Folk Festival Extends its Arms to Include “Words on the Westwood”

Beverley Folk Festival is not just all about music. “Words on the Westwood” is a recent development of the highly successful and long-established festival, and will include creative writing workshops, the Spoken Word, talks and readings. All these will form part of an exciting menu of events prior to and during the festival weekend.

The pre-festival events launch off on Thursday 23rd April at the East Riding Theatre in Beverley, with a Creative Writing Workshop entitled “Word Play”. Led by local author Sue Wilsea, those attending the workshop will get the chance to play around with words to discover what works and why.

The workshop will be followed by an evening performance presented by the East Riding Theatre with international crime writer Peter Robinson. He will be reading from his books, answering questions and signing his books.

A great opportunity to have a go yourself and then see how the professionals do it!

Further workshops take place around the region with a follow up to the Beverley event at The Ropewalk in Barton-on-Humber on Wednesday 6th May. In Hull, an evening at the Union Mash Up will take place on Wednesday 13th May. “Word Share” will help bring the words (prose or poetry) of those who attend to life for a reading or performance. There will be an Open Mic session after the workshop, which will be free to participants of the workshop, £2 to others.

A final Poetry Workshop will take place back at the East Riding Theatre on Thursday 21st May and will precede an “Evening of Poetry” with broadcaster, author, musician and comedian Mike Harding in which audiences can see the “The other side of Mike Harding”. The Workshop offers a taste of poetry. Participants can write a poem in the workshop and at the end of the session share it with others.

Everyone is invited to try out these Taster writing workshops for “Words on the Westwood”. Fun, friendly and brimming with ideas and tips to unlock creativity, the workshops are open to all. No experience is necessary.

Over the festival weekend a full programme of events and activities will be taking place at the festival site on Beverley Racecourse, including an event featuring international crime writer Mark Billingham.