What is this collection?
this collection began with an open submissions call to Edinburgh's vast array of talented writers. The objective? To gather 100 short poems, each no more than 100 words long, and each presenting a snapshot of life in a particular Edinburgh street, postcode or area. Submissions came in from far and wide – from famous prize-winning poets to school kids and talented first-timers, and the final list contains poems from some of Scotland's foremost poets, as well as some of its most exciting upcoming talents. this collection then began a search for filmmakers to collaborate with the poets and create short film adaptations of the 100 poems. That search is still ongoing – many brilliant, creative and unique adaptations have already been made, but there are still poems to be adapted, and new creative avenues to be explored. this collection is expanding all the time and welcoming talented new filmmakers onto the project every day.
this collection's main aims are simple: we want to bring together two artforms and two communities of artists who rarely get a chance to meet and collaborate; we want to find fresh new ways of looking at the streets and cityscapes around us; we want to introduce members of the public to poetry and film as they've never seen them before, and give them the chance to come on board and create, regardless of prior experience. We are also proud of the fact that we're a non-profit, DIY project without funding – we're a grassroots organisation providing free workshops, events and creative platforms to anyone who wants to get involved.
The this collection team are planning a second phase for the project, to begin in autumn 2010. We'll be looking for new poets to come on board and provide us with fresh new views of our fair city; (WHAO may want to say it is based on films or u may get swamped with new work?) and of course we'll also continue to seek filmmakers to bring their ideas and vision to the project. To keep up to date with our progress, sign up to our mailing list!