Bard of Exeter
L to R: Kev Payne (Bard of Exeter 25-26), Kimwei (Grand Bard of Exeter 2019-2026), Ceri Baker (Grand Bard of Exeter 2026-2033), Casey Garfield (Bard of Exeter 26-27), and Katy Cawkwell (Bard of Exeter 26-27).
The Bard of Exeter represents the land & people of Exeter and surrounding areas for a year & a day, with a bunch of perks plus some fancy blue robes chucked in!
This year, the Bard of Exeter is supported by Exeter Library, Exeter UNESCO City of Literature, Taking the Mic and Spork! Poetry.
Did you know Exeter is one of the few cities with the ancient right to appoint a Bard?
Exeter’s Current Bards of Exeter 2025 - 2026
Casey Garfield has been a featured poet at events such as Spork!, Polari Literary Salon, and SOUND: Plymouth Poetry Festival. They have facilitated workshops for Exeter Pride and the NHS Wellbeing Service, and as the winner of City Slam, they are representing Exeter in Slamovison 2026.
Katy Cawkwell: performance storyteller, working with myth, legend and folktale. Headlined storytelling festivals from India to Iceland, featured on Radio 3, 4 and Devon and captivated audiences in London theatres, Dartmoor woodland and countless classrooms. Shows include Lilith: The Other Side of the Story, Wild Visions, Tristan & Iseult, Rhiannon, The Wounded King, Odysseus & Penelope, The Kingdom of the Heart, Iron Teeth, Eaten Heart, Sigurd & Fafnir, The Falcon Bride (Njal’s Saga). She runs Artemis Storytelling, bringing the best of UK storytelling to Exeter, hosting the Story Blaze platform for local tellers and helping others find their storytelling voice.
The Bardic role is a chance for you to make your mark on the city. Previous Bards have gone on to win national slams, become the Poet Laureate for Exeter City FC, and present poetry internationally at COP26 (to name just a few achievements!)
Any poet, singer, storyteller, rapper, or wordsmith aged 16+ and from Devon can compete for the title, with the winner chosen by a yearly public vote.