Always on
This project successfully funded on 5th October 2025, you can still support them with a donation.
Support Derby Poetry Festival
Derby, United Kingdom
Aim
Help Derby Poetry Festival to keep going during the next 6 months after being unsuccessful with our Arts Council England Funding.
Our Story
Established in 2017, Derby Poetry Festival CIC (often referred to as DPF) is a four-day poetry and literature festival held in the centre of Derby. We are dedicated to developing new writing talent in Derby and bring excellent work to the city. DPF has just entered its eighth year, 2023 and 2024 was a HUGE success.
We work with local, national and international talent to build a community of likeminded individuals to create a wonderful literary festival.
In addition to the Festival, DPF delivers a yearlong programme of activity, including The Derby Young Writers Group, Community Bookcase project, annual Poetry Writing Competition and co-producing projects and events with partners across the Midlands.
In 2024 alone we worked with over 100 creative practitioners, over 400 workshop attendees and welcomed approx. 700 attendees across the year.
What's happened & Why
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 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 30th September and 4th October 2026. We will be reapplying to Arts Council England and are currently actively fundraising to secure activity across 2025 - 2026.
This is where you can help us.
What we're asking for
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 continued activity, bridging the gap between funding outcomes and safeguarding the future of the festival.
Thanks
Aoife & Dan (and all the DPF team)
Funding method
Keep what you raise – this project will receive all pledges made