(Photograph – Joelle Taylor)
Lyra – Bristol Poetry Festival invites all poetry enthusiasts to join this unparalleled celebration of words, creativity and community. Taking place all over the city, Arnolfini is delighted to be hosting this fantastic selection of performances and workshops:
Thursday 1 May, 7.30pm : Queer Poetry Special | Joelle Taylor + Open Mic
A raucous celebration of queer poetry headlined by the legendary T. S. Eliot prize-winning Joelle Taylor, with support from Oluwaseun Olayiwola and Ifẹ Grillo. Plus an epic open mic for queer poets in Bristol and beyond. With two dazzling hosts for the evening, Aish Humphreys and Sam J. Grudgings.
Saturday 3 May, 4pm : Cane, Corn & Gully: by Safiya Kamaria Kinshasa
In this live-literature solo performance, Safiya Kamaria Kinshasa brings Cane, Corn & Gully to the stage weaving the dances and stories of Black Barbadian women. Plus a short introductory performance from Decolonising Memory.
Saturday 3 May, 7pm : Raise the Bar | Poetry and Resistance
Raise the Bar presents another raucous, dynamic, thought-provoking and life-affirming evening, with a long-awaited return to Arnolfini. Featuring poets Suhaiymah Manzoor-Khan and Jamie Thrasivoulou, and music from Hzeyran. Plus Ahmed Alnaouq, editor of the forthcoming book, We Are Not Numbers, reading the stories of young people from Gaza.
Sunday 4 May, 3pm : Romantics, Mystics & Revolutionaries
Pete the Temp & the Vibe Mechanics perform a storytelling stageshow on Bristol’s radical past. Hear the story of two Bristol-based poets / revolutionaries who helped change the face of history. William Wordsworth and Samuel Taylor Coleridge have been brought back to life in this rapturous collision of ecstatic poetry and classical instruments.
Sunday 4 May, 7pm : Lyra Bristol Poetry Slam 2025 | Grand Finals
Come along to see 10 of Bristol’s finest wordsmiths battle it out to be crowned the 2024 Lyra Bristol Poetry Slam Champion, as well as feature performances from world-class poets.
Plus workshops with:
More details, including ticket information and full programme listings please check www.lyrafest.com