Poetry, Performance (and Everything Else!) Festival
Diary of Events
Wednesday 1st October
FOR EXHIBITORS
Bring your framed artwork to The Bond between noon and 4.00pm. Please attach a label to
the back of your work stating your name, the title of the work and the medium used. It is our
intention to exhibit at least one piece from each exhibitor! Please ensure that you are able to
collect your work on our last day (10th of October) between 2.00pm and 6.00pm.
Thursday 2nd October
DIGBETH POETRY TRAIL 12 noon. Please meet Cathy Crossley at the front entrance of
The Bond.
1.15pm - 2.00pm THE GRAND OPENING Meets, Greets and Eats with Poetry Beats
2.00pm - 4.00pm THINK OF A POEM National Poetry Day workshop on the theme of
Remembrance, with Jan Watts and Cathy Crossley.
2.00pm - 4.00pm MAD HATTER’S CLAY AND STAY with Graham Taylor. Experiment with
ceramics and create a gigantic exhibit!
4.00pm - 6.00pm SOULFUL POETRY with Roy McFarlane and friends. Ease away the day
with inspiring and meaningful verse.
Friday 3rd October
11.00am - 1.00pm PAINT YOUR FEELINGS Take a few deep breaths and relax. Then pick
a colour. Any colour and away you go with Philip Jones.
2.00pm - 4.00pm THE TREE OF LIFE Create a large and meaningful exhibit using French
knitting techniques with Cait Roberts.
2.00pm - 4.00pm DANCE FOR HEALTH. BCAT facilitator Natalia Budzan will guide you to
discover the therapeutic benefits of Dance.
*EVENING POP UP EVENT 6.00pm till late! Digbeth First Friday Event at The Bond. Mad
Hatter Frantic Fun Workshops Featuring: Fog Horn Improv, The Wellbeing Community
Choir, with music from The Strangest Feeling and Musical Connexions plus guests*(Digbeth
comes alive on the first Friday of each month with exhibitions, late-night openings, special
events, culture in unexpected spaces, live music and more).
Saturday 4th October
11.00am - 1.00pm FANTASTICAL AND MAGICAL POETRY with Sammy Joe. Create a
narrative piece of poetry!
1.00pm - 2.00pm POETRY LITES Come and share your work with our eclectic crew.
2.00pm - 4.00pm MAD HATTER’S BIG PICTURE with Graham Taylor. Create a gigantic
piece of visual art using shells and canvas
2.00pm - 4.00pm. MEHNDI with Shabana Bhatti. Sit back, relax and choose your own
design.
4.00pm - 5.00pm THE MAD HATTER’S TEA PARTY
Please don’t be late for a very important date!
Sunday 5th October
2.00pm - 4.00pm SUNDAY SONGBIRDS Come down and chill with our laid-back sing along
with Marcus Zodiac 69!
2.00pm - 4.00pm THE MAD HATTER’S TEA AND CLAY PARTY Clay and Tea with the
important ingredient of fun!
2.00pm - 4.00pm SPEECH BUBBLES with Laura Billing. Write and decorate your own
thoughts with willow withies and tissue paper.
Monday 6th October
11.00am - 1.00pm SCI-FI FILM AND ARTS with 2arttoyguys, Steven and Trevor. “Movie
Pre-Production" Prop making and set design
2.00pm - 4.00pm SHARING WORDS with Jacqui Rowe. Jacqui works as a writer for older
adults. Poetry will be created from using stimuli and shared ideas from the group
2.00pm - 4.00pm MAD HATTER HATS 'N’ CRAFTS with Graham Taylor, Make a head from
clay and create your own hat to be exhibited at the Festival.
Tuesday 7th October
11.00am - 1.00pm FOR ALL THE TEA IN CHINA with The Craft Collectives. Decoupage a
mixture of vintage china & paper bowls, plates & cups using fabrics, delicate papers, leaves
& petals
2.00pm - 4.00pm IN MY HEAD Explore simple drawing ideas and work together to create
the big picture with Jason Clark.
2.00pm - 4.00pm VERY MESSY CARDS Create your own unique collection of greeting
cards using shaving foam, food colouring and a few other surprises with Cait Roberts.
Wednesday 8th October
11.00am - 1.00pm MEMORY FLOWERS By working together we will create a large pressed
flower collage exhibit with Tony Sale.
2.00pm - 4.00pm INSPIRE 2 SPEAK with Jane Campion Hoye. Find your own voice, build
confidence and have fun through drama, games and an introduction to storytelling.
Thursday 9th October
11.00am - 1.00pm SCI-FI FILM AND ARTS with 2arttoyguys, Steven and Trevor. “Movie
Pre-Production" Prop making and Set design
2.00pm - 4.00pm POETRY AS THERAPY with Andrea Shorrick.This workshop aims to
encourage people from all walks of life with a range of mental health issues to channel their
creativity into Poetry
2.00pm - 4.00pm INDIAN HEAD MASSAGE with Shabana
Bhatti. Sit back, relax and enjoy
2.00pm - 4.00pm TATTOO CANVAS with Laura Billing. A large-scale group activity using
traditional tattoo emblems
2.00pm POTS OF FUN Learn creative ceramic techniques with Sue Dyer.
Friday 10th October WORLD MENTAL HEALTH DAY CELEBRATIONS
11.00am - 2.00pm Stall holders and sign-posting with showcases of Film, Poetry, Music,
Drama, Dance, Arts and Comedy. A tasty buffet will be provided for all! Please do come and
collect your art work between 2.00pm and 6.00pm
7.30PM TILL LATE POP UP EVENT
MAD HATTER’S COSMIC CHILL OUT with “Kate Bush” compere plus poets, performers
and friends! The Old Crown, 188 High Street, Digbeth, B12 0LD.
TALKING CAFE & OPEN MIC with Dave Goley and Friends.
This will be run every day starting 3rd of October 1.00pm - 2.00pm