Spine Festival 2026
Fri 22/05/2026
Spine
Festival 2026
The London SPINE festival is returning to Sutton for 2026! This year’s festival will feature spoken word and arts activities delivered by local artists, alongside creative workshops and imaginative events led by some of SPINE’s 14 Artists in Residence. Children and families will also have the chance to experience the touring SPIN Show — a live performance poetry gig created especially for children aged 3 to 11.
This year will also see the festival’s ‘Magic & Imagination Poetry Competition’ judged by SPINE 2026 Ambassador Simon Mole!
Magic & Imagination Poetry Competition
SPINE Festival’s Magic & Imagination Poetry Competition is for children aged 7 - 11 years old (KS2).
Poems will be inspired by the festival theme of ‘Magic & Imagination’ and judged by Simon Mole for a chance to win a signed copy of Poetry Pizza, £25 book voucher and a reading event with Simon Mole at winners’ local libraries. Winners will be announced at the festival close on 30 June 2026.
Opens on 16 May and closes 12 June at 23:59 BST.
This competition runs in all 14 SPINE library boroughs. More details about the competition can be found on the SPINE webpage.
As part of the celebrations, Sutton libraries will be hosting a series of events taking place throughout the borough !
Sunlight Cyanotypes:
Come to Wallington Library on the 28th of May for and get creative! Using the sun, stencils and a little bit of science, children will discover how to create one-of-a-kind, illustrations using cyanotype printing. Make art based on your favourite story, and explore this amazing mix of art and chemistry.
SPIN Show
Come to Sutton Central Library on the 29th of May and join a trio of leading performance poets - BREIS, Paul Lyalls, and Marika Mckennell - for a fun-filled, interactive poetry show bursting with rhythm, movement, and imagination. This lively performance invites audiences to get on their feet – dancing, singing, and joining in as words come alive. For ages 3 -11.
Mythical Monster Movie Making Workshop!
Join the dynamic duo of animator Nancy Ellis and award-winning poet Shagufta K. Iqbal for this exciting workshop mixing creative writing and animation! Participants will work together to explore all sorts of wild and fantastical creatures, crafting a story that they will later bring to life through the art of animation!