Countdown on to Burnley Words Festival

The countdown is well and truly on to the Burnley Words Festival which promises to be ‘a celebration of all things wordy.’

Taking place from Friday 16^th June – Sunday 2^nd July, the event will feature a range of activities including workshops, readings, stalls, exhibitions and performances across a whole host of town centre venues and locations.

A number of sessions and shows have already been scheduled in, such as writing workshops for authors, theatre productions for children and a poetry walk, while more elements are set to be added over the coming weeks.

The aim of the event is to encourage people of all ages to celebrate Burnley and enjoy stories, poems and performances in their own way and tap into the topics that they are passionate about.

Hype is already building in the town centre too after a striking window mural, which features a poem about Burnley by local writer Kathryn Halton, was installed at the end of April in an empty shop unit.

Kathryn’s prose offers a response to a famous piece of work by well-known writer John Cooper Clarke and has been met with pride and support on social media.

The festival, which returns after a four-year hiatus, is being delivered in a partnership between Burnley Business Improvement District (BID), Culturapedia, Charter Walk, Burnley Leisure & Culture, Burnley Markets and Burnley Library. It is also being supported with national lottery funding from Arts Council England.

It forms part of a wider calendar of events being delivered by Burnley BID with support from town centre partners which includes Burnley Live and the Burnley Vintage and Performance Car Show 2023 which is scheduled for September.

Andrew Dean, Burnley BID Project Manager, can’t wait for the Burnley Words Festival to get underway and has urged people to go along and get involved.

“There really is something for everyone taking place over the two weeks thanks to the varied programme of activities that have been organised. You don’t just have to be a writer or love reading to enjoy the festival – it’s an event for all.

“We’ve got music, poetry, writing, theatre, film, storytelling, a record fair and so much more besides. The easiest thing to do is head over to the What’s On section of the website and take a look round – we’re sure you’ll find plenty of events that speak to your creative side!

Sue Robinson at Culturapedia added: “We are delighted to be working with our Burnley partners to make this celebration of all things Wordy happen after such a long break. Burnley  people have some fantastic stories to tell and they deserve to be heard. If books are your thing, you’ll find them, but we also have family friendly shows and live poetry performances. Everything is either free or pay what you can.”

For more information and to see what’s taking place and when, head to the official Burnley Words Festival website: www.burnleywordsfestival.co.uk.