Smashing Times International Centre for the Arts and Equality would like to invite submissions to the November 2023 edition of the Smashing Times Newsletter. The theme this month is ‘Freedom of Expression’.

A report by global risk analysis company Verisk Maplecroft has found that about 3.38 billion people, or roughly 46% of the global population, live in countries deemed to be at ‘extreme risk’ in relation to the right to privacy and freedom of expression. Out of 198 countries, 58 were categorised as ‘extreme risk’ when it came to the report’s freedom of opinion and expression index. Indeed, such global powerhouses as China, Russia, Saudi Arabia, and the United Arab Emirates hold a score of less than 0.2 in a scale of 0 to 1 in The Varieties of Democracy (V-Dem) Project’s Freedom of Expression Index 2022, which measures the extent to which people can voice their views and the media present different political perspectives. Freedom of expression is also on the wane worldwide: 80% of the world’s population lives with less freedom of expression than they had a decade ago, according to last year’s Global Expression Report.

And yet, when it comes to artists doing what they do, freedom of expression is an absolute necessity. We welcome any form of response to this theme.

Artist Submissions

Artist submissions are welcome in any genre or form. A few notes:

• If submitting poetry, please send a maximum of two poems (of any length).
• If submitting a short story, a non-fiction essay, or an extract from a novel or play, please send no more than one, consisting of 2,500 words or less.
• Only one article may be submitted, and it must be 1,000 words or less.
• If sending a photograph, or an image of a painting, sculpture, or architectural work, please submit one only. Please also ensure that the image is of a high quality.
• In the case of videos, or video excerpts, of plays, please submit one piece only, of no longer than 20 minutes. Please ensure that the video is of a high audiovisual calibre.
• If submitting a song, a short film, a video artwork, a feature-film excerpt, or a dance piece, please send just one, and ensure it does not run over 20 minutes. Likewise, please make sure that it is of a high audiovisual calibre.
• You may submit in a maximum of two artforms.
• All submitted work should be previously unpublished, though we can accept pieces that have solely appeared on your personal website or blog, or have been performed live (and not recorded to be shared on a public platform).
• Translated works are acceptable, once they are submitted alongside the original, and all relevant permissions are obtained beforehand.
• Themes are always flexible; any subjective response is considered valid.
• Please submit in a word document to communications@smashingtimes.ie by midnight on Thursday, 16 November. Please include a max two-line biography to accompany your piece, making reference to your previous publications (if applicable), as well as a headshot or photograph.
• If accepted, the editor will contact you with at least one round of suggested edits, so please monitor your email closely in that case.
• Furthermore, if your work is accepted, it will appear not only in the newsletter but on the Smashing Times website and possibly across our social media channels.
• Not all submissions will be accepted, unfortunately.
• The newsletter goes out on Thursday, 30 November.
• Publication is unpaid, regrettably, as we are a small charity with limited resources. The newsletter reaches around 1,200 people, however, including a range of major arts organisations, and many members of Ireland’s arts and human rights communities.
• Submissions are especially welcome from individuals who have been underrepresented historically, such as ethnic minorities, members of the Traveller community, the LGBTQI+ community, women, and people with disabilities. Please let us know when submitting if you belong to any of these or suchlike minorities.

News Item Submissions

News item submissions are welcome from any organisation or individual either working in the arts, or in human rights, equality, or similar areas. Some notes:

• News items should be 150 words or less. They do not need to have any relevance to the theme.
• We welcome any news item based on you or your organisation’s recent work, event, or activity in the areas of the arts, human rights, equality, or social justice.
• Please include a photo to go with your news item and ensure it is of reasonably high quality. If there is no relevant photo, please send on your organisation’s logo.
• Any links should be included as hyperlinks.
• Please double-check for spelling, grammar, accuracy, and clarity.
• We will endeavour to include as many submissions as possible – though this of course depends on the number we receive. (In the event of a surplus, we will hold onto any items which would still be relevant in the following month’s edition, with your permission.) We will prioritise submissions from Smashing Times members. Sign you or your organisation up here.
• The newsletter reaches around 1,200 people, including a range of major arts organisations, and many members of Ireland’s arts and human rights communities.
• Please submit in a word document to communications@smashingtimes.ie by midnight on Thursday, 16 November.
• The newsletter goes out on Thursday, 30 November.
• Submissions are especially welcome from individuals who have been underrepresented historically, such as ethnic minorities, members of the Traveller community, the LGBTQI+ community, women, and people with disabilities. Please let us know when submitting if you belong to any of these or suchlike minorities. Likewise, we welcome submissions from organisations that advocate for any of these, or similar, causes.

Click here to quickly sign up to the Smashing Times Newsletter. To read the October edition of the newsletter, themed ‘States of Independence’, please click here. For every other edition, click below.