And now, the event you’ve all been waiting for… please, welcome to the stage, SUNROSE ARTS FESTIVAL 2025!
You’ve been to the poetry slams.. You’ve created masterpieces at scratch club.. You’ve open miced with the best of them.. It’s time for the main event!
Sunrose Arts Festival is the highlight of our year's programme; a one day festival full of performances, workshops, scavenger hunts, market stalls, poetry boat tours and exhibitions, finishing off with the Utterance Worldwide Poetry Grand Slam Final in the evening!
Taking place on Saturday 30th August from 11am until 11pm, situated on St Georges Street (Canterbury high street next to New Look and Superdrug), we invite you to take part, enjoy the art, and maybe even make some of your own!
PROGRAMME
Exposure Main Stage (Midday until 6pm, St Georges Street): Join us for local talent, performing music, poetry, dance, theatre, comedy and more! A staple for Canterbury open mics, Exposure has been running since 2021 and celebrated a diverse range of performers. At our festival, Exposure becomes our main stage, featuring authentic, raw and brilliant local talent.
“They nurture artists of all kinds - musicians, poets, actors, painters, sketchers, comedians, storytellers - and do so in a way that makes everyone feel welcome.”
Sunrose Book Fair and Art Market (11am - 6pm, St George’s Street): A favourite of Sunrose Arts Festival, local artists’ works including prints, books, jewellery, crafts and more!
Sanctuary Visual Arts Exhibition (11am - 6pm, St George’s Street) An enigmatic celebration of three local artists in their chosen discipline
Creative Circle (11am - 6pm, St George’s Street) An open space to sit, draw, write and share! Suitable for all ages and experiences
‘We Are’ Workshops (1pm, 2.30pm and 4pm) Your choice of three workshops on a variety of creative endeavours!
Word to the Water Poetry Boat Tours (6pm, Canterbury Punting Company) Travel down the River Stour, serenaded with poetry!
Scavenger hunt (all day, across the city) Ready to go on an adventure? Our artists have created a scavenger hunt across the city where you can discover hidden treasures of music, poetry, art and more!Want to join the exploration? Pick up a map from our Box Office on the day!
Utterance Worldwide Grand Slam Final (7.30pm, Fruitworks) Our four 2025 slam winners go head to head for the title of Utterance Grand Slam Champion! Featuring a performance from UK Slam Champion Tyrone Lewis!
CREATIVE OPPORTUNITIES
Exposure Main Stage (call out for performing arts: musicians, poets, dancers, theatre makers, comedians and magicians)
Ready to take to the stage?
Slot length - Between 5 and 15 minutes
Times - Starts at midday, finishes at 6pm
Fee - £15 per performer (e.g. a duo each gets £15!)
Rider - All participating artists receive a hospitality rider of water, food and a piece of art from us!
Get your slot here
Book Fair and Art Market (call out for all creatives)
This is a fan favourite for Sunrose! Whether you have a poetry book, make jewellery, design art prints, or anything else, we want to hear from you!
You get 100% profit for your sales. We provide a table, chair and card reader, all you need is your works!
Rider - All participating artists receive a hospitality rider of water, food and a piece of art from us!
Sign up for free here
Sanctuary Exhibition (call out for visual artists)
We are looking for three visual artists to create an exhibition representing themselves and their chosen medium!
Fee - £40
Rider - All participating artists receive a hospitality rider of water, food and a piece of art from us!
Apply here
Sunrose Digital Scavenger Hunt (call out for all creative disciplines)
There are QR codes across the city for attendees to scan and discover a piece of art. We’d like your works to be that art!
This is a great way to gain more exposure for your creative endeavours, whether it’s a sound byte, visual art, a poem, video of you performing etc!
Sign up to be involved here
‘We Are’ Workshops (call out for all creatives)
Want to get started as a workshop facilitator? Our team of trained mentors, tutors and facilitators are ready to support you develop your session!
Length - Up to 45 minutes
Fee - £40
Rider - All participating artists receive a hospitality rider of water, food and a piece of art from us!
Apply here
Word to the Water (call out for poets / storytellers)
This is a favourite of Sunrose Arts Festival. Create and perform a poetry or storytelling set about the river, water or nature!
Fee - £40
Rider - All participating artists receive a hospitality rider of water, food and a piece of art from us!
Volunteers (call out for everyone)
We would love to hear from you if you are interested in volunteering for the festival! You’ll get free access to all the events, as well as a hospitality + thank you pack! This is a great way to get working experience in event production and management.
Sign up here
ACCESSIBILITY
Our team value making events accessible to everyone. We have a team of accessibility advisors who support us in the design and execution of our events, aiming to make each activity as accessible as possible. Some general measures include:
Sensory tools available at each venue
All venues are wheelchair accessible
Those who are unavailable to attend in person can livestream Utterance at home
Large print flyers are available at our Box Office on the day
We are available via our email to answer any questions in the lead up to the festival. You can contact us at
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FINALLY, WHO ARE WE?
We are a small Community Interest Company called Sunrose Arts, dedicated to connecting creatives, creating opportunities and celebrating the community. We are a safe space for all people, of any gender, sexuality, ethnicity or access requirement. We want to see a thriving and diverse community represented in our city, and look forward to meeting each and every one of you!
GET IN TOUCH
For general queries, contact
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For creative opportunities, contact
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For marketing queries, contact
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Contact number: 07883368328
Also check out other Arts events in Canterbury, Literary Art events in Canterbury, Festivals in Canterbury.
