Please note: this event has sold out.

An evening of poetry, art and film exploring our relationship with water and rivers on World Rivers Day

The venue is in Pembroke College's new auditorium at 74 Trumpington Street, the former Emanuel United Reformed Church.

Please arrive 5:30 pm to relax with a drink from the bar before the programme starts at 6 pm. The audience is advised to eat before you arrive, as there will not be food available at the venue. There will be an interval for comfort break and refreshments, and to enjoy the art installation in the foyer.

Highlights:

• Poetry from the Elemental project, Ted Hughes and others
• 'Chalk Dreams' banners from Cambridge Curiosity & Imagination
• Short films commissioned by the festival and made in Summer 2025
• Clare Crossman 'Waterlight' Award
• Premiere screening of 'Flow of Life', and a talk and Q&A with the creator Mark Barrow

Read 'How Water Began to Play' by Ted Hughes

The Rivers of Film (ROF) Micro-Commissions

A collection of films commissioned by the festival and made over the Summer of 2025. Explore water and grief in drama, journey along the River Dart, and discover flow states and memory with the River Granta. 

The Clare Crossman 'Waterlight' Award

Clare Crossman (1954-2021) was a poet and writing tutor who forged a deep connection to the River Mel. 'Waterlight' (2019) has inspired considerable creative engagement and activism with local chalk streams, and we wish to take this opportunity to commemorate Clare’s work and create an award in her memory, with gratitude.

A panel of river writers and creatives have been asked to choose one of the micro-commissions that embodies Clare's approach to life.

First screening of 'Flow Of Life'

Mark Barrow (Beneath British Waters) is a Yorkshire-based underwater cameraman and campaigner who documents life in the UK’s rivers for the past 35 years. He will discuss his work and showcase his latest film "Flow of Life" (28m), which is both visually stunning and profoundly moving.