The organisers of this year’s Speak Volumes Festival are putting the finishing touches on plans for the three-day event but say there’s still room for artists and performers to sign up and take part.
Taking place from Friday 29 to Sunday 31 May, the festival, which was established while the founder was a student at the University of Worcester, is a multi-arts event which is designed to support emerging artists.
Aimed at people aged 18-35, the event aims to make art accessible to everyone in a variety of ways, from the physical accessibility of the spaces it takes place into the prices of the events which are all free or as low a cost as possible.
Activities, performances and workshops will take place across several of Worcester’s creative hubs, including the city’s iconic Railway Arches and The Hive library.
Founder and organiser, University of Worcester graduate Freddie Barker said: “Speak Volumes is all about making fun by using art that is bold, joyful and accessible. We want emerging artists to feel seen, supported and celebrated. You don’t need to be a professional or have expensive equipment to make something amazing, everyone can come along, get creative in a workshop and be a part of the festival.”
“This year is our biggest festival yet,” added Freddie, who founded the festival while she was studying at the University of Worcester. “We’ve moved to a summer date so we can really showcase the diversity of creativity happening in Worcester. What began as a poetry night has grown into a full three-day multi-arts celebration, and it’s all fuelled by the passion of emerging artists and our community.”
While there’s lots already planned, Freddie, former Poet Laureate for Worcestershire, said that there’s still space for artists to join the line-up. “Whether you’ve got one painting, or a whole collection. Whether you’re a musician, a drag artist, a comedian, or a dancer; Speak Volumes is built to uplift creative people who often feel priced out or overlooked.”
Michelle Turberfield, a 3rd-year Drama student at the University of Worcester, is co-producing a folklore-inspired parade which will process through the city as part of the festival.
“I’ve been working with Speak Volumes since my first year,” she said. “This year I wanted to be more involved, and putting together a parade felt like a brilliant way to bring lots of people together and literally take art out onto the streets.”
She added: “I’m very excited for it. It’s really nice to give young adults the opportunity to do something playful and creative as we celebrate the arts in the city. It feels like a wonderful way to welcome in the summer.”
In addition to the parade, the festival will also include an artist alley in Arch 27, a multi-sensory exhibition in Arch 28, outdoor ‘street arts’ activities on the promenade, and more than 15 workshops varying from life drawing and collage to felting, textile rosettes, and junk jewellery making.
Many sessions have limited capacity due to the size of the venues, so attendees are encouraged to book early using the festival’s booking link at speakvolumesfestival.co.uk, where new activities and Eventbrite listings will continue to be added in the run-up to the festival.
Artists of all abilities are encouraged to get involved by contacting the festival organisers via the form on the Speak Volumes website.
Organisers will also be posting updates on social media, follow the latest news on Instagram @speakvolumesfestival
For information on courses at University of Worcester visit www.worcester.ac.uk.