We’re looking for Cardboard Citizens Members to join us to become readers to review, feedback and select monologues from the national open call for submissions for More Than One Story: The Anthology – a powerful new published collection of monologues that will spotlight the many lived realities of homelessness and poverty in the UK today.
The national call open call seeks monologues that are bold, complex, and real – stories that challenge stereotypes, inspire empathy and change. Submissions selected from the open call will be published alongside new writing from Malorie Blackman, Chris Bush, Michelle De Swarte, Inua Ellams, Matilda Ibini and Joelle Taylor, as well as the original monologues from our film series.
In the UK, over 16 million people live in poverty, and 1 in every 200 households face homelessness. Yet these stories are too often unheard, overlooked, or told by someone else. It’s time to change that. This anthology will be more than a collection – it will be a living archive, a diary of our time!
You can find out more here.
The ask:
- To read and feedback on approx. 30 monologues submitted via the national open call in July 2025
- Reading and feeding back will take approx. 15 minutes per monologue
- This will be completed online so can be done in readers own time (within the dates listed below) and at a distance
- Readers do not need to have had previous experience of doing something similar, we will share top tips and guidance
Fee: £150
To note: Readers will invoice on completion of the work. We understand there are many barriers to working in the arts for people with lived experience of homelessness and poverty. In recognition of this, we’re working with Fair Play on their finance equity programme, Surviving on a Shoestring, which works with organisations to better support artists who are in receipt of benefits or who are experiencing long term financial instability by proactively offering alternative payment structures at the point of contracting.
Dates:
- Fri 4 July – Fri 11 July – to read and feedback on approx. 20 monologues
- Fri 18 July – Fri 25 July – to read and feedback on approx. 10 monologues
Readers will need to:
- Have an email address
- Have access to a computer
- Have access to the internet
To note: If digital access is a barrier please do not let that put you off applying, we are open to discussing ways in which we may be able to support.
Wellbeing
- The content of the monologues will all talk to experiences of homelessness, poverty and the complexities that can be a part of that. Readers are therefore advised to think about if that feels safe for them to engage with before putting themselves forward.
- A content warning is a notice provided before presenting material that may include sensitive or potentially distressing topics. It identifies specific themes that are addressed. Writers are being asked to self-identify content warnings when submitting a monologue.
- Readers will be asked to identify if there are any specific content warnings that they do not want to read about, and they will not be sent monologues that list those content warnings. However, we cannot guarantee that the content warnings will have been identified accordingly by the writers. Readers are therefore advised that there is a risk that they will receive a monologue with a content warning that they have identified as not wanting to read about. If that happens readers can stop reading the monologue, let us know and we will reassign the monologue accordingly.
Application process
We are looking for 10 readers who are Members of Carboard Citizens. Here are details on how to apply:
Applications are open from Mon 2 June – Sunday 15 June
To apply please email us at anthology@cardboardcitizens.org.uk to request an application form that will ask you to:
- Tell us why you would like to be a reader for More Than One Story: The Anthology and what you hope to gain from the experience (250 words max)
- Read a monologue and feedback on it as an example
We will let applicants know the outcome by Wednesday 25 June.
A reminder that if you would like to submit a monologue for consideration you CANNOT also apply to become a reader.
We look forward to reading your application!
