Festival of Words
Festival of Words is a consortium founded to develop and refine the concept and delivery of an accessible words-based festival for young people.
The consortium was founded in 2006 by three arts organisations: Farnham Maltings in Surrey, Norden Farm Centre for the Arts in Maidenhead and Lewes Live Lit.
The festival is hosted in consecutive years by one of the three organisations within the consortium, taking on a slightly different local flavour each time but always aiming to combine educational work in schools with public events and aiming to involve young people beyond those that might normally engage with creativity and the arts. In 2007 the festivals was inaugurated in Farnham under the title Festival of Words, in 2008 it was held in Maidenhead under the title Word on the Street and in 2009 it came to Lewes under the title Free Speech.
Following the departure of Farnham Maltings, the consortium has now been joined by Apples and Snakes (South East) working in partnership with Nuffield Theatre, Southampton, where the company's south east regional operation is based.
The consortium is currently looking to fund a second cycle of activity.