The Festival of Libraries commissions selection is now closed for applications.

Manchester City of Literature is not currently seeking proposals from writers, artists and arts companies for creative work to be part of the Festival of Libraries programme. The upcoming festival dates are 10-14th June 2025, and there will be lots of opportunities to get involved so keep an eye on our newsletter and social media for callouts.

The Festival of Libraries is a Greater Manchester-wide celebration of public, independent, specialist and heritage libraries. It aims to reinforce the roles of libraries as community and creative hubs. In 2025 the Festival of Libraries consisted of 140+ events across every borough of Greater Manchester. More than 100 artists were involved. The festival had a media reach of 65 million.

Applications are sought for work or residencies that engage local residents as co-creators, participants or audiences. Quality of engagement will be prioritised over large audience numbers for performed work. Work can be in any art-form and should address one of the following themes:

• Literacy and self-expression
• Sense of place
• Everyday creativity, learning and personal development
• Community activism
• Environmental responsibility

If you are interested in being part of the festival, please keep an eye on this page.

For an idea of previous commissions and Festival of Libraries events, please see programme brochures from previous years below.