We are inviting proposals for Burnley Words Festival 2025, taking place 15th-18th May in Burnley Town Centre. The festival celebrates the power of storytelling in all its forms and welcomes contributions from writers, artists, publishers, and performers whose work connects with our theme: World-Building.
What We’re Looking For:
We are interested in talks, workshops, performances, theatre, and film that explore world-building in different ways, including but not limited to:
- World-building in fiction – fantasy, alternative realities, dystopian worlds
- Shaping the future – technology, AI, and science
- Heritage and history – how the past has shaped our world
- Environment and physical landscapes – natural and urban spaces
- Architecture – how structures shape our communities
- Locality and community – how we tell stories of place
As a festival, our ethos is to focus on the stories and messages that matter to the people of Burnley, explored in ways that are exciting, engaging, and accessible.
What You Need to Know:
- We are particularly interested in in-person events at our festival hub. The festival will take place across the town centre, with our main hub being the Burnley Mechanics Theatre
- All our events are Pay What You Decide, ensuring accessibility for audiences.
- Our festival is designed for audiences of all ages, offering a diverse and engaging programme that appeals to both local writers looking for inspiration and practical advice, as well as members of the public who may not typically attend a literature festival.
- For author talks, we ask that there be some interactive element to engage the audience, as our audiences are particularly interested in practical advice.
- We are committed to paying all contributors, and we ask that your fee be included in your submission.
- We also have additional opportunities for events over the summer
How to Submit:
We don’t have a formal submission process—we welcome conversations!
To express your interest, please send us:
- A short, concise paragraph about your proposed event
- Information about you and your work – please include links to websites, published work and social media
- Your proposed fee
- If you are local to Burnley, or are a Burnley based organisation and have a venue in mind please include this in the information you send us
- Please let us know if there is anything we can do to make the festival more accessible to you – we welcome proposals in alternative formats
- If you are a publisher and simply want a stall at a publisher market on Saturday 17th May- please also get in touch.
The deadline for submissions is 31st March 2025.
For questions or to submit your proposal, please get in touch at stephie@culturapedia.co (just.co!)
We can’t wait to hear from you!
Burnley Words Festival is funded by Arts Council England, and delivered by Culturapedia, in partnership with Burnley Leisure & Culture