In 2008 Nigel Stonier, in partnership with Thea Gilmore and Claire “Fluff” Smith launched Words And Music, a four day music, poetry and literature festival in Nantwich, Cheshire, the town where Nigel is a resident.
The festival’s mission was to become an ‘outside the box’ take on the boutique festival, with all combinations of words and music thrown into the mix, the more unlikely the better.
The aim was also to entice well known musicians, songwriters and poets to play a different type of show than they usually might, in a smaller venue than they might usually play, in a town they might not have known existed...
Hence the festival has evolved in 16th century ballrooms, school halls, coffee shops, museums, bars and on the town square.
Guests during the first two Words And Music festivals having included:
Lightning Seeds star Ian Broudie performing an intimate acoustic concert featuring stripped down versions of his hits
Iconic 21st century poet Simon Armitage reading from his work in the town’s museum and also appearing with his pop band The Scaremongers
Radio/TV presenter Mark Radcliffe reading from his memoirs and performing acoustic tunes
DJ “Whispering Bob” Harris taking a Question and Answer session on his career
Folk superstar Eliza Carthy performing in one of the local sixth form centres
Scottish award winning poet Don Paterson playing jazz guitar and giving a reading of his work
Black Box Theatre working with local students to perform on the Nantwich town square a special show which could only be viewed by one audience member at a time
Both Festivals so far have been opened by a Thea Gilmore acoustic show at which she has been joined onstage by Stonier and Fluff, and which has sold out weeks in advance.
Nigel has presented songwriting workshops, and many new rising and unsigned talents have also been given a stage at the event.
Words And Music 2010 is scheduled for October 7th-10th inclusive.
To find out more contact: info@wordsandmusicfestival.com