Poet selected for Chelmsford City Council commission

Rebecca Carter has been awarded a commission by Chelmsford City Council to write a poem about Chelmsford.

The poem is being created to accompany a new video showcasing the authentic, modern city of Chelmsford.

The council issued a callout in October, seeking a poet to be involved in the project. Many brilliant poets applied for the paid commission, some of whom were already known to the city council for their involvement in local cultural projects, while others were promising new artists just starting their creative journey.

The applicants were whittled down to a shortlist of just four talented creatives. The four poets met with a judging panel at Hot Box Live in early December and following this, Rebecca Carter was selected for the commission.

Young emerging poet selected for commission

Rebecca is 23 years old and has lived, worked and studied in Chelmsford all her life. She practices multiple art forms – primarily poetry and painting – and is a member of Ignite Chelmsford.

In recent years Rebecca has played an active role in Chelmsford’s growing creative scene. She was part of Chelmsford For You's Concrete Canvas this year, which saw her design and paint a mural themed around women’s safety on the CCTV cabinet at Waterloo Road Car Park.

In 2023, Rebecca also took part in a hip-hop event at Hot Box Live, run by New Generation Development Agency. As part of this event, she and four other young people wrote and performed their own songs live on stage following mentoring from rapper Shao Dow.

Rebecca is neurodivergent and has written hundreds of poems focusing on her personal development as a neurodivergent person, as well as other topics including nature and community growth. She is passionate about providing space for people to be their authentic selves, and to this end runs a community empowerment and support group called Sister Circles. The group hosts guided sessions on meditation, spirituality and mindful breathing, aimed at women.

Judges impressed by Rebecca’s energy and passion for Chelmsford

The judging panel for the commission was made up of Director of Connected Chelmsford, Louise Goodwin; Director of the Essex Book Festival, Ros Green; Chelmsford Theatre Director, Rhys Thomas; and award-winning poet, Luke Wright.

Luke grew up in Essex and, after more than 25 years of writing poetry, now hosts regular stand-up poetry tours across the UK. He has also published 12 books and makes regular appearances on Radio 4.

During the panel event at Hot Box Live, each shortlisted poet read out one of their own pieces before chatting to the judging panel about how they’d tackle the commission. The judges had a tough decision, with all artists presenting their own unique perspectives and deep connections with Chelmsford.

Rebecca decided to read a spoken word piece inspired by nature called ‘The Echoes’, which she wrote while spending time down by the River Chelmer in Central Park. Her reading and proposal sparked a lively debate among the judges, who were greatly impressed by Rebecca’s emotional charisma and well-considered approach to the commission brief:

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“We chose Rebecca because she had the best proposal for the project and we were wowed by her performance. She’s a credit to Chelmsford. She has bags of talent and I’m excited to see her develop it. We hope this opportunity will help her along the way.”

Luke Wright, poet

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“Rebecca presented an original and passionate proposal for this commission. It was clear from her application and when meeting with the panel that she’d given a lot of thought to the brief and had carefully considered how she’d present our diverse and changing city through the form of poetry. Her fondness for her hometown shines through in her communications and we were really impressed as a panel with Rebecca’s recent creative work, but also with her focus on her own personal development – all at such a young age. We’re intrigued to see what Rebecca produces in the coming months.”

Louise Goodwin, Director of Connected Chelmsford

Rebecca hopes poetry will influence individuals to be part of Chelmsford’s ongoing cultural and creative development

Rebecca is strongly inspired by her 18-month-old son and how his experience of growing up in Chelmsford has already been vastly different to her experience of growing up in the city. She wants her poem for Chelmsford to reflect the changes the city has seen in recent decades and help further positive collective change:

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“Having grown up in Chelmsford and now raising my 18-month-old son here, I have witnessed the changes a generation has brought in for our hometown. There’s now so much more to explore and for the senses to enjoy, from the annual Science Festival to colourful murals brightening the city all around us.

“I’m honoured to have been chosen for this commission; to express through the art of poetry the exciting direction Chelmsford is taking to become a more vibrant, creative and diverse city. I strongly believe in the power of the collective community making change together through individual actions, and I hope that my poem will ignite in people a desire to be part of the positive change happening in Chelmsford right now. Something that makes me so proud to live here and raise my son here.”

Rebecca Carter, poet

Next steps for the project

In the coming weeks, Rebecca will get to work on her commissioned poem. Chelmsford City Council will work closely with her throughout the project and will organise mentorship for her as part of the commission, to help her develop as a poet.

Once the poem is finalised, Rebecca will work alongside a filmmaker to bring her words to life on screen. The film will celebrate Chelmsford’s diverse communities and weave in the voices of local people. The filmmaker has not yet been appointed and will be selected in the coming months through another callout. The details of this will be announced in due course.