While much of the action centres on the Burnley Mechanics Theatre, there will be events around the town as the festival’s theme of ‘Things That Shape Our World’ encourages locals to reflect on what influences Burnley and beyond.
All the activities, with the exception of one, will operate on a ‘pay what you decide’ basis so anyone can join in.
This is the town’s third festival with activities being staged from Wednesday 14 May to Sunday 18 May, including what is being billed as the ‘Wordy Weekend’ of Friday 16 May to Sunday 18 May.
Festival Producer Stephie Jessop says: “We’ve been working closely with our communities and partners to bring the Wordy Weekend to life. It’s a fantastic opportunity for local writers, artists, and audiences to come together, share stories, and experience an incredible variety of performances, readings, exhibitions, and workshops.”
The storytelling boats on Thompson Park boating lake, entitled Crossings, provide an immersive experience devised by installation artist Luke Jerram. It features nine rowing boats, each one playing audio stories from around the world during a 30-minute outing on the water. There is a cost of £8 per boat of four people and the outings will run from Friday 16 May until Sunday 1 June.
Back on dry land, on 16 May, the Front Room at The Mechanics is the stage for a Local Writers’ Night, an opportunity to hear poems, short stories and spoken word pieces, promising something funny, perhaps something sad and sometimes both!
The Mechanics again takes centre stage the following day with talks by authors, workshops, a creative writing session, art and story sharing alongside a culture fair and book market featuring independent northern publishers.
First up is Daniel Dockery with a session entitled, Twists, Turns and Cliff Hangers – How do writers get attention and then keep it?
Daniel has been writing for more than 20 years and has written books for young adults, and written for the theatre, TV and films, including Coronation Street’s 50th anniversary episode and award-winning storylines for Hollyoaks, while one of the films he storied starred Robert DeNiro.
He’s followed by Gareth Wood, a writer of horror and fantasy novels, with a session called Write That Novel Now, aimed at all aspiring writers, at all phases of the process, from planning the book they want to write, to already being underway.
Author Reshma Ruia will be demystifying the process of writing a poem or a short piece of flash fiction, and letting ideas flow, in a creative writing workshop called Reflecting the World We Live In.
Meanwhile, visitors are being encouraged to share their stories about Pendle and Bowland through a series of free creative drop-ins. Called Are You Lost? it’s part of a project about the Forest of Bowland with artist, Rob St. John.
Other attractions over the weekend include Shed Stories at Down Town, which blends theatre, movement and documentary, inspired by more than 24 hours of interviews with Men in Sheds.
Local poet Ajaz Qureshi will lead a poetry workshop and a scenic walk by the canal over the weekend and Isabelle Kenyon, named a Future Leader by the Bookseller in 2024, will be advising aspiring authors at a Pitching to Publishers workshop offering insights into the publishing industry.
Pop-up theatre, craft workshops, and a chance to meet the award-winning puppet characters Hodman and Sally, two charming explorers who love to share and collect stories, will offer something for all the family, while storyteller Peter Chand will be looking for the next generation’s great storytellers on Saturday 17th, before returning on the Sunday with his own storytelling sessions for children and adults.
Before all of that, comedienne Lubna Kerr gets proceedings underway at Down Town on Thursday 15 May with a look at identity – the former pharmacist using laughter as the best medicine as she considers being born in Pakistan, raised in Glasgow, married to a man from Lanarkshire, with two Welsh children, one Scottish child and living in Edinburgh.
The festival is delivered by Culturapedia in partnership with Burnley Leisure and Culture (BLC) and is supported using public funding by the National Lottery through Arts Council England and Stocks Massey.
For the full programme and further details, visit burnleywordsfestival.co.uk and look out for more events throughout the rest of the year inspired by Burnley Words, building towards Burnley 2027 Year of Culture.