Fresh TOAST: FAQs

We want to find the next big names in poetry performance. We don’t care what you’ve done or not done, we care about who you are as a poet and helping you meet your performance potential. We are looking for poets who are eager to learn, to hone their craft, and are open to direction on how to make the best of their performance and potential poetry career.
You must live the majority of the time in Norfolk, Suffolk, Cambridgeshire or Essex.
If you think you are a “new poet,” we believe you. If you think this programme will be useful to you, apply!
Not necessarily - performance experience would be useful so you come along knowing what you’d like to work on, but you may be more of a “page poet” who is looking for the confidence to perform their work on stage. Both are equally valid here!
No.
Nope.
Yes.
We will notify all successful applicants by 31st August 2026.
We will need to narrow down our performers to 3 to follow the classic headline line-up of a TOAST Live, so not everyone who comes to the development day will perform at our show on the 8th November. However we are always looking for new performers to keep in mind for future shows, so even if you don’t get to perform publicly this time around, there may be opportunities to perform at future events.
Poets invited to the development day will be paid a £50 stipend to cover travel. The three poets from this group who are invited to perform at TOAST Live will be paid £220 for a day of rehearsals (plus travel) and then £220 for the live performance (plus travel and accommodation). We will need an invoice for all of these amounts, and can help you with that if you need.
Development Day and Rehearsal venues are TBC, but will be in a central Norwich location. Fresh TOAST Live will take place at Norwich Theatre: Stage 2.
All of the venues for development day, rehearsal, and performance will be wheelchair accessible. The live show venue will have hearing loops. If you have any questions or concerns about access, please do contact us.