Manchester literature festival and Manchester jazz festival are teaming up to launch The Blank Sheet, a commission opportunity for writers and musician-composers to collaborate on a new work, to be presented at the 10th and 20th anniversaries of the respective festivals in July and October 2015.

Organisers would like to hear from composers, musicians, bands, poets, authors, and spoken word artists. You don't have to have a particular collaborator in mind at this stage. The organisers are especially interested in new ways of integrating and presenting words and music to audiences, and in ideas which celebrate the north and/or involve the work of northern artists. The deadline for initial proposals is 10 February. More details 

PHOTOGRAPH: JON PARKER LEE