About Lyra
“Seeing Bristol not only buzzing with an incredible diverse array of literary events for 10 days, but attended by such a varied mix of people and tastes, was inspiring. I hope Lyra has many more chances to grow and expand, as it is becoming a staple part to the city’s artistic calendar” - Travis Alabanza
Lyra is a Bristol-based organisation delivering the annual Lyra - Bristol Poetry Festival, Bristol City Poet, Bristol Young City Poet, and other outreach projects.
Lyra brings together local, national and international poets and speakers, representing Bristol as a centre of world class poetry and booking artists from across the UK and world alongside Bristol based artists and local communities.
Our aim is to showcase poetry in the widest range of forms possible, including readings, slam competitions, film screenings, walking tours, digital media, panels, open mics, lectures and more.
We believe poetry is something for everyone to enjoy and participate in, and our festival aim is to be inclusive, diverse and accessible to all, as well as involving participatory activities. We offer BSL and captioned events, online/digital content, and all of our live activities take place in wheelchair accessible spaces.
We aim to connect communities of Bristol through poetry and co-curate experiences, and we welcome partnerships and collaborations from other organisations. From 2019-2024 we appointed a yearly Festival Poet.
Lyra now runs the Bristol City Poet initiative from 2024 onwards, taking over fro, the Mayor’s Office and Bristol Ideas who founded the role in 2016.
Lyra founded Bristol’s Young City Poet scheme in late 2022, delivering workshops to schools and groups around the city, culminating in the appointment of a Young City Poet.
Our Festival is managed by two Co-Directors who bring their individual expertise and skills, and who are guided by a steering committee representing different communities and approaches to poetry.
At the heart of all we do is the desire to celebrate the unique culture and creativity across Bristol & the South West.
Lyra is supported using public funding from Arts Council England.