2025 Update - Festival News and how to Support us

As many of you will be aware, it is a very difficult time in the arts, and, as with similar organisations, we have been unsuccessful in our Arts Council England application for funding for this year’s Derby Poetry Festival. While we appreciate and are grateful for two previous successful applications, which produced two memorable festivals which the team are incredibly proud to have delivered, we are now faced with contingency planning and asking the questions what can be achieved this year. 

We are so grateful for the support and guidance we have been offered since this decision was received, the volunteering efforts from some of our closest friends, partners and peers. 

For transparency, Derby Poetry Festival costs approx £40,000 each year to deliver the quality of headliners, staffing and production that you have come to expect and Derby, as a city, deserves. 

Without external funding and support, we are not able to deliver a festival of the size and scale we would like to. However, we are determined SOMETHING WILL HAPPEN this year between 2nd and 4th October 2025. 

We cannot wait to welcome you to this scaled-back version of Derby Poetry Festival and look forward to welcoming you to a full festival in 2026 (come hell or high water).

Derby Poetry Festival 2026 will take place on 30th September and 4th October 2026. We will be reapplying to Arts Council England and are currently actively fundraising to secure activities across 2025-2026. 

This is where you can help us. 

Derby Poetry Festival CIC are looking to raise £3,000 to support Festival activity across 2025 and 2026, plus additional activity next year, including The Derby Young Writers Group, The Community Bookcase and the annual Derby Poetry Festival Writing competition, as well as stand-alone workshops, commissions and co-produced activity with partners.

All funds raised will support ongoing activities, bridging the gap between funding outcomes and safeguarding the organisation's future.