpose and audience is evident throughout. The author's voice emerges clearly from the piece. Infrequent technical or grammatical errors.

Review policy

Parents and students will be notified if grades fall below the required "C" average, beginning at first quarter mid-term. In the event a student is not maintaining a "C" average at the end of first semester, the portfolio will be assessed by the teacher, department chair, parents and student, and a progress exam administered to determine the appropriate action. Options range from counseling out of the department for two successive quarter failures, to probation of one quarter, contingent on all missing work being made up at at least a "C" level by the next mid-term. If at the end of third quarter, the student still has not earned at least a "C" average, barring emergency situations, re-audition for another major or attending another school will be recommended.

Suspicions of plagiarism will result in a conference with student, parent, teacher, department chair and principal where pertinent evidence may be brought forth.  Proven plagiarism will result in an "F" for the assignment, immediate department probation and disciplinary action according to the Disciplinary Code for CPS. Department recommendations for inconclusive situations with strongly grounded suspicions include redoing the assignment.

Co-curricular time commitment expectations

All majors are expected to participate in at least one event per quarter outside the regular school day.  Required attendance events are one's own class recital, the BookFair! and Spring Festival. Options include attending other writing classes' recitals, Open House for new students, Fine Arts Sampler Weekend, Power of the Pen and the Corbett-Mayerson competition and/or participation in creating interdisciplinary performances with other departments such as Fireworks, Tall Stacks and the African Dance Ensemble.   Failure to attend an event per quarter will result in an "F" being averaged into the quarter grade. Excused absences, per parent note, may be permitted but must be made up within a quarter to satisfy the obligation.

Arts diploma criteria for writing

Students must:

• Take both bells of an ensemble level class in grades 11 and 12
• Maintain a minimum of a "B" average in writing in grades 11 and 12 maintain a minimum of "C" average overall during grades 11 and 12

Creative Writing Department at a Glance

• Fundamentals  4-5-6
• Techniques  7-8
• Global Issues  9-10-11
• Dramatic Process  10-11-12
• Advanced Media Communications  11-12
• Critical Concerns  11-12
• Pandora’s Ink, Honors  12
• All Juniors prepare Corbett-Mayerson entries. All Seniors prepare Capstone projects. Both participate in after school practicum, accumulating over 250 hours per year in career path exploration.
• To be considered for Pandora’s Ink, students must participate in leadership roles on at least one major publication. Designation to be awarded at end of senior year.
• 7-12 graders must submit for Scholastics annually.
• All writing majors must submit to every in-house publication they are eligible for including Pandora's, 1310, etc., plus at least four others during the school year in or outside of school.
• Students must come to at least four after school events a year. Your recital, the BookFair! and Spring Festival are required. Other possibilities include the New Playwrights Festival, Got A Clue?, Anthology, author appearances at the library and poetry readings at bookstores.
• Volunteer service beyond the school day. For example, working on yearbook, auditions, and performances or maybe even sponsoring a poetry slam. For younger students, service might include putting up bulletin boards, straightening the computer lab or recycling.
• Boards portfolios are prepared according to individual instructions per class. These usually occur the last two weeks of every semester and are assessed for artistic growth, improved skill level, maturity, emerging voice and increased depth and complexity. Students can receive ratings of excellent, passing, warning, or failure. Boards are designed to help students progress in their arts majors, giving feedback for improvement. For grades 4-6, the process is formative. In grades 7-12, portfolios scoring a warning or failure will put the student on probation and recommend a remediation process. If a student receives scores of warning or failure two out of three times or twice in a row, that student and his or her parents will be counseled about the best course of action for the future, including choosing another major or repeating the class.
• Students must maintain an active and in good standing Cincinnati Public library card.
• Students must spend time reading and writing every night. Writers need to read like writers, looking for technique, structure and pattern.

Palm Desert Low-Residency MFA

Creative Writing and Writing for the Performing Arts

UCR Palm Desert Low-Residency MFA

Meet your mentors

Our faculty and past guest faculty include Pulitzer Prize, National Book Award, Emmy Award, and Academy Award winners.

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Learning resources

Use art to inspire poetry and creative writing

KS3 (ENG) , KS4 (ENG) , KS3 (NI) , KS4 (NI) , CfE L4 (SCO) , CfE L3 (SCO) , KS3 (WAL) , KS4 (WAL) , KS5 (ENG) , KS5 (NI) , CfE Sen. (SCO) , KS5 (WAL)

Cubism , Pre‐Raphaelitism , Post‐Impressionism , Figurative art , Abstraction

Reading and writing , Literature , Self portraits

Cubist Head (Portrait of Fernande) c.1909/1910

Pablo Picasso (1881–1973)

About this resource

How can we use art for creative writing inspiration?

This resource suggests ideas for using artworks as the starting point or inspiration for a poetry or creative writing project. 

Use it to explore:

• poets and poetry inspired by art
• artworks on Art UK to use as a starting point for creative writing projects
• suggestions for looking closely at an artwork
• ideas for planning a creative written response to an artwork

The resource offers opportunities for cross-curricular study across English and Art & Design. The examples of artworks, related poems and activity ideas included in the resource can be used together as a lesson plan or as individual components to integrate into your own scheme of work. The resource is devised for KS 3/CfE Level 3 & Level 4 students but could also be suitable for Key Stage 4 and CfE senior phase students and 16+ learners.

See also our related resource: How can poetry be used to inspire art?

Curriculum links

Art and design

- Evaluate and analyse creative works - Actively engage in the creative process of art - Know about great artists and understand the historical and cultural development of their art forms

Reading Pupils should be taught to:

read and appreciate the depth and power of the English literary heritage through:

- reading a wide range of high-quality, challenging, classic literature. The range should include works from the 19th, 20th and 21st centuries; poetry since 1789.

understand and critically evaluate texts through:

- reading in different ways for different purposes, summarising and synthesising ideas and information, and evaluating their usefulness for particular purposes - drawing on knowledge of the purpose, audience for and context of the writing, including its social, historical and cultural context and the literary tradition to which it belongs, to inform evaluation  - identifying and interpreting themes, ideas and information - seeking evidence in the text to support a point of view, including justifying inferences with evidence - distinguishing between statements that are supported by evidence and those that are not, and identifying bias and misuse of evidence - analysing a writer’s choice of vocabulary, form, grammatical and structural features, and evaluating their effectiveness and impact - make an informed personal response, recognising that other responses to a text are possible and evaluating these.

Pupils should be taught to:

write accurately, fluently, effectively and at length for pleasure and information through:

- adapting their writing for a wide range of purposes and audiences - selecting, and using judiciously, vocabulary, grammar, form, and structural and organisational features, including rhetorical devices, to reflect audience, purpose and context, and using Standard English where appropriate - make notes, draft and write, including using information provided by others [e.g. writing a letter from key points provided; drawing on and using information from a presentation]

Grammar and vocabulary

consolidate and build on their knowledge of grammar and vocabulary through:

- studying their effectiveness and impact in the texts they read - drawing on new vocabulary and grammatical constructions from their reading and listening, and using these consciously in their writing and speech to achieve particular effects - analysing some of the differences between spoken and written language, including differences associated with formal and informal registers, and between Standard English and other varieties of English - using linguistic and literary terminology accurately and confidently in discussing reading, writing and spoken language.

KS 4 - Develop ideas through investigations, demonstrating a critical understanding of sources - Record ideas, observations and insights relevant to intentions as work progresses - Present a personal and meaningful response that realises intentions and demonstrates an understanding of visual language

English literature

Students should be able to:

- read and understand poetry - respond to poems critically and imaginatively - select and evaluate relevant textual material - use details from poems to illustrate interpretations - explain and evaluate the ways in which the poets express meaning and achieve effects - relate the poems to their social, cultural and historical contexts English Language Writing for purpose and audience Students should be able to: - write accurately and effectively - use an appropriate writing form - express ideas and/or information precisely and accurately - select vocabulary to persuade and/or inform the reader - use accurate grammar, spelling and punctuation Speaking and listening Students should be able to: - communicate clearly and effectively - present information and ideas - use standard English as appropriate - structure and sustain talk - choose and adapt language appropriate to an audience - respond appropriately to questions and views of others - interact with others - make a range of effective contributions - express ideas clearly, accurately and appropriately - listen and respond to others' ideas and perspectives - challenge what they hear where appropriate and shape meaning through asking questions and making comments and suggestions

Studying spoken and written language

Students should be able to: - understand the characteristics of spoken language - understand influences on spoken language choices - explore the impact of spoken language choices - understand how language varies in different contexts; - read and understand texts - understand how meaning is constructed - recognise the effect of language choices and patterns - evaluate how texts may be interpreted differently depending on the reader's perspective - explain and evaluate how writers use linguistic and presentational features to sustain the reader's interest Personal creative writing

Students should be able to: - write clearly and fluently (as well as imaginatively, if appropriate) - organise ideas to support coherence - use an appropriate writing form - select vocabulary appropriate to the task to engage the reader - use a range of sentence structures for effect - use accurate grammar, spelling and punctuation Reading Literary and Non-fiction Texts Students should be able to: - read and understand texts - understand how meaning is constructed - recognise the effect of language choices and patterns - select material appropriate to purpose - evaluate how texts may be interpreted differently depending on the reader's perspective - explain and evaluate how writers use linguistic and presentational features to sustain the reader's interest.

Level 4 - I can analyse art and design techniques, processes and concepts, make informed judgements and express considered opinions on my own and others' work (EXA 4-07a)

Literacy and English

Listening and talking

- When I engage with others I can make a relevant contribution, ensure that everyone has an opportunity to contribute and encourage them to take account of others’ points of view or alternative solutions. I can respond in ways appropriate to my role, exploring and expanding on contributions to reflect on, clarify or adapt thinking (LIT 4-02a) - As I listen or watch, I can clearly state the purpose and main concerns of a text and make inferences from key statements; compare and contrast different types of text; gather, link and use information from different sources and use this for different purposes (LIT 4-04a) - As I listen or watch, I can make notes and organise these to develop thinking, help retain and recall information, explore issues and create new texts, using my own words as appropriate (LIT 3-05a / LIT 4-05a) - I can show my understanding of what I listen to or watch by giving detailed, evaluative comments, with evidence, about the content and form of short and extended texts (LIT 4-07a) - When listening and talking with others for different purposes, I can: communicate detailed information, ideas or opinions; explain processes, concepts or ideas with some relevant supporting detail; sum up ideas, issues, findings or conclusions (LIT 4-09a)

- Through developing my knowledge of context clues, punctuation, grammar and layout, I can read unfamiliar texts with increasing fluency, understanding and expression (ENG 2-12a / ENG 3-12a / ENG 4-12a) - I can make notes and organise them to develop my thinking, help retain and recall information, explore issues and create new texts, using my own words as appropriate (LIT 3-15a / LIT 4-15a) - To show my understanding, I can give detailed, evaluative comments, with evidence, on the content and form of short and extended texts, and respond to different kinds of questions and other types of close reading tasks (ENG 4-17a) - I can: discuss and evaluate the effectiveness of structure, characterisation and/or setting using some supporting evidence; identify how the writer’s main theme or central concerns are revealed and can recognise how they relate to my own and others’ experiences; identify and make a personal evaluation of the effect of aspects of the writer’s style and other features appropriate to genre using some relevant evidence and terminology (ENG 4-19a)

- I enjoy creating texts of my choice and I am developing my own style. I can regularly select subject, purpose, format and resources to suit the needs of my audience (LIT 3-20a / LIT 4-20a) - As appropriate to my purpose and type of text, I can punctuate and structure different types of sentences with sufficient accuracy, and arrange these to make meaning clear, showing straightforward relationships between paragraphs (LIT 3-22a / LIT 4-22a) - Throughout the writing process, I can review and edit my writing independently to ensure that it meets its purpose and communicates meaning clearly at first reading (LIT 4-23a) - I can justify my choice and use of layout and presentation in terms of the intended impact on my reader (LIT 4-24a) - I can use notes and other types of writing to generate and develop ideas, retain and recall information, explore problems, make decisions, or create original text. I can make appropriate and responsible use of sources and acknowledge these appropriately (LIT 4-25a) - By considering the type of text I am creating, I can independently select ideas and relevant information for different purposes, and organise essential information or ideas and any supporting detail in a logical order. I can use suitable vocabulary to communicate effectively with my audience (LIT 3-26a / LIT 4-26a) - I can engage and/or influence readers through my use of language, style and tone as appropriate to genre (ENG 3-27a / ENG 4-27a) - I can create a convincing impression of my personal experience and reflect on my response to the changing circumstances to engage my reader (ENG 4-30a) - Having explored and experimented with the narrative structures which writers use to create texts in different genres, I can: use the conventions of my chosen genre successfully and/or; create an appropriate mood or atmosphere and/or; create convincing relationships, actions and dialogue for my characters (ENG 4-31a)

Art and design - Students use their knowledge about the work of other artists to enrich and inform their work through analysis and evaluation - Students evaluate their work through discussion

Learners should be given opportunities to:

- respond orally to continuous and non-continuous texts - respond orally to a variety of stimuli and ideas, including written and dynamic texts, e.g. paintings, music, film, still and moving images  - communicate for a range of purposes, e.g. recount and present information, instruct, argue and explain a point of view, discuss an issue, persuade, question and explore interpretations, convey feelings - speak and listen individually, in pairs, in groups and as members of a class - present, talk and perform in formal and informal contexts and for a variety of audiences including teachers and peers - engage in activities that focus on words, their derivation, meanings, choice and impact - listen and view attentively, responding to a wide range of communication, e.g. written and dynamic texts, theatre and poetry performance, visiting speakers, explanations, instructions - speak clearly, using intonation and emphasis appropriately, e.g. recitation, oral storytelling - use appropriate vocabulary suitable for the situation or purpose - use appropriate vocabulary and terminology to discuss, consider and evaluate their own work and that of others, e.g. authors, peers

read a wide range of continuous and non-continuous texts, in printed and dynamic format, as a basis for oral and written responses. These should include:

– extracts and complete texts – traditional and contemporary poetry and prose – texts written by Welsh authors, texts with a Welsh dimension and texts from other cultures – texts that have challenging subject matter, which broaden perspectives and extend thinking – texts with a variety of structures, forms, purposes, intended audiences and presentational devices – texts that demonstrate quality and variety in language use – texts with a variety of social, historical and cultural contexts – texts that extend learners’ intellectual, moral and emotional understanding – texts with a variety of tone, e.g. irony, parody, word play, innuendo and satire

read individually and collaboratively, e.g. paired reading, guided group reading, shared reading

read for different purposes, e.g. for personal pleasure; to retrieve, summarise and synthesise key information; to interpret and integrate information; to verify information; to deepen understanding through re-reading; to identify language devices used by the writer to analyse purpose; to identify alternative readings of a text

develop appropriate vocabulary and terminology to discuss, consider and evaluate their own work and that of others, e.g. authors, poets, peers, in written and dynamic texts.

write for a variety of purposes, including to: – recount – inform – explain – argue/persuade – discuss/analyse – evaluate – narrate – describe – empathise

write in a range of continuous and non-continuous texts in a variety of forms

produce poetic writing, using imagery and poetic devices, e.g. rhyme and form

use a wide range of written and dynamic stimuli, e.g. stories, picture books, images, poems, experiences, film, paintings, music

use appropriate vocabulary and terminology to discuss, consider and evaluate their own work and that of others, e.g. authors, peers.

Expressive Arts

Exploring the expressive arts is essential to developing artistic skills and knowledge and it enables learners to become curious and creative individuals.

Progression step 5:

- I can investigate and analyse how creative work is used to represent and celebrate personal, social and cultural identities.

- I can independently research the purpose and meaning of a wide range of creative work and consider how they can impact on different audiences.

Responding and reflecting, both as artist and audience, is a fundamental part of learning in the expressive arts. 

- I can critically and thoughtfully respond to and analyse the opinion and creative influences of others in order to independently shape and develop my own creative work.

- I can purposefully apply knowledge and understanding of context when evaluating my own creative work and creative work by other people and from other places and times.

- I can critically evaluate the way artists use discipline-specific skills and techniques to create and communicate ideas. 

Languages, literacy and communication

Understanding languages is key to understanding the world around us

- I can listen empathetically, respecting different people’s perspectives and can critically evaluate them to arrive at my own considered conclusions.

- I can employ a range of strategies to recognise and predict the meaning across a wide range of texts and from this enhance my own expression and communication.

- I can use  inference  and  deduction  to gain in-depth understanding of complex texts, and can evaluate the reliability, validity and impact of what I read.

- I can use my knowledge of word construction,  grammar , including  syntax , and text organisation to support my understanding of what I hear and read.

- I can read empathetically to respect and critically evaluate different people’s perspectives, using them to arrive at my own considered conclusions.

- I can listen and read to build an extensive range of general and specific vocabulary, and I can use them with precision in different contexts.

Expressing ourselves through languages is key to communication

- I can convey meaning convincingly in a range of contexts so that the audience is fully engaged.

- I can make informed choices about vocabulary and grammar to enhance my communication skills

- I can reflect critically on my use of language and can consider the effects of my spoken, written and  visual communication  objectively.

- I can evaluate and respond critically to what I have heard, read or seen.

Literature fires imagination and inspires creativity

- I can engage with a wide range of literary  genres  in depth in order to explore and craft my own work.

- I can experiment with and craft my own literature.

- I can critically evaluate key concepts and the impact of language choices and techniques on the reader/viewer using an assured selection of relevant textual detail.

- I can appreciate literature, showing empathy when evaluating different interpretations of literature, including my own.

How to use this resource

1. Explore paintings and poetry

The first section of this resource introduces poems inspired by portraits, narrative paintings and abstract artworks.

Choose one or two of the paintings with accompanying poems to explore with your students. Look at the painting first, encouraging students to discuss what it shows and their response to it.

Dante Gabriel Rossetti (1828–1882) 1853

William Holman Hunt (1827–1910)

You could think about:

• what does the artwork look like?
• is it an abstract arrangement of shapes and colours or has the artist represented something from the visible world?
• is there a story, meaning or message in the work?
• what is the mood of the work and how does this affect your response?
• how has the artist used techniques such as brushstrokes or chisel marks? What colours have they used?

Then discuss how the poet has responded to the painting.

• What aspects of the painting have they focused on?
• What type of language have they used?
• Have they used the painting as a starting point to discuss bigger ideas or themes or to reflect upon issues that are personal to them? 

2. Activity ideas and suggestions

The second section of the resource includes ideas and suggestions for responding through poetry or another form of creative writing to an artwork.

Did you know?

There is a dedicated term for poems inspired by artworks. Ekphrastic poetry is taken from the Greek word Ekphrasis , meaning to describe something in vivid detail.

Elizabeth Jennings and Rembrandt's late self-portraits

Rembrandt van Rijn was a seventeenth-century Dutch painter. During his long career, he painted over 90 self-portraits that record how he looked from youth to old age. (See additional self-portraits on the Rembrandt artist page on Art UK  and watch a video to find out more.)

Rembrandt's self-portraits from old age are brutally honest, showing melancholy eyes staring out from sagging features and dishevelled hair and clothing.

Self Portrait at the Age of 63 1669

Rembrandt van Rijn (1606–1669)

Poet Elizabeth Jennings  responds to the self-portraits that Rembrandt painted in later life.

You are confronted with yourself. Each year The pouches fill, the skin is uglier. You give it all unflinchingly. You stare Into yourself, beyond. Your brush's care Runs with self-knowledge. Here

Is a humility at one with craft There is no arrogance. Pride is apart From this self-scrutiny.

Read the whole poem and listen to a recording of Elizabeth Jennings reading her poem

Explore an analysis of the poem

Raza Hussain and Holman Hunt's portrait of Dante Gabriel Rossetti (1828–1882)

In 2017, we challenged five young poets to create an original piece inspired by a painting of their choice from Art UK.

Birmingham-based spoken word artist and rapper Raza Hussain chose an 1853 portrait of Pre-Raphaelite artist Dante Gabriel Rossetti by William Holman Hunt . 

Hussain sees the Pre-Raphaelites as rebels who wanted to implement change and Rossetti as 'an iconic and profound symbol of passionate creative madness – the kind to change perspectives – the kind to change the world'.

Find out more about the portrait and Raza Hussain's response to it .

Rowan MacCabe and Ethel Wright's 'Bonjour, Pierrot'

Rowan McCabe is another young poet commissioned to respond to a painting on Art UK as part of the Art Speaks challenge.

Bonjour, Pierrot is an imagined portrait, made in the early 1890s, of the character of Pierrot from French literature. Pierrot has held a fascination for many artists including Jean-Antoine Watteau and Pablo Picasso . The poet Rowan McCabe responds to this depiction of Pierrot by British portrait painter  Ethel Wright and sees Pierrot in the painting as a sad figure, despite his clownish appearance.

McCabe has been affected by mental health issues and, for him, the painting is a reminder that people might seem silly and fun on the surface but can, in fact, be hiding issues relating to their mental health.  

Find out more about the painting and Rowan McCabe's response to it

Explore more paintings by Ethel Wright

Narrative painting

A narrative painting  is a painting that tells a story. The story could be from religion, literature, myth and legend or history. Or it could be a story of everyday life (often referred to as genre painting .)

Poetic responses to Titian's Diana and Actaeon

In 2012, The National Gallery in London invited 13 leading poets to respond to three paintings by Titian (c.1488–1576): Diana and Actaeon   (1556–1559);  The Death of Actaeon  (about 1559–1575); and Diana and Callisto   (1556–1559).   The paintings depict stories from the epic poem Metamorphoses   by the Classical poet  Ovid , who lived   from 43 BC to 17/18 AD.

Diana and Actaeon 1556-1559

Titian (c.1488–1576)

The myth of Diana and Actaeon recounted in  Metamorphoses tells the sad story of the hunter Actaeon who comes across Diana, the Roman goddess of hunting, while she is bathing with her escort of nymphs. The nymphs try to cover the naked Diana who, in a state of shock and embarrassment, splashes Actaeon. This splash turns Actaeon into a deer and he flees the scene. Tragically, however, his own hunting dogs don't recognise their master and attack and kill Actaeon.

Find out more about the paintings in the HENI Talks video on this artwork page

Patience Agbabi on Titian's 'Diana and Actaeon'

In this video poet Patience Agbabi reads her poem About Face inspired by Titian's painting Diana and Actaeon  (1556–1559).

She imagines the thoughts and response of a Black nymph who is depicted standing beside Diana in the painting and helps to cover Diana from the gaze of Actaeon. 

Hear more poets' responses to Titian's paintings on The National Gallery website

Sabrina Mahfouz and Ludolf Backhuysen's 'Boats in a Storm'

Ludolf Backhuysen 's painting,  Boats in an Upcoming Storm with the Church of Zandvoort  (1696) depicts a large sailing vessel, being buffeted by strong winds as it enters a harbour. Men on shore are pulling on a rope to steady her stern while other smaller boats come to the assistance of the distressed passengers. 

British Egyptian poet Sabrina Mahfouz was drawn to the painting by its depiction of a storm, struck by the fact that something as still as a painting is able to capture such ferocious movement and activity.

Abstract art

E. E. Cummings and Cubism

American avant-garde poet E. E. Cummings  was profoundly influenced by early twentieth-century art movements and the experiments with abstract style that Cubists and other modern artists were conducting. In 1913 he visited the International Exhibition of Modern Art in New York  (also known as the Armory Show) where he saw work by artists including Pablo Picasso , Georges Braque , Henri Matisse , Paul Cézanne and Marcel Duchamp . 

Pablo Picasso and Georges Braque's Cubist experiments revolutionised painting. In attempting to suggest the three-dimensionality of objects, landscapes and people by showing them simultaneously from different viewpoints they created fragmented, abstracted images. 

E. E. Cummings was inspired by these fractured artworks and began to explore similar experimentation in his poetry. His poems became visual as well as verbal as he experimented with the form and arrangement of his words. (His poem r-p-o-p-h-e-s-s-a-g-r  is a good example of this.)

Cummings begins his poem, Picasso , with the words:

'Picasso you give us Things which bulge: grunting lungs pumped full of thick sharp mind you make us shrill presents always shut in the sumptuous screech of simplicity'

The poem ends with:

'you hew form truly'

Read the full poem here

Anne Sexton and Vincent van Gogh's The Starry Night

Artist Vincent van Gogh is best known for his powerful portraits, flowers and landscapes painted using bold colours and loose brushstrokes that seem to whirl around the surface of his canvases.

The Starry Night, painted in 1889, shows the view from Van Gogh's room in the Saint-Paul-de-Mausole asylum where he was placed after a breakdown (during which he self-mutilated his ear). The view was painted just before sunrise and as well as the trees and hills and starry sky that he could see, Van Gogh added an imaginary village to the landscape.

The Starry Night

1889, oil on canvas by Vincent van Gogh (1853–1890)

In her response to The Starry Night,  poet Anne Sexton has managed to convey the powerful emotions as well as the loose abstracted style of Vincent van Gogh's painting.

'The town does not exist except where one black-haired tree slips up like a drowned woman into the hot sky The town is silent. The night boils with eleven stars. Oh starry starry night!'

Ann Sexton researched Van Gogh and read his letters before writing the poem and includes, as an epigraph  to her poem, a line from a letter that Vincent van Gogh wrote to his brother.

'That does not keep me from having a terrible need of – shall I say the word – religion. Then I go out at night to paint the stars.'

In creating her response to the painting she imagines Vincent van Gogh thinking about religion and mortality.

Read the full poem here

See an analysis of the poem

Activity: write a poem inspired by an artwork

Now that you have explored a range of poems inspired by paintings, have a go at writing a poem or piece of creative writing inspired by an artwork.

This activity includes tips and suggestions for finding, looking at and creating a written response to an artwork.

Step 1: find an artwork to inspire you

If you are a teacher, task students with finding an artwork that inspires them as a homework project in advance of the class. They could choose an artwork from a local collection or find one on Art UK.

Use the tips below to find artworks on Art UK.

Search by artist

Look for an artist on Art UK. Start typing the artist's name into the search box on the Art UK artworks search page .

A list of artists will appear. Select the artist that you are interested in.

Screenshot of Art UK's artwork search page

You will be shown a list of artworks on Art UK by your selected artist. Browse these and choose an artwork to inspire your creative writing project.

Screenshot of Art UK's artworks search page, showing art by Sonia Boyce

• Go to the artworks search page to search by artist

Search by theme

You can also type a subject or theme into the search box. This could be anything from 'holiday' to 'celebrity' to 'football'. Once you've typed your theme, click the search icon or press return.

You will be shown a list of artworks relating to the keyword.

• Go to the artworks search page to search by theme

Another way to search by theme is to explore Topics on Art UK. We have gathered together a selection of artworks related to a wide range of themes from 'home and family' to the 'natural world'.

• Browse Topics

Search by location

If you'd like to find artworks in museums or galleries near you, use our venue search.

This will allow you to search by UK country and region to find a local gallery or museum and see the artworks that they hold.

• Search by country, region and venue

Be inspired using the artwork shuffle

If you are not sure what you're looking for (but will know when you see it!), use our artwork shuffle.

The artwork shuffle shows a random selection of artworks in different media from collections around the country.

If you don't see anything you like, shuffle again to see another selection.

• Inspire me with the artwork shuffle

Step 2: look closely at your artwork

Once you have found an artwork to inspire you, look closely at it. Note down your thoughts about the work and your feelings in response to it.

• What does the artwork look like?
• Is it an abstract arrangement of shapes and colours or has the artist represented something from the visible world?
• Is there a story, meaning or message in the work?
• What is the mood of the work and how does it affect your response?
• How has the artist used techniques such as brush strokes or chisel marks? What colours have they used?

In this video, created by The Grampian Hospitals Art Trust , writer Shane Strachan shares some useful ideas for looking closely at an artwork.

Step 3: plan and write your creative response

How are you going to respond to the artwork in your creative writing piece?

Your response could be a poem, a text, a memory or a form of your own invention. As well as what you see in the artwork (the imagery, colours and mark-making or use of materials) think about your own interpretation and your response to it.

• What does the artwork make you feel?
• Does it make you think of other things such as memories, places or people?
• Does the artwork tell or suggest a narrative or story?
• Are there any details or imagery within the artwork that draws you in?
• What do the colours, shapes and marks remind you of?

Research and be inspired by others

You could also research the artwork to inform and inspire your approach. Find out more about the artist and their ideas and techniques or research the subject depicted.

Be inspired by the approach of other writers. Revisit the poetry included in the first part of this resource.

Or read creative responses to artworks written by young people for our  Write on Art competition.

• Write on Art: Ruby Langan-Hughes on The Broken Mirror by Jean-Baptiste Greuze
• Write on Art: Variaam Tratt on Preserve 'Beauty ' by Anya Gallaccio
• Write on Art: Aoife Hogan on Childen and Chalk Wall 3 by Joan Eardley

Writing art: inspiration and tips

In this second video from Grampian Hospitals Art Trust , writer Shane Strachan shares ideas and tips for responding to an artwork creatively in writing. He also shares his own poems inspired by artworks.

Watch the video and then get started on your own creative writing project!

Find out more

Do you know someone who would love this resource? Tell them about it...

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UNDERGRADUATE

Research & artistry, alumni & giving, a college of liberal arts department, application deadline: creative and performing arts scholarship in creative writing.

Date/Time Date(s) - October 9, 2020 4:00 pm

• College of Liberal Arts Featured Events

About the Creative and Performing Arts Scholarship in Creative Writing

Apply by oct. 9, 2020 by 4:00pm.

The Colorado State University Department of English Creative Writing Program is conducting its annual, university-wide creative writing competition for Creative & Performing Arts scholarships. Students may submit multiple genres. Undergraduate students may submit 3 to 5 poems OR 1 short story OR 1 Creative nonfiction essay (not an academic paper).

Awards are typically $500 per academic year in the form of tuition waivers; awards of $1,000 – $5,000 may be given for special merit. Multiple awards are available!

Submission Guidelines

• Students may submit 3 to 5 poems OR 1 short story OR 1 creative nonfiction essay (not an academic paper).
• Do not include name, CSU ID, or any other identifying information in the document, including the title.
• Submissions must be emailed to Elena Brousard-Norcross , Assistant to the Director of Creative Writing
• phone number
• CSU ID number
• Genre of your submission.
• Emailed submissions must be received by Friday, October 9, 2020 at 4:00 pm.

Criteria for Award

• Must have a minimum 2.4 GPA.
• Must be undergraduates (working on first bachelor’s degree).
• Must be enrolled full-time (12+ credits).
• Should be making satisfactory progress toward a degree, i.e., must have satisfactorily completed 75% of CSU courses attempted and must not have accumulated excessive credits. (See Office of Financial Aid for further details.)
• Must be a U.S. Citizen or Permanent Resident.