Doors open 7.00pm.

The annual election of the Bard of Stony Stratford, with poetry, spoken word and music.

The Bardic Trials 2025 will be held at York House on the 18th January 2025 and the event is free to attend. Bardic candidates perform in three rounds in front of the gathered audience and a panel of judges who vote over the course of the evening to find the 14th Bard of Stony Stratford.

The launch of the next Bardic Trials began on the 30th November ‘24 when applications to find the 14th Bard of Stony Stratford began. The Bard is a voluntary civic position which can be held by anyone over the age of 18 who weaves words to honour, celebrate and declaim the wider community of Stony Stratford. Past Bards have used poetry, story and song in the many events they are invited to through out their year tenure (apart from Bard 10, Andy Powell who held the post for two years due to the pandemic).

Applications to be the next bard are open until the 5th January, and can be made through the website: https://bardofstony.weebly.com/bardic-trials.html

“Being elected as the Bard of Stony Stratford has been an excellent privilege and a whole lot of fun. Not only has it given me the opportunity to get creative, I’ve had the chance to attend and perform at many of Stony’s fantastic events throughout the year. My favourite part has, of course, been the many weird and wonderful reactions to my giant pencil, and I am saddened (but also much honoured) to pass it along in January.”

13th Bard Craig Hudson reflecting on his Bardic year.