Herne Bay Festival
21st July to 25th August 2024

Welcome to The Bad Poets Parade! Free poetry workshops for people who ‘don’t write’. This is put into inverted commas, to interpret however you wish.

The Bad Poets Parade knows that everybody is innately creative, and has the right to express it.

The Bad Poets Parade knows poetry can be tedious, difficult and brain-rotting.

The Bad Poets Parade knows poetry can be soul-igniting, life-affirming and pure magic.

The Bad Poets Parade doesn‘t expect you to be ‘good’

The Bad Poets Parade rejects the concept of being ‘good’

The Bad Poets Parade rejects oppressive gatekeeping practices of the so-called ‘poetry world’.

This one-hour poetry workshop, run by Tay McGraa (her/they), will allow you to leave your ego at the door, move away from other people‘s expectations and facilitate a time for you to write. Structured by prompts designed to stimulate the imagination, it will facilitate creative flow of a new kind.

This isn‘t a workshop to refine a writing practice or become a poetry expert. It is a workshop to breathe, let go, and explore your thoughts or experiences through the medium of poetry, without any self or group criticism looking over your shoulder.

No experience required. Bad poetry preferred.

This workshop is a safe space for all members. There will be a zero-tolerance policy on any racism, ableism, sexism, homophobia, transphobia, biphobia Islamophobia, xenophobia or oppressive actions of any kind. If you feel somebody in the group has acted in this way, please let us know and we will address the situation with discretion.