BlakeFest is Back !

Name: BlakeFest is Back !
Start: 2025-09-28T13:00:00+01:00
End: 2025-09-28T21:00:00+01:00
Location: Venue 24 - Legends - Sheiks

Schedule

Sun Sep 28 2025 at 01:00 pm to 09:00 pm

UTC+01:00

Location

Venue 24 - Legends - Sheiks | Bognor Regis, EN

William Blake’s comic brilliance has been called everything from “the nervous ramblings of a neglected genius” to “the tomfool doodles of a distracted youngster.” Now to celebrate Blake’s comic genius we’re bringing that same playful spirit to the stage! 🎭✨
Expect wit, satire, and musical mischief from Roger Ruskin Spear, original member of the iconic Bonzo Dog Doo-Dah band and the rest of the classically trained and fantastically funny BonzoBills Comedy Band.

Running Order for Sunday, 28th September 2025
12pm Sketching Workshop - A chance to ‘have a-go’, or enhance your skills .
1:00pm Welcome to BlakeFest, including the presentation of the Roland Manuel sketch prizes
1.15pm The Rossetti Manuscipt – Open up Blake’s Note book in a captivating session led by Tamsin Rosewell. A Scholar and Blake Society Trustee will be sharing from treasures she has discovered in Blake’s private sketch book held in the vaults of the British Library.
2.00pm ‘Kin’ – Romany Inspiration. Enter into a Romany world existing on the edge of ours through its highly acclaimed female narrators. Join Raine Geoghegan Romani anthologist, Harpist Vanessa-Wood-Davies and other creatives as they weave for us a tapestry of the Romany world from its highly praised award -winning anthology ‘Kin’, by Salmon Press.
3.00pm JAZZ – Olivia Stevens and Stefan Rajic Pick up the beat with smoking hot jazz infused blues and soul
. 4:00 pm Blake and The Beats, bring the spotlight back on Blake the Poet in brand new musical settings created by the the guitarist from music/poetry ensemble Little Machine Chris Hardy and the velvet-voiced South Downs poet, Barry Smith. 5:00 pm
Break – Fish & Chips are among the refreshments available at the Pier and by the sea in Bognor Regis
6:15 PM Doors open for the Bonzo Bills. The stage is given over to an evening of comic musical entertainment as the spirit of the Bonzos lives again !!!!!