Creative Future is a British charitable organisation that supports artists and writers from
Underrepresented group
An underrepresented group describes a subset of a population that holds a smaller percentage within a significant subgroup than the subset holds in the general population. Specific characteristics of an underrepresented group vary depending on the ...
s in the community. It is chiefly known for its annual Creative Future Writers' Awards (CFWA).
History
Creative Future was founded in 2007.
Description
The organisation is a British
charitable organisation
A charitable organization or charity is an organization whose primary objectives are philanthropy and social well-being (e.g. educational, Religion, religious or other activities serving the public interest or common good).
The legal definitio ...
based in
Brighton
Brighton ( ) is a seaside resort in the city status in the United Kingdom, city of Brighton and Hove, East Sussex, England, south of London.
Archaeological evidence of settlement in the area dates back to the Bronze Age Britain, Bronze Age, R ...
, West Sussex.
[
It aims to counter inequality by providing support to people whose access to the arts is hindered by poor mental health, disability, socioeconomic background, ]gender identity
Gender identity is the personal sense of one's own gender. Gender identity can correlate with a person's assigned sex or can differ from it. In most individuals, the various biological determinants of sex are congruent and consistent with the in ...
, as members of racial minorities that experience inequity, and others who have been historically underrepresented in the arts.[
]
Creative Future Writers' Award
The Creative Future Writers' Awards (CFWA),[ established in 2013, is a programme to celebrate and help to develop the talents of unpublished and underrepresented writers. The programme is not only the only free-to-enter national writing competition for all eligible writers writers in the UK, but also includes workshops held online and around the country.]manuscript
A manuscript (abbreviated MS for singular and MSS for plural) was, traditionally, any document written by hand or typewritten, as opposed to mechanically printed or reproduced in some indirect or automated way. More recently, the term has ...
assessments, and coaching.
Each year Creative Future awards the Creative Future Writers' Award.anthology
In book publishing, an anthology is a collection of literary works chosen by the compiler; it may be a collection of plays, poems, short stories, songs, or related fiction/non-fiction excerpts by different authors. There are also thematic and g ...
published on the day of the ceremony.[
The awards ceremony is usually held as part of ]London Literature Festival
London is the capital and largest city of both England and the United Kingdom, with a population of in . Its wider metropolitan area is the largest in Western Europe, with a population of 14.9 million. London stands on the River Thame ...
at the Southbank Centre
Southbank Centre is an arts centre in London, England. It is adjacent to the separately owned National Theatre and BFI Southbank.
It comprises the three main performance spaces – the Royal Festival Hall, Queen Elizabeth Hall, and Purcell R ...
.[ In 2024, there was an increase of 19% in the number of entries compared to 2023, and a 53% increase on five years earlier.]Poetry School
Poetry School is a national arts organisation, registered charity and adult education centre providing creative writing tuition, with teaching centres throughout England as well as online courses and downloadable activities. It was founded in 1997 ...
, Curtis Brown Creative, and The Literary Consultancy
The Literary Consultancy (TLC) is a UK-based editorial consultancy service that was founded in 1996, becoming the first service of its kind to offer "professional, in-depth editorial advice and assessment to anyone writing in the English languag ...
.[
In 2025, the number of winners has increased to 15.
]
Past events
In 2021, the cash award was worth £10,000, awarded to each of 12 winners, selected from over 1,200 entries. Novelist Dorothy Koomson
Dorothy Koomson (born 1971 in London) is a contemporary British novelist of Ghanaian descent. She has been described as "Britain's biggest selling black author of adult fiction".
Biography
Koomson has two degrees in Psychology and Journalism fr ...
was chief judge of the awards.[ Judges were New Zealand poet Nina Mingya Powles, British poet and editor ]Wayne Holloway-Smith
Wayne Holloway-Smith is a British poet. He was born in Swindon, Wiltshire, and currently lives in London.
Holloway-Smith's first poetry publication was the pamphlet ''Beloved, in case you've been wondering'', published by Donut Press in 2011. H ...
, and others appointed by various prize partners.
In 2025, the event will be held on 25 October. Poet Nancy Campbell
Nancy Campbell is a British poet, non-fiction writer and publisher of artist's books. Her first collection of poetry, ''Disko Bay'' (2015), was shortlisted for the Forward Prize for Best First Collection. Other works include a book of prose poem ...
, Nigerian British writer Irenosen Okojie
Irenosen Iseghohi Okojie FRSL is a Nigerian-born novelist and short-story writer working in London, England. Her stories incorporate speculative elements and also make use of her West African heritage. Her first novel, '' Butterfly Fish'' won ...
, and London-based journalist Kieran Yates are the judges for the award.[ The theme is "Wild".][
]
Past winners
Past winners have included:
* 2017: Romalyn Ante, Platinum award for poetry
References
External links
* {{official, https://www.creativefuture.org.uk
Past winners
of Creative Future Writers' Award
2007 establishments in the United Kingdom
Arts organizations established in 2007
Charities for disabled people based in the United Kingdom
Arts in the United Kingdom
Arts organisations based in the United Kingdom
Charities based in the United Kingdom
Advocacy groups in the United Kingdom
Charities based in West Sussex
Writing