Stone Recreation Ground will come alive with poetry, music, performance and storytelling once again this September, following the award of Arts Council England funding for the return of Where the Light Begins Festival.
After the success of last year’s inaugural event, the festival will once again bring local voices together with poets, musicians, performers and storytellers of national and international renown.
At the heart of the festival is a belief that hope can be nurtured through creativity, imagination and the experience of coming together as a community. It provides a platform for people from across Dartford and the surrounding area to explore what hope means to them and to have their words and experiences heard.
Where the Light Begins is grounded in the understanding that hope is not the absence of challenge or adversity. Hope can be found within difficult experiences and nurtured through creativity, human connection and the sharing of our stories.
Hope on Prescription is thrilled that award-winning poet, author and broadcaster Lemn Sissay OBE will return as the festival’s headline artist. Drawing on his own experience of growing up in foster care and children’s homes, Lemn’s work explores hope, resilience, identity and belonging, themes which reflect the spirit at the heart of the festival.
The festival is for everyone. Whether people already love poetry and the arts, are discovering them for the first time, or are not yet sure whether poetry is for them, all are welcome.
Because the festival takes place outdoors, people are free to wander in and out as they wish, staying for a moment or spending the whole day. They can pause to listen to music, encounter a performance or take part in a creative workshop.
Roaming performers will bring moments of surprise, wonder and delight, especially for children. There will also be artistic workshops for all ages, alongside quiet spaces where festivalgoers can pause, read poetry and explore books that have offered inspiration and hope to others.
Reflecting on last year’s festival, one audience member said:
“The park came alive with music, laughter and performances exploring what it means to be human. From primary school children to internationally acclaimed poets, each voice shared where hope is found and how it sustains us. It was joyful, deeply moving and full of wonder for the young and young at heart.”
The festival’s wider community programme is already under way. Hope on Prescription will once again be working with pupils at Stone St Mary’s Primary School and has returned to Darent Valley Hospital, where this year the team worked with patients on inpatient wards as they faced some of the toughest moments of their lives.
Open Writing for Wellbeing workshops are also taking place at community venues across the area. There are still opportunities to join these workshops, with details of current dates and venues available at www.hopeonprescription.co.uk.
Inspired by Lemn Sissay’s longstanding advocacy for people with care experience, this year’s programme also includes dedicated Writing for Wellbeing workshops for care-experienced adults at Sun Pier House in Chatham. Spaces are still available for care-experienced adults who would like to join.
Describing the impact of taking part in a Writing for Wellbeing workshop, participant Ellie said:
“This group has given me so much purpose, hope and direction… they have given me my spark and happiness back.”
Everyone taking part in the workshops will be invited to share their work at the festival if they would like to. Their writing will also be brought together in a new community anthology, creating a lasting record of the many voices, experiences and expressions of hope gathered through the project.
Jemma Burgess, Founder and Director of Hope on Prescription CIC, said:
“Arts Council England’s support allows us to build the festival from the voices of the community itself. The workshops are not separate from the festival; they’re where the festival begins.
“A child writing their first poem, a patient finding words for an experience, or an adult discovering the confidence to share their story can stand alongside an internationally renowned artist and know that their voice belongs there too.”
“That is what this funding makes possible. We are so excited to see what people create together this year.”
Where the Light Begins Festival will take place from 12 noon to 6pm on Saturday 26th September 2026 at Stone Recreation Ground, London Road, Greenhithe, DA9 9DQ.
Entry to the festival is free. As seating for Lemn Sissay’s headline performance is limited and expected to be in high demand, festivalgoers are encouraged to reserve a seat in advance. Seats can be reserved on a pay-what-you-can basis, with a suggested donation of £5.
Where the Light Begins is produced by Hope on Prescription CIC and funded and supported by Arts Council England, with additional support from Kent Community Foundation, CCLA Good Investment, Kent County Council, Dartford Borough Council, Dartford and Gravesham NHS Trust, Ebbsfleet Development Corporation, Ebbsfleet Garden City and Stone Town Council.
For further information, workshop details and seat reservations, visit:
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