Celebrate Keats (From Times Series)

Keats House in Hampstead opens its doors for its annual summer festival, writes Rosy Moorhead

5:02pm Monday 28th May 2012 in Exhibitions By Rosy Moorhead

John Keats was one of the principal poets of the English Romantic movement and Keats House is a museum in his home in Hampstead dedicated to poetry. Its annual summer festival is a week of poetry readings, writing workshops, art and music.

On Friday, June 1 Introduction to the Life of John Keats explores the poet’s life through his poems and letters (2pm-3pm) and in the afternoon, Keats House Artist in Residence Cos Ahmet will be creating works inspired by a love letter from Keats to Fanny Brawne (1pm-5pm).

On Saturday, June 2, Extreme Happy Fair is a ‘spoken word fair’ of speech juggling, palm readings, poetry, lucky dips, song, live art, chit chat and clowning from literature company Renaissance One (6pm-9pm).

Sunday, June 3 starts with Imagine, a musical workshop for the family (11am-3pm) and the day rounds off with Poetry and Music, performances from travelling minstrels and London poets (5.30pm-7.30pm).

Bank Holiday Monday has a very special treat for the kiddies with King Arthur & the Sword in the Stone from the Cambridge Touring Theatre. The comical musical performance is from 3pm to 5pm with a workshop for five- to 10-year-olds from 1.30pm to 2.15pm.

On Bank Holiday Tuesday, be wowed by Dream Journeys: Guyana to Ghana, a synthesis of poetry, spoken word and music from a ‘poet of the flute’, a spoken word artist and a New York poet (6.30pm-8.30pm).

On Wednesday, June 6, Bunbury Banter Theatre Company presents Meg Merrilies, an audio-drama workshop in which you can create an audio version of a Keats poem (10.30am-1.30pm). Later, enjoy Klezmer Club, an eclectic mix of musicians who play wild and tender klezmer music and feisty, moving and humorous Yiddish songs (6.30pm-8pm).

On Thursday, June 7, SLAMbassadors UK and the Young Poets’ Network, the most prestigious and longest-running youth slam in the UK, will be hosting a workshop in which you will create free verse poetry (2pm-4pm) and some of these exciting new poets will be performing later on (7pm-9pm).

On Friday, June 8, don’t miss Les Beaux Poètes Sans Merci, a poetry evening hosted by Keats House’s poet in residence, John Hegley (7pm-9pm).

Saturday, June 9 features Sweet Beats for Keats, where you can meet and hear the poets included in the 2011 Keats Festival anthology (2pm-4pm).

On the final day of the festival Where is the romance in the urban landscape? is a creative writing workshop that endeavours to find the romantic elements of contemporary London life (11am-5pm), and there’s children’s workshop The Dragon featuring a 13-foot mechanical dragon called George (1pm-4pm).

John Hegley closes the festival in the evening with Happy is England!, a concert and readings which also features Jackie Kay and dancing by the Gay Gordons and Morris dancers (5.30pm-7.30pm).

The Keats House Summer Festival takes place at Keats House, Keats Grove, Hampstead from June 1-10. Details: 020 7332 3868, www.keatshouse.cityoflondon.gov.uk