News Events
BlakeFest 2017 (16th/17th Sept) - Tickets now available!
The Big Blake Project proudly presents BlakeFest 2017! For more details, check out the new BlakeFest Website by following this link! If you want to just buy tickets straight away, you can do it here! Powered by Eventbrite read more »
BlakeFest 2016 17th - 18th Sept
BlakeFest is nearly upon us! Please follow this link to download a pdf with full details! Join us for two epic days of live music and poetry from a massive line-up including: Dodgy The Speak COLLide Tobias Churton Niall McDevitt Atilla the Stockbroker Mike Fry Tymon Dogg The FT Sarah Saville DJ Rob Filter ...and more tbc Tickets £15 each. Saturday, 17 September 2016 11:00-Sunday, 18 September 2016 at 21:00 // Bognor Cricket & Sports Club - PO21... read more »
Blake's Salon
A night of listening to your favourites and sharing your original poems, with free wine and a nibble of cheese for poetry readers and appreciators Poetry out loud from 8:30pm at The SeaFish Blake's Literary Salon with free wine* and a nibble of cheese for those of you arriving between 8:00-8:30 pm. Come and simply listen, share your favourites or read your original poems. Join us! *Free Wine ;) for Poetry Readers and Appreciators read more »
Give Us Some Blake
The Big Blake Project present "Give Us Some Blake" on Saturday, 7th May 2016 at 1pm for Blake's Outsiders at Worthing Museum and Art Gallery with... Niall McDevitt Sarah Doyle Allen Ashley Beryl Kingston Plus an exclusive read-through of the play "Waiting for Robert' before its London premiere. Follow this link to contact Worthing Museum and Art on their website for more details. read more »
Waiting For Robert
Waiting For Robert now at Rosemary Branch Theatre, London 16th May 2016 Follow this link buy tickets (this link opens a new window ) Blake lovers who were unable to attend Luke Welch's performance of the debut play at Worthing Museum still might have time to buy tickets for its premiere in London at the Rosemary Branch Theatre. William Blake, poet, visionary, is haunted by the ghost of the... read more »
A Celebration of William Blake at the Petworth Festival
Saturday 7 November, 2015 Leconfield Hall, Petworth GU28 0AH 5pm, ends approx 6.15pm Tickets: £10 Adults, £4 18 and Under With attempts being made to buy and to open to the public William Blake’s house in Felpham, the Literary Festival celebrates the work of the poet, artist and visionary known to the entire nation through his poem Jerusalem – written in Felpham. The festival event features two distinct elements: a performance by actress Ruth Rosen of... read more »
We've done it - together!
Blake's roof of rust'd gold where he saw angels and wrote Jerusalem bought for the nation. It's hard to believe it’s only just a year since the Blake Festival was held in Felpham to launch the crowdfunding side of the Blake Cottage Campaign. Prior to that, a Patron’s event was hosted by the Blake Society in the Houses of Parliament on the 7th July. Alongside the Blake Society initiatives, Rachel Searle, William Harvey, and the rest... read more »
George Szirtes Announces Shortlist for The William Blake Poetry Prize, 2015
We are pleased to announce the George Szirtes shortlist for The William Blake Poetry Prize By Hand - Keiran Goddard My Brave Marriage - Uģis Bunga William Blake - David Pollard Nereid - Marcas Mac an Tuairneir Glad Day - Ross Mackay Upanishadic Poem - Maria Lancaster Fearfully Asymmetrical - Peter Grant All There Is - Benjamin T. Searle Samurai Poem - Juha Pekka Sihvonen Watch this space for the Winner...! read more »
Celebrating William Blake at Waterstones in London!
Help raise funds for Blake’s cottage by joining us for an evening of readings, music & discussion with an all-star line-up including: Katherine Ellis Deborah Levy Alex Marwood Daljit Nagra Richard Skinner George Szirtes SJ Watson This unique event takes place on Saturday 19th September 7-8.30pm and brings together an eclectic range of bestselling and award-winning novelists, poets, and Blake aficionados to celebrate his life and his poetry. The evening will be packed with readings,... read more »
William Blake: Man Without a Mask
Ruth Rosen, Inspired Theatrical Performance, Sat 25 July, 3pm (50 min show). Tickets £5, (£3 students) booking essential, please follow this link to buy tickets. St. Mary’s Church Felpham PO22 7PA “One of England’s leading poetry and prose performers”, Ruth Rosen, reads extracts from every one of Blake’s works. Take an incredible journey through the mind of this visionary genius, from his poetry to his prose and his letters. Since leaving the... read more »
Award Winners Support Blake's Cottage Appeal - Stop Press
Join us for an evening of literary readings and discussion with: Nuala Casey (singer, acclaimed thriller writer) Tobias Churton (author of Jerusalem: The Real Life of William Blake) Rowan Coleman (author of the Richard and Judy Book Club choice, The Memory Book) Ian Duhig (Forward Prize-winning and T. S. Eliot Prize-shortlisted poet) Martin Malone (award-winning poet) Richard Skinner (novelist, poet, Director of Fiction at the Faber Academy) Saturday 18 July 2015 4.30-6.30pm St Mary’s Church Felpham Village West Sussex P022 7PA Tickets £8 (£5 students) available... read more »
Jerusalem (Katherine Ellis and Adam Evans) now available!
Katherine Ellis and Adam Evans have recorded a version of Jerusalem and donated proceeds of all sales of it towards The Big Blake Project! We are so touched by their generosity and would encourage everyone to buy it online by following this link. At least £1 from every sale will go towards the fund that is... read more »
The Campaign for Blake's Cottage features in the New York Times
Read the full article by following this link “Our plan, our dream, is to raise enough money to buy the house and make it a center for Blake and all that he stood for,” said Adriana Díaz Enciso, secretary of the Blake Society. “We do not want to create a museum. Instead we will open its doors to paying visitors and those who want to stay for a night or... read more »
Observer Article: Artist celebrates Sussex Links
Chris Price's unique and beautiful map was created to celebrate William Blake's links to the Bognor Regis area. The stunning map is available to Observer readers for free and links the town centre to green spaces and those 'banks of the ocean' which inspired the poet and mystic. Permission for the map which draws connections between the town and the mystic was obtained for Southern Railway. The Trail which is part of the wider... read more »
BBC: South Today: Saving Blake's Cottage
Rachel Searle interviewed by Sean Killick about the Blake Society's plans for Blake's Cottage. The short clip contains shots inside and outside the cottage and begins with poetry Blake wrote whilst in Felpham. Away to sweet Felpham, for Heaven is there; The Ladder of Angels descends thro’ the air; On the turret its spiral does softly descend, Thro’ the village then winds, at my cot it does end. // read more »
Observer Feature Centre Spread (+ gallery)
Jerusalem was sung at the station by St Wilfreds Choir Saturday 15 November, to mark the publication of the new Blake Trail map. Later the Bersted Air Scouts had fun building the Bognor-Felpham Blake trail with Angel Stickers. The famous song, whose words were penned by Blake echoed around Bognor station's concourse to the delight of railway passengers. The stunning map by illustrator Chris Price shows the land that Blake saw as Beulah. According to... read more »
Interview with Will Harvey and Rachel Searle by Intelligence HQ
A short film by Maria Lusitano. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9yavUvebdYs read more »
A short film for the Big Blake Project - by Philip Davidson
A short film by Philip Davidson about William Blake and his cottage. read more »
The Wine Presses of Love
A conversation between Michael Phillips and Tim Heath (8pm Tuesday 16 September ... glass of wine ... etc) William Blake was married for 45 years to Catherine, yet there was a relationship in his life that was arguably more important, one that pre-dated his wedding, accompanied him to his death, and gave quotidian expression to his genius – a Printing Press. The conversation will explore how Blake’s skill as a printer informed his life and gave direction... read more »