Once again Sydenham is gearing up for a week and a bit of entertainment all over town, with Sydenham Arts’ Summer Festival and Arts Trail just around the corner.

The festival from July 1 to 10 will see scores of events – including poetry, music, comedy and film – at 14 venues plus even more going on in the arts trail.

Former Poet Laureate Sir Andrew Motion has backed the festival’s focus on poetry and its ambition to make Sydenham a ‘poetry town’.

He said: “Sydenham Arts Festival is exemplary: packed with high-quality speakers from elsewhere, but also fully alive to and supportive of things growing close to home. It means that imaginable adventures can combine with imaginative confirmations - just as they should. Long may it flourish.”

Here’s a baker’s dozen things to keep an eye out for at the festival…

Poem for Sydenham at Queensthorpe Square from 2pm on July 2.

The whole community was invited to help put together Sydenham’s first community poem and it gets its first reading by some of its contributors and local poets. Free.

An Evening with Kei Miller and Mona Arshi at Sydenham School from 8pm to 10pm on July 1. Listen to the work of the two award-winning wordsmiths. Tickets cost £10 or £8.

Poetry Storytime at Kirkdale Bookshop from 10.30am to 11am on July 2 and 10.30am to noon and 2.30pm to 4pm on July 9

Perfect for little ones, the book store’s regular storytelling morning gets a poetry makeover with some of the shop’s favourite children’s poems. Free.

Stand Up Tempest at Devonshire Nature Reserve from 7pm on July 8

Shakespeare’s The Tempest gets a comic one-man performance in the nature reserve that weaves Shakespeare’s language into a modern retelling. Tickets cost £4. Find out more at gowildtheatre.com

News Shopper:

Comedy Cabaret at Sydenham Hub from 8.30pm to 10pm on July 2

Host Jody Kamali (pictured above) is the shambolic circus entertainer Fernando and introduces performers including the Mayor of Kentish Town (Steve Furst). Tickets cost £5 in advance and £6.50 on the door.

The Great War Classroom at Sydenham Hub at 2pm and 4pm on July 3

A chance to find out what it would have been like to have been at school in 1916. Take part in a typical lesson from 100 years ago. Suitable for ages eight and up. Tickets cost £6 or £4 concessions. Go to sydenhamarts.co.uk/greatwarclassroom

Film Lovers’ Summertime Jazz Picnic at Mayow Park Bowling Green from 7.30pm on July 3

Grab a picnic blanket dor an evening of music and a screening of Billy Wilder’s classic Some Like It Hot. Free.

Special Kids Film Screening at TNG from 3.30pm on July 8

An after-school treat for youngsters with a family-friendly screening of a classic kids’ film, the identity of which remains a secret. Free but booking recommended. Call 020 8659 791 or e-mail bookings@sydenhamarts.co.uk

Foxtots Bops at Mayow Park Bowling Green from 2pm to 2.45pm and 4pm to 4.45pm on July 3

A full live band will bring original music and pop-up stalls and a café will bring music for children from babies upwards. Tickets cost £10 including one adult and one child. Additional children cost £2 and additional adults, £8. Free for under ones.

Festival in the Forest at Devonshire Road Nature Reserve from 1pm to 10.30pm on July 2

The Friends of Devonshire Road Nature Reserve’s festival brings jazz, folk, country rock, indie and blues to two stages. Tickets cost £9, £5 for under 17s and free for under threes.

Romeo Stodart and Ren Harvieu at St Bartholomew’s Church from 7.30pm on July 9

The Magic Numbers’ Romeo will be joined by a special guest, his sister and Magic Numbers bandmate Michele Stodart. Salford singer Ren will bring the best of her back catalogue too. Tickets cost £12 or £8 concessions.

Big Band Swing at St Bartholomew’s Church from 7.30pm to 9.30pm on July 10.

The South London Jazz Orchestra brings the festival to a triumphant close with an evening of big band tunes. Tickets cost £10 or £8 concessions.

Artists trail

Head off around Sydenham and Forest Hill on a trail of open houses, workshops and exhibitions taking place throughout the festival period with scores or artists taking part. Go to sydenhamarts.co.uk to find out more.

News Shopper: