This year for the first time we are launching our Poetry & Pudding Club in partnership with Beardy Baker! As the sun begins to sets on Canterbury’s stunning Secret Gardens, audiences will be treated to a very scrumptious evening poetry & pudding. About Beardy Baker Beardy Baker is a local, family run cake baking business. […]
At Wise Words we love to repurpose old castoffs and find treasure in what other people might consider rubbish. We work with the tiniest budgets and the generosity of those who we have come to consider our Festival Family. If you can help with any of the things below or know someone who can please let us […]
Each year the festival brings some of the most incredible writers and poets to Canterbury and we have always had lots of requests for workshops, masterclasses and retreats. This year we have made it happen and are very excited to be offering the following events. A CPD certificate will also be provided on completion of each […]
Peter Rabbit, Flopsy, Mopsy & Cotton Tail recently moved into the Secret Garden and are inviting all you little bunnies to join them to celebrate the 150th Birthday of Beatrix Potter. Those who preen their ears and fluff up their cotton tails might just be rewarded with little prizes throughout their stay! So get busy making those […]
At Wise Words, we believe in poetry and stories as more than entertainment. We believe in their ability to act as agents for change: reaching across differences, inspiring a sense of social responsibility, bearing witness to the diversity and complexity of human experience and helping us to imagine a better world. It felt important to us for this year’s […]
“I came out to my parents when I was 16. Mum was sitting in the same room as me and my sister while we were having an argument; I shouted something, my sister shouted back: “Well are you gay?” I said I was. Two weeks later I was in the car with my parents on […]
Inua Ellams When asked why he began to write poetry Inua explained that there were many reasons: “But the first one was that a friend of mine who I grew up with committed suicide in Dublin and I started writing after he died because I wanted to still enjoy literature. Literature was what a lot of […]
Lemn Sissay You may have come across Lemn’s landmark poem ‘Spark Catchers’ within the Olympic site, have walked on one of his poems etched into the paving stones of Manchester’s streets or even caught his words flying across the surface of the Turner Contemporary building in Margate during a project he did with Wise Words a […]
We are thrilled to announce that Dodgems and Floss have generously offered to design the branding and marketing for this year’s Wise Words Festival. Dodgems & Floss are a collaborative design studio specialising in delightful design. They hand craft engaging experiences that transform brands with infectious creativity and passion. The design of our marketing is very important […]
Depending on where you live, your culture, your experience of life, home can mean something very different to each of us. But to everyone we have spoken to, home means more than a place to sleep. For this year’s Wise Words Festival we are gathering people’s thoughts about what home means to them. We are working […]
When: Easter Sunday | Drop in between 10:30 - 12:30 Where: The Secret Garden, Stour Street, Canterbury Price: Donations towards the Wise Words Festival We have heard a whisper that the Easter Bunny is going to be hiding lots of very scrummy easter eggs in Canterbury’s Secret Gardens and that Mrs Rabbit and Flopsy just […]
To celebrate what would have been the 100th Birthday of Beatrix Potter, Wise Words is adopting Peter Rabbit as our theme for the young Family Area. We are working with students and local schools to design and produce a wonderful weekend of performances, workshops and activities for the whole community. We have been very lucky […]
Once upon a time there were four little Rabbits, and their names were Flopsy, Mopsy, Cotton-tail and Peter. They lived with their Mother in a sand-bank, underneath the root of a very big fir-tree until one day they heard a rumour that there was a beautiful Secret Garden right at the heart of the city. A garden with a […]
Have you ever been inside a small space and been completely enchanted with it’s modest beauty? An intimate dwelling, with only room for a special few can make an atmosphere even more wondrous. A small escape, filled with nostalgia and authenticity. At Wise Words Festival, we aim to surprise festival-goers by encouraging them to stumble upon […]
Writing in a journal each morning can have a profoundly positive effect on our personal and creative growth as well as our emotional wellbeing. Throughout his term as Canterbury’s Poet Laureate John invites those interested in making journalling part of their everyday lives, to meet and write together and respond to a provocation. John will […]
In August 2015 we were delighted to work with Ideas Test on a Clore Poetry and Literature Award Funded project that enabled us to undertake a walk across Swale with a group of young poets. We based ourselves in a beautiful campsite in Doddington, not far from Sittingbourne and from here ventured out to explore the […]
The role of a Poet Laureate is to respond to a particular place and time – to inspire and inform through poetry. John has worked in Canterbury, with Wise Words since 2010 and has a strong connection with the city and our community. Between September 2015 and summer 2016 John will spend time in Canterbury […]
Whether you are a student looking for a placement to gain experience or someone who enjoys supporting and being part of something special, we have an opportunity for you! Our Festival Family is made up of some of the most lovely, creative and passionate people - creators, doers, and people who enjoy making good stuff happen. Without our […]
With new apps, new technology and the availability of information online keeping us glued to our screens, it’s likely that even at your event many people will be constantly glancing at their phones. You can either find this frustrating or use it to your advantage by tapping into this new digital lifestyle. Before your festival begins Social […]