COMMUNITY MEET-UPS

Community Meets Timetable

Organise Your Own Community Meet-Up

Everything the Surrey Poet Laureateship does has community at its heart, and Surrey's Big Poetry Weekend is no different.

Whether you'd like to host a discussion on Victorian poetry, organise a spoken word networking session, arrange a feedback circle, or gather poets with a shared interest, we'd love to help make it happen.

Available Locations

Communal Spaces (no booking required)

The Bunker
The Courtyard

These are open community spaces where informal meet-ups can take place throughout the festival.

Private Meet-Up Space (Classroom)

If you'd prefer a dedicated room for your meet-up, the classroom is available to book during the following times:

Saturday

9:45am – 10:50am
2:00pm – 3:00pm

Sunday

10:00am – 11:00am
1:00pm – 3:00pm
5:00pm – 6:00pm

How to Add Your Meet-Up

Ready to bring people together?

Simply click the "Add My Event" button, complete the short submission form, and we'll review your request before publishing it to the festival programme.

Whether you're expecting two people or twenty, we'd love to see the community help shape Surrey's Big Poetry Weekend.

Community Meet-Ups — Information & Guidelines

Community Meet-Up listings are provided to help attendees connect with like-minded people during the festival. Please note that inclusion in these listings does not indicate formal endorsement or supervision by the Surrey Poet Laureateship team.

While we will do our best to help avoid major scheduling clashes, we are unable to provide additional support such as crowd management. The organisation, timing, and delivery of each meet-up remains the responsibility of the organiser.

All organisers are expected to act with respect, inclusivity, and professionalism, in line with our community values. Community Meets should be welcoming spaces for anyone who wishes to attend.

Official Meet Spaces

For those looking to host something more structured, the Laureateship will be offering bookable time slots in designated private spaces. These will be listed above and can be reserved in advance, giving you a dedicated environment to host your meet.

We will also have a shared community space known as The Bunker, an open, relaxed area available throughout the day for anyone to gather, connect, or simply take a moment to recharge.

If you are unable to secure a private meet space, you are still very welcome to organise a meet in a communal area. We’ll happily list your meet on our website so others can find and join you.

What should I include when registering a Community Meet?

We’ll need some basic contact details for admin purposes, as well as key information about your meet-up, including: