About this Event
Poetry to Song: Write your own song
Free 1-Day Workshop for Writers in Dorset
Locations: Shaftesbury Arts Centre • Dorchester Corn Exchange •
COME AND JOIN US FOR A FREE 1-DAY WORKSHOP where you can transform a short haiku-like poem written on the day into a new song and celebrate the unique natural world of Dorset.
We are inviting 20 Dorset poets and writers to work alongside composers Sadie Harrison and Marc Yeats and professional singers Jessica Summers and Ed Bersey in two workshops, one based in Dorchester, the other in Shaftesbury.
You do not need any musical experience at all, just a love for exploring sound and words. We will be working together to find ways of expressing your music without needing traditional musical notation - lines, colours, shapes, instructions - anything goes!
We will be using a set of evocative South-West inspired soundscapes created espcially for the project by David Rogers from Electricbackroomstudio. Each writer will choose one of the soundscapes as extra inspiration and we are hoping that the various poems will reflect their different moods and atmospheres.
At the end of the workshop you will have a solo vocal line (no longer than 2 minutes in length) performed either by Jessica or Ed. We will take these forward to a relaxed, professionally recorded public concert a few days later.
If you have always wanted to write music but felt you didn’t have the required knowledge then do sign up. It doesn’t matter if you can’t sing, or play an instrument. This is a workshop for anyone who wants to create sound!
Places are limited to 10 writers per workshop on a first-come, first-served basis. A reserve list will be held for cancellations.
FURTHER INFORMATION
Poetry to Song is a funded creative project transforming poetry by local Dorset writers into original songs. Supported by Arts Council England (National Lottery Project Grants), Dorset Council, The Vaughan Williams Foundation, and the Hinrichsen Foundation, the project partners with Electricbackroom Studio, Dorchester Arts, and Shaftesbury Arts Centre.
Important Consent Requirement
By booking a place on this workshop you understand and agree that photographs, video, and audio recordings will be made of the sessions, performances, and concerts. These materials may be used for project documentation, promotion, social media, and online platforms (including YouTube, Bandcamp, and SoundCloud). Signing up to the workshop should only be undertaken with this understanding. A permissions form will be provided on the day for you to review and sign.
Workshop Experience
On the Day (10:30–16:00)
Writing sessions, compositional exploration, and collaboration with the professional team.
After the Workshop
Your song will be performed and recorded during the workshop. A few days later it will feature in a free public concert alongside new song cycles by Sadie Harrison and Marc Yeats (where singers will be joined by the internationally acclaimed pianist Tomas Klement). These highly contrasted works are both settings of selected poems from Marc Yeats’ Collected Poems Volume 1.
Professional Legacy
All participant songs will be professionally recorded and compiled into a digital album. You will receive a free copy, and the recordings will be shared publicly on Bandcamp, SoundCloud, and YouTube.
Key Details
- Shaftesbury Workshop – Saturday 24 October 2026, 10:30–16:00 at Shaftesbury Arts Centre
- Dorchester Workshop – Sunday 25 October 2026, 10:30–16:00 at Dorchester Corn Exchange
Concert Dates (free for participants and the public)
- Dorchester Corn Exchange – Tuesday 27 October 2026, 19:00–20:30
- St Michael’s Church, Shaftesbury – Wednesday 28 October 2026, 19:00–20:30
Who Can Join
Writers of all experience levels living in Dorset. No musical background needed — just enthusiasm and a poem (or willingness to write one).
Why Join?
- Turn your poetry into a performed and recorded song
- Collaborate with leading professional composers and singers
- Showcase your work in a public concert
- Receive a professional recording of your piece
Event venue & nearby stays
Shaftesbury Arts Centre, 13 Bell Street, Shaftesbury, United Kingdom
Concerts, fests, parties, meetups — all the happenings, one place.