Verb Garden 2025: Belladrum's Spoken Word Sanctuary Returns
Each year, nestled in the surrounds of Belladrum, the Verb Garden stands as a haven for storytellers, poets, musicians, thinkers, and truth-speakers. Whether you’re here for the harmonies or the hard-hitting verses, the folklore, the laughs or some quiet reflections, the Verb Garden promises a lineup to move you, surprise you, and stir your spirit!
Here’s your lineup run-down for 2025 , be sure to stop by, sit a while, and let the words do their thing.
Thursday 31st July
14:30
MONIAK MHOR WRITERS’ WORKSHOP
Presented by Boo Hewerdine and Michelle Stoddart from Magic Numbers
These nurturing workshops will focus on form, melody, lyric and every element that’s involved in making a song.
You can be working at any level and no experience is necessary; you don’t need to play an instrument.
There will be a maximum of 12 participant so please register your interest and we’ll get back to you at least 2 weeks before the workshop.
If you’d like to register your interest in another way, please contact us on youngwriters@moniackmhor.org.uk or phone us on 01463 592828
17:00 - MONIAK MHOR SONGWRITERS’ SHOWCASE
Join Boo Hewerdine and Michele Stodart for Moniack Mhor’s launch of First Stages: A writing, production and performance programme for young, emerging songwriters.
In this special event, you will hear from a medley of new, young voices from across Scotland who will perform their original songs written and recorded in the Strawbale Studio at Moniack Mhor. Boo and Michele will be joined on stage by Mark Ellis, and will play some of their own songs and share more news of this exciting new youth project.
Boo Hewerdine is a singer-songwriter, musician, producer and experienced tutor and mentor. He has written songs for Eddi Reader, k.d. lang, Chris Difford and many others. He has produced numerous albums, run a record label and been involved in music as a business for many years. His latest album, Understudy (a commercial and critical success), was released in 2022.
Caribbean-born Michele Stodart is an award-winning singer-songwriter and multi-instrumentalist based in London. She is best renowned as bassist, vocalist and co-songwriter of Mercury-nominated, double-platinum selling band, The Magic Numbers, with whom she continues to play and tour world-wide. Michele has also always pursued her own writing and nurtured a love for artists such as Joni Mitchell, Leonard Cohen, Emmylou Harris, Lucinda Williams and Gillian Welch. She has released two critically acclaimed solo albums of cinematic folk/Americana, and melodic country-blues influenced songs and has become known for her intimate, heart-wrenching live performances. Her third solo album is due for release in September 2023.
18:15 SAM STEELE AND MYRA ROSS
Canadian born, but a long-term resident of Inverness, Sam Steele will be attending his first ever Belladrum this year. Sam generally focuses his poems on lighter subjects so he will bring one or 2 from his ‘Mind Melting’ collection eg ‘If a Toucan Who Can Can-can, Can Can-can with a Crow’ and ‘Mourning in Moorning, with Noon at Twilight’.
If you can get to the end of one of those and not blow a couple of neurons you are in rare company.
There will be poems from his D-I-Y set (proving why he should always call a professional) and of course his ranty collection, explaining why you should never ask if he (or anyone) wants milk in their Americano.
Selected to perform at the 2025 Fringe, Sam is also a regular and MC at the Bike Shed Inverness. Also, in Aberdeen and Edinburgh and has performed on radio and television in Canada.
Sam has 2 published collections ‘My Toolbox Doesn’t Like Me’ and ‘Measured Approach’ and 3 illustrated children’s books ‘Santa’s Adventure at Loch Ness’, ‘Rupert the Red Squirrel’ and ‘Luno the Loch Ness Alpaca’.
Website: https://www.samsteelepoet.co.uk/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/samsteelepoetry/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/samsteelepoetry/?hl=en
19:15 FREE WHEELIN' ACCAPELLA CHOIR
Freewheelin have been delighting audiences around Inverness for the past two years with their luscious harmonies and inspiring heartfelt lyrics.
From Beatles to Bluegrass, Pop to Gospel - expect vibrant and inspirational favourites with a rich harmonic twist from this energetic,fun-loving Acappella collective, led by local legend, singer Kate O’Connell.
20:15 LILIAN ROSS, DORIC BOOKS
National registered Storyteller/Writer and Singer is welcomed back to Belladrum Festival. Lilian will take the Verb Garden Stage on Thursday 31st July.
A ‘weel kent face’, Lilian will entertain the crowds with her distinctive Doric tongue, delivering self-penned songs, as well as entertaining stories, and readings from her new book, “Jist Sayin.”
This rich collection of poems stories and prose is a heartfelt journey through love, life and mischief, told with humour, warmth and grit that defines her Doric routes.
Celebrate the magic of this Scots language, its rhythms and quirks. Enjoy a blether with Lilian post-performance, when she will be signing copies of her book for you all.
21:00 PARTNERS IN CRHYME WITH JOHN MCGEOCH AND JACKIE GOODE
Words spoken slowly, words spoken fast
A bright, brash ‘n bursting, bigot free blast
Come in your lonesomes, come in your droves,
Come in your pants, or your brand new clothes.
Plenty to say, plenty to see,
Come get down linguistic, with Jackie ‘n me!
22:00 JJ BULL
JJ Bull is the internet’s favourite loopstation wizard, mixing synth-pop smash hits with songs about footballers - that aren’t really about footballers.
His viral tracks have racked up millions of views across TikTok, Instagram, and YouTube, with cult hits like Adriano Shot Power 99, Hotter Than AC Milan 2005, and If Chris Wood Could, Chris Wood Would.
Imagine LCD Soundsystem, Marc Rebillet and Phoenix having a kickabout in the park after five pints.
JJ creates every song live on the spot, building layered synths, beats, and lyrics in real time using only his voice, a loopstation, a keyboard, and some musical instinct. It’s moving, powerful… it’s quite stupid. And brilliant. The unexpected soundtrack to your weekend.
Whether you’re here for the music, the chaos, or songs about Graeme Shinnie and Paolo Maldini, you’re in for something you’ve never quite seen before.
FRIDAY 1ST AUGUST
10:30 HIGHLAND MINDFULNESS GROUP, POETRY & MEDITATION WITH CATHERINE & PETER
Mindfulness and poetry are a transforming match! The themes of a poem reflect pieces of a picture towards possibility, freshness and potential.
Join Catherine Lavelle and Peter Wilkes from Highland Mindfulness Group Charity at Bella for a session of poetry. Poetry can speak to a place within us before we intellectually understand the poem allowing the potential of unfolding and possibility. Receiving or reading poetry can be like a salve or medicine, restoring ourselves to ourselves. The softening metaphor turning one thing into another can respond to our innate buddha nature which is far beyond the thinking mind. The Highland Mindfulness group will also be providing practical mindfulness sessions throughout the festival so come and find us.
11:30 FREE WHEELIN' ACCAPELLA CHOIR
Freewheelin have been delighting audiences around Inverness for the past two years with their luscious harmonies and inspiring heartfelt lyrics.
From Beatles to Bluegrass, Pop to Gospel - expect vibrant and inspirational favourites with a rich harmonic twist from this energetic,
fun-loving Acappella collective, led by local legend, singer Kate O’Connell.
12:30 CAROLINE BURROWS, CYCLE POET
Caroline Burrows/@versecycle returns on her bike to Belladrum with more poems and stories to share. Themes range from nature poetry in ‘The Red Kite from the Black Isle’ about observations made cycling from the Highlands to Orkney; the importance of talking about mental health issues in ‘The Bridge’; of anxiety running wild while walking across Brontë heathland in ‘A Woman Walks to the Hitching Stone on her Own’, and a daft demise to a relationship in ‘The Joy of Socks’.
Her poetry has been featured on BBC Radio 4; printed in BBC Sky at Night Magazine; shown at Kendal Mountain Film Festival in the documentary ‘The Bristol Bike Bard’; she's been poet in residence at Cromarty Arts Trust, and her first full collection ‘Verse Cycles was published by indie-press The Jawbone Collective last year. Caroline’s one-woman poetry show 'Turning Pedals into Poems' which she toured from Bristol to Berwick-upon-Tweed in 2022 was shortlisted for best show in the Saboteur Awards, and gained her a place in Cycling UK’s #100WomenInCycling, possibly due to an unnecessary detour over Winnats Pass, one of the UK’s most ridiculous climbs.
IG/BlueSky/Facebook/YouTubes/LinkTree: @VerseCycle
13:30 GREEN FREEPORT - WHAT, WHERE, WHY?
Inverness & Cromarty Firth Green Freeport is a not-for-profit company formed by over 30 public and private partners to attract fair paid long-term jobs to the Highlands. With support from Highland Council, Scottish Government and UK Government we aim to win a share of jobs coming from the growth in offshore wind, and to create jobs that will retain and grow our working age population in the Highlands.
If you want to learn more about the Green Freeport plans, and how it's creation future jobs opportunities, then this event is for you.
14:45 TOM HOUSTON - PRESENTS THE KOMOREBI ADVENTURES
SONGWRITER & POET TECH SUPPORT BY CATHERINE SARGEANT
*Komorebi is a Japanese word that means the play of sunlight through leaves.
Tom Houston brings a mix of stories and songs to the Verb Garden. ‘A bit of mischief in the shadows’.
Tom’s songs are regularly played on BBC Scotland and his spoken word is held in high regard by BBC6 Music’s Tom Robinson who loves the WTF moments. ‘Extraordinary’ (with expletive).
15:45 JENNIFER MORAG HENDERSON
Jennifer Morag Henderson is a writer from the Highlands. Her main interest is in history and biography, and at Belladrum she will be sharing her history poems and stories, including work from her new poetry collection “Jofrid Gunn”.
“Jofrid Gunn” tells the story of a woman who came from the Faroe Islands in the 16th century to marry into the Clan Gunn, in the north of Scotland. There are descriptions of the incredible natural places where Jofrid lived, the power of the sea, her encounters with the huldufólk or ‘hidden people’ of legend, and Jofrid’s part in the clan battles and blood feuds of the time.
Jennifer is the author of the acclaimed “Josephine Tey: A Life”, the biography of the Golden Age crime writer. Jennifer’s second book “Daughters of the North: Jean Gordon and Mary, Queen of Scots” was longlisted for the Highland Book Prize. She has spoken at book festivals and events across the country, from poetry slams to the British Library.
“Jofrid Gunn” is loaded with narrative, character, ideas, and empathy - reminiscent, at times, of the great George Mackay Brown. The poems are incantatory and elemental and lively and enthralling. They contain the uncontainable...” – Kevin MacNeil
16:45 SID OZALID - SPOKEN WORD & SUBLIME SILLINESS
Award Winning Sid Ozalid has sold out this years shows at The Glasgow International Festival, The Brighton Fringe & The Rik Mayall Comedy Festival and brings his mind bending poetry and magic to Belladrum on his way to The Edinburgh Fringe.
Sid started performing his poetry in 1978 supporting such bands as The Clash and The Specials and was a regular on TV and Radio during the last century.
He has performed in New York, London, Melbourne, Paris, Amsterdam, Singapore and Cairo but mostly in Aberdeen.
His 3rd book of poetry 'Mr Elastic Brain' spent 6 months in Amazons Top10, only being kept off the top spot by dead poets.
He is a regular on the Spoken Word, Comedy and Cabaret Circuit and enjoys being very silly. Engaging nonsense for everyone from the age of 8 to 80+.
17:45 UP CLOSE AND PERSONAL WITH…
A MYSTERY! Keep an eye out for updates, coming soon.
18:30 PAPER BONES - WITH JIM C. MACKINTOSH, ALI HUTTON AND GUS MUNRO - POETRY & MUSIC
It is easy to love the beautiful places where we might wish to live, and to ignore the other, less beautiful and unknown places that support our livelihoods.
We are not good at accepting.
We are not good at living.
We are not good at understanding.
Humanity’s arrogance is our unravelling.
We are:
Jim Mackintosh - spoken word
Ali Hutton - pipes and whistles
Gus Munro - vocals, blues guitar
We are:
PAPER BONES
19:45 VERSAYE! LORNA CALLERY-SITHOLE, WENDY MILLER, JULIE LAING & JAMES ROBERTS
Versaye! is an inclusive, dynamic, spoken word and music cabaret in Glasgow’s southside established in March 2023 promoting emerging talent alongside established writers, established by partners-in-rhyme Lorna Callery-Sithole and Wendy Miller. You can expect fierce words by fiery poets at Belladrum’s Verb Garden!
JAMES ROBERTS is Glasgow poet, originally from Bradford. He's been a regular performer in his adopted home in since 2019, and in recent years he has been on stage at The Wee Gaitherin and Lindisfarne Festival. His poems take a dive into grief, rebellion, migration, pandemic life and losing his door keys. His first collection, Fragments, was published by Speculative Books in 2023.
JULIE LAING is a Glasgow-based writer and artist. She won the William Bonar Poetry Prize 2023 and the Wigtown Poetry Prize 2022 and has been published in ’New Writing Scotland’, ‘Gutter’ magazine and elsewhere. She co-founded off-page visual poetry development programme with CD Boyland. Julie has performed at Stanza, Push the Boat Out and is an open mic regular. Her debut pamphlet, ‘the edge of rhizome’, is forthcoming in 2025 with Red Squirrel Press.
LORNA CALLERY-SITHOLE is an award-winning, working-class, multi-disciplinary poet, visual artist, storyteller, and Slam Champion from Pollok. Her poetry is about unsilence; themes include class, poverty, gang culture, racism, enslavement, loss, love, motherhood, disability, and mental health.
Collections; 'Pigeon with Warburtons' (Speculative Books, 2019), 'Colour Theory' (Hybrid Dreich, 2022), 'Facing Our Past: Shining the Light' (National Trust for Scotland, 2022), and ‘the girl with heaven in her hair’ (Art Riot Press, 2026). Storytelling shows include ‘Inheritance’ (the Village Storytelling Festival 2024) and ‘Slaver Nation’ (Scottish International Storytelling Festival 2025). She is co-founder of ‘Versaye!’ spoken word cabaret and Director of Art Riot Studio.
WENDY MILLER is an educator, playwright, poet, and co-founder of ‘Versaye!’ spoken word cabaret. She is a queer artist with a social and political voice. With a Masters in Playwriting (with distinction) from the University of Edinburgh, her plays ‘Losterity’ and ‘The Converts’ were performed at Leith Depot in April and September this year.
Collections: ‘In Love With My Accountant’ (New Voices Press, 2008) and ‘I Am Fire’ (self-published, available in Category Is, Govanhill). Her poetry has been published by Gutter and New Writing Scotland.
Currently teaching English and Communications at Glasgow Clyde College, Wendy previously taught creative writing in HMP Barlinnie. She also supported a three-year residency between the Citizens Theatre and HMP Barlinnie as creative facilitator.
21:00 THE GRIM COLLECTIVE: SPOKEN WORD & MUSIC
The Grim Collective is a collaboration from musician and composer Nik Paget-Tomlinson and writer; and poet Jack Hunter. A fusion of performance poetry and spoken word with live music. The Grim Collective's dark surrealist serrated work satirises the madcap world that we all sit, stand and crawl on. Come along and listen to this Grim duo rage about the issues of the day and the price of a pick n mix. Ridiculous...
22:00 EMMACLAIRE BRIGHTLYN & GORDON POWRIE - POETRY / SPOKEN WORD
Parental Advisory Explicit Lyrics:
Exploring the highs and lows of parenthood through spoken word.
Award winning Poets EmmaClaire Brightlyn and Gordon Powrie explore the highs and the lows of raising children and teenagers when you're also a performance poet and often wonder who let you have this amount of responsibility in the first place!
Originally from Canada, EmmaClaire Brightlyn has made Glasgow her home for the past 15 years. Having told stories in various forms for the greater part of 2 decades, she burst onto the Spoken Word scene in 2024, winning the Loud Poets Grand Slam and being shortlisted for the Scottish Book Trust New Writer (Spoken Word) Award. Her work often voices the churning experience of matrescence, and the joy and terror of living with a small girl shaped dragon.
From the town of Paisley, just beyond the border of Glasgow, Gordon Powrie was the 2024 Scottish National Slam Poetry Champion. He has represented Scotland in the European Championships, World Championships and World Cup of Slam Poetry. Comedic, dark and absurd; his work explores the challenges of attempting to be a positive male role model and pass on good advice. Gordon lives with his wife and two teenage children who think Poetry is "OK, I guess".
SATURDAY 2nd August
11:00 MAURA MCROBBIE - SMUGGLERS MIDNIGHT ESCAPE
Who were the smugglers living off the west coast of Scotland in the 1760s? Where were their secret caves and trails? What did they smuggle and why? How did they hide their loot? What happened if they were caught?
Follow in the footsteps of 14 year old Jamie Stuart as he tries to outwit King George’s officers who have captured his father and are holding him in and his mates in the dungeons below the Harbour Inn.
Highly Commended Scottish writer, Maura McRobbie, author of the much loved children’s book ‘Vikings and Skylarks on Cumbrae’ and of the young adult novel ‘Howth’, an Irish Roots memoir, will read excerpts from her latest novel: ‘Smugglers Midnight Escape’ set on the island of Cumbrae off the Ayrshire coast, where smuggling was rife in the 18th century.
Activities will include role play and colouring activities for younger children.
Age range 6 – 14 and kidults too. Saturday 10.45 – 11.30am. Verb Garden.
12:00 HIGHLAND MINDFULNESS GROUP, POETRY & MEDITATION WITH CATHERINE & PETER
Mindfulness and poetry are a transforming match! The themes of a poem reflect pieces of a picture towards possibility, freshness and potential. Join Catherine Lavelle and Peter Wilkes from Highland Mindfulness Group Charity at Bella for a session of poetry. Poetry can speak to a place within us before we intellectually understand the poem allowing the potential of unfolding and possibility.
Receiving or reading poetry can be like a salve or medicine, restoring ourselves to ourselves. The softening metaphor turning one thing into another can respond to our innate buddha nature which is far beyond the thinking mind.
13:00 SPATE: POETRY & MUSIC WITH CÁIT O’NEIL MCCULLAGH, ANDREA TURNER, KAREN HODGSON PRYCE & EMMA CHISHOLM WRIGHT
SPATE is Andrea Turner, Cáit O'Neill McCullagh and Karen Hodgson Pryce. These three acclaimed Highland poets have come together to spill, in poetry and song, lines that spring from the torrents and flows of living between land and water; music and words; loss and healing, and from being set adrift to finding belonging; home to home.
Cáit, Karen and Andrea will be sharing material from their award-winning works and fresh compositions. They will be joined by famed Highland harpist, Emma Chisholm Wright in a performance that blends celebrations of their local land and waterscapes in Moray, Easter Ross and Badenoch - the riverbanks, loch sides, firth shores, burns, bogs, braes and bens that surround their lives and livings; in times of drought and in full flow - with reflections from those lives: both personal and world-facing, and traditional and contemporary tunes from Emma’s clarsach, eddying between their words.
We welcome you to step-in, join us for an hour at swim together; sometimes with tears, with laughter, and always in the beauty of glisked, glimmering spate.
14.15 STUART MURDOCH OF BELLE & SEBASTIAN - IN DISCUSSION
Join Stuart Murdoch from Scottish indie pop band, Belle and Sebastian for a very special intimate, up close and personal reading from his novel, and maybe even a few songs!
15:30 UP CLOSE & PERSONAL WITH TIDE LINES
Come along to the Verb Garden for an intimate Q+A session with Tide Lines – expect stories from the band and an informal Q+A session. Not to be missed!
16:15 SID OZALID - SPOKEN WORD & SUBLIME SILLINESS
Award Winning Sid Ozalid has sold out this years shows at The Glasgow International Festival, The Brighton Fringe & The Rik Mayall Comedy Festival and brings his mind bending poetry and magic to Belladrum on his way to The Edinburgh Fringe.
Sid started performing his poetry in 1978 supporting such bands as The Clash and The Specials and was a regular on TV and Radio during the last century.
He has performed in New York, London, Melbourne, Paris, Amsterdam, Singapore and Cairo but mostly in Aberdeen. His 3rd book of poetry 'Mr Elastic Brain' spent 6 months in Amazons Top10, only being kept off the top spot by dead poets.
He is a regular on the Spoken Word, Comedy and Cabaret Circuit and enjoys being very silly. Engaging nonsense for everyone from the age of 8 to 80+.
17:15 SCOTTISH WOMEN’S FOOTBALL: THE MODERN ERA
Scottish Women’s Football CEO Aileen Campbell will be joined by players past and present and others to talk about the rise of the modern game since the ban on women playing was lifted in Scotland, recent developments which has led to a rapid rise in players and what it is like for those who play in the ScottishPower Highlands & Islands League in 2025.
Hear how the first TV deal came about, the first commercial sponsors got involved, as well new challenges, new opportunities and more women than ever enjoying the beautiful game.
18:30 JENNY FOULDS - SPOKEN WORD
Jenny Foulds (she/her) is a London based performance poet, writer and theatre maker from Scotland. She is the host and curator of Spoken Word night Rebel Soapbox and has featured at poetry events across the UK including Hammer & Tongue, Loud Poets, Tongue Fu, Stanza Poetry festival and Glastonbury 2025. She is also a former Scottish Slam Champion and World Slam Championship finalist.
Jenny was a series regular in Two Thousand Acres of Sky (BBC) and appeared in various TV and film roles including Rebus, Mandancin’, Taggart and The Debt Collector. She will be performing an abridged version of her debut show Life Learnings of a Nonsensical Human which she is touring in 2025/26.
19:30 GUS MUNRO - BLUES, GUITAR & BURNS POETRY
Singer-songwriter Gus Munro from Glasgow is one of the most exciting live solo acts in Scotland’s thriving music scene. With over 2000 live shows under his belt, across the UK and mainland Europe. The singer-songwriter effortlessly combines a variety of musical genres, underpinned by his imaginative lyrics. Combining his love of Scottish traditional music and his passion for the blues, creating a genre described as Scottish-Folk-Blues.
Join him at The Verb Tent and experience his show dedicated to the Bard, “Robert Burns”, as he propels Burns into the 21st Century. This is a unique opportunity to experience the work of Robert Burns like you have never heard before. A selection of the Bard’s work has been set to new and original music, composed and arranged by Gus Munro. This unique interpretation, incorporates a variety of genres which are effortlessly utilised, tastefully framing the emotion of Burns lyrics in a beautiful melodic picture.
The songs are brought to life, tapping into the deep rooted Blues, Gospel and Folk, whilst embracing the rhythmical roots of Scottish traditional music. Gus’s energetic, spontaneous and emotional interpretations, captures a unique sound, that will compel you to reach for your Robert Burns book, definitely not to be missed.
20:30 THE SATURDAY SLAM
The Saturday Slam: Hosted by Lorna Callery Sithole and Wendy Miller with: Shaun Moore Gordon Powrie Tim Williams Pete Davidson Martin Hardie Bryony Robson Dawn Star Oliver Pissed Lynsey Gilmour Angie Strachan Sam Steele Myra Ross Daniel Cullen Jack Hunter Emma Claire Brightlyn Claire Bryden Lauren Dick.
The Saturday Slam! One stage. One microphone. A posse of competing performance poets. Join hosts Lorna and Wendy from Versaye! for the Verb Garden’s annual slamfest, with each poet having their chance over two opening rounds to reach the final round and ultimately claim the prize of Bella Slam winner 25.
Previous poetry slams at the Verb Garden have seen high quality performances with poetry ranging from the absurd to the profound, comedic to polemic, reflective or surreal, all with subtle or sledgehammer delivery.
Expect the unexpected. Expect variety. The winner qualifies for the grand Scottish Slam Poetry final in early 2026 with the chance to go on from there to perform at Euro and World Slam finals.
Previous Bella slams have produced no less than three Scottish Slam Poetry champions and one World Slam Poetry winner at the Coupe du Monde de Poesie in Paris.
23.15 ROSS ANDERSON
Ross Anderson is 24 year old singer songwriter from Glasgow. Spotted by Canadian megastar Shawn Mendes while busking.
Anderson has already made a name for himself. Ross was a street performer who busked across the UK for 7 years during this time he has grown his social following across Instagram and Tiktok, now he is relishing the transition for busking to recording and is set to release music this year! Join Ross for an intimate session in the Verb Garden to round off your Saturday evening.