Storyteller-in-Residence Call-Out
Do you love stories? Do you write poems, songs, or short stories?
Do you enjoy performing or sharing your thoughts and ideas?
Would you like to be part of a music festival that celebrates inclusion, accessibility and fun?
Festability is looking for a Storyteller-in-Residence for our 2025 festival at Quex Park, Kent on Saturday 14 June 2025.
This is open to anyone with a learning disability, learning difficulty, or physical disability, including people who are autistic, neurodivergent, or have special educational needs. You don’t need any qualifications or past experience – just a love of creating and expressing yourself.
What’s the theme?
Our 2025 theme is: “Everyone Belongs”
You can write about:
- A time you felt included
- What being left out feels like
- A made-up story where everyone is welcome
- What an inclusive school, event or government might look like
- Why accessibility matters to you
- Or anything else that shows what “Everyone Belongs” means to you
It can be real or made up, serious or funny – it’s your story to tell.
Who can apply?
You can apply if you are:
- A person with a disability or long-term health condition.
- Someone with special educational needs or learning support needs.
You can write your entry yourself or with help – we accept voice notes, videos or typed entries.
What do you win?
Our selected Storyteller-in-Residence will receive:
- Entry to Festability 2025 at Quex Park, Kent – plus three friends, supporters or colleagues
- Food and drink vouchers (for the storyteller only)
- Access to all future Festability events
- A dedicated feature slot at the festival to perform, read, or present your work
- Promotion on Festability’s website and social media
- The opportunity to co-create something magical with festival-goers on the day
- And most importantly… your voice amplified at a festival that celebrates inclusion
If you are not comfortable presenting your work yourself, that’s absolutely fine – we’re more than happy to arrange for someone else to read or perform it for you.
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Please click the button above to email Debs with:
1. Your entry – this could be:
- A poem, song, story or spoken word piece
- A voice or video recording
- Anything creative that fits the theme!
2. A short letter, video or voice note telling us:
- What your piece is about
- Why you'd love to be our Storyteller-in-Residence
- A little bit about you (only what you’re comfortable sharing)
If you need help applying, a parent, carer, teaching assistant or support worker can help you write, record or send it. You can apply in any format that works for you – we’re all about accessibility and inclusion.
Need support?If you have any access needs (e.g., submitting in a different format), please email debs@festability.co.uk and we’ll do everything we can to help.
Applications open: Monday 1 April 2025
Deadline: Friday 9 May 2025 at 5pm
Judging complete by: Thursday 23 May 2025
Winner announced: Friday 30 May 2025
Festival date: Saturday 14 June 2025
