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MILTON KEYNES MIDSUMMER FESTIVAL 2026
House of Stories
Sunday 21 June 2026, 10am – 8pm
Midsummer Boulevard, Milton Keynes
Entry: Free, no booking required.
“Why, this is very midsummer madness.”
― William Shakespeare
MK Lit Fest is bringing Midsummer Mischief to the Festival. It will be a day of family storytelling, readings and open mic sessions, plus appearances from special guests including John Grindrod, Terrie Howey-Moore and Steph Lay, exploring folklore, history, identity and the supernatural.
Behind the Pavilion you’ll find our drop-in Story Space, with bookmaking, writing and drawing activities to spark your imagination, and books to read and share.
Throughout the day, Nightshift will be on hand to create a zine to celebrate the performances, tales and creations at the House of Stories.
Original artwork featured on the Pavilion created by Jane Charles and Faith Ayilara.
Join us for some Midsummer Mischief!
House of Stories programme
10.15am
10.30am
11.30am
12 noon
1.15pm
2.00pm
2.45pm
3.30pm
4.15pm
5.15pm
6.15pm
The Reeve’s Summons – CANOPY with Lorna Rees
The Five Fae on the Longest Day – Puppet Show with Alice Boland-Rhodes
Midsummer Tales with Terrie Howey-Moore
Hagstone Workshop with Gemma Hudson-Findley
Ancient and Modern Enigmas - in conversation with John Grindrod
Hagstone Workshop with Gemma Hudson-Findley
The Five Fae on the Longest Day – Puppet Show with Alice Boland-Rhodes
Midsummer Tales with Terrie Howey Moore
Midsummer Mischief: Open Mic
City of Secrets with Steph Lay
The Five Fae on the Longest Day – Puppet Show with Alice Boland-Rhodes
About the events
The Reeve’s Summons – CANOPY with Lorna Rees
Calling the people of MK to the Midsummer Festival! Lorna Rees brings the enchanting sound world of CANOPY: 24 suspended sonic pods filled with music, stories and ideas celebrating the connection between humans and trees.
The Five Fae on the Longest Day with Alice Boland-Rhodes
A charming marionette puppet show for children and families, where five woodland fae must save their Midsummer celebration – whimsical storytelling for all ages.
Midsummer Tales with Terrie Howey-Moore
Enjoy captivating tales for all the family from spellbinding storyteller Terrie Howey-Moore – AKA Red Phoenix.
Hagstone Workshop with Gemma Hudson-Findley
Learn the magic and mythic history of hagstones while creating one of your own to take away. These holed stones, rich in pagan folklore, were used across the centuries as protective charms against witches, bad luck and ne’er-do-wells – and as part of Midsummer tradition.
Ancient and Modern Enigmas in conversation with John Grindrod
While we’re used to thinking about Milton Keynes as a New City, we actually live in a place that blends the new and the modern with the old and, in some cases, downright ancient. Roman feet once trod Watling Street, heading to or from Bancroft Villa; Howe Park Wood stood before the Domesday Book, and monks and peasants trod the paths of Woughton and Bradwell. Our city’s stories aren’t just press releases announcing new restaurants, shops or cafes; there are legends of ghosts and spirits, and mythical tales about ley lines and mystical enchantments. Join social historian John Grindrod and local writer and researcher Steph Lay as they explore the stories, myths and legends of MK, ancient and new, with event MC Dave Wakely.
Midsummer Mischief: Open Mic
Join MK’s best poets and writers for a host of witty, dark and exhilarating tales of Midsummer Mischief. There will be a few performance slots available on the day – sign up on the day or email mklitfest@gmail.com.
City of Secrets with Steph Lay
Explore the hidden histories, folklore and uncanny possibilities of the new city of Milton Keynes as Steph Lay shares the local stories of the unexplained she has gathered. Discover what mysteries might lie beneath MK’s familiar surfaces...
Speakers and Performers at the House of Stories
John Grindrod
John Grindrod is a social historian of modern places. He's the author of the books Concretopia, Outskirts and Iconicon, a loose trilogy on the places we have built since 1945. His latest book, Tales of the Suburbs: LGBTQ+ Life Behind Net Curtains, is out now. He is also the host of the podcast Monstrosities Mon Amour, where guests share their love of places and things other people seem to hate.
Terrie Howey-Moore
Terrie Howey-Moore is also known as storyteller Red Phoenix (she was given that nickname as a heritage storyteller in Edinburgh). Terrie began her professional storytelling journey in 2003 and founded Red Phoenix in 2007. Awarded a Winston Churchill Fellowship in 2012 for cross-cultural mentoring of emerging storytellers across Canada and America, and earning a PhD in Storytelling in 2021, she combines academic expertise with creative practice. Terrie specialises in traditional oral storytelling told from memory. For her, storytelling is a shared art between teller and listener: the teller crafts the tale, guiding the listener through the story's landscape where the listener's own lived experience shapes their interpretation of the narrative; making each performance a unique interactive adventure and alive in its telling.
Steph Lay
Dr Steph Lay is a writer, researcher and storyteller based in Milton Keynes. Her project City of Secrets explores the hidden histories, folklore and uncanny possibilities of the new city, gathering local stories of the unexplained and asking what might lie beneath its familiar surfaces. Behind the scenes, she also works with Peter Laws on the YouTube channel Into The Fog, helping to curate true paranormal experiences sent in by viewers and creating atmospheric artwork to bring those stories to life. Together, her work is rooted in a fascination with place, memory, mystery and the stories that make the everyday feel suddenly strange.
Gemma Hudson-Findley
Gemma Hudson-Findley is the ceramic artist behind Haus of Banshee, a pottery brand inspired by fantasy, myth and the natural world. Through hand-built and wheel-thrown ceramics, she creates functional and decorative pieces inspired by folk forms, fantasy and the natural world.
Based in Milton Keynes, her work draws on folk styles, decorative motifs and a love of nature, creating pieces that don't take themselves too seriously so feel both fun and slightly otherworldly. Inspired by the folklore of the banshee, she often imagines the objects that might be found inside a banshee's cottage and uses that vision as a starting point for new designs. Alongside her studio practice, she teaches pottery workshops, sharing her passion for clay with beginners and experienced makers alike.
For this event, she will be guiding participants in making clay hag stones, drawing inspiration from the folklore surrounding these naturally occurring stones and their association with protection, luck and seeing beyond the ordinary.
Lorna Rees
Lorna Rees is a multidisciplinary Live Artist who makes innovative work for the outdoors. She tours nationally and internationally with performance and sound inspired by earth science, landscape, the environment and folk. Major works include: CLOUDSCAPES, EAR TRUMPET, GEOPHONIC and CANOPY but occasionally she performs as The Blossom Queen, a convener of the Disco Maypole and The High Priestess of Pop. Lorna is Associate Artist for Inside Out Dorset Festival and Co-Chair of Outdoor Arts UK.
Alice Boland-Rhodes
Alice Boland-Rhodes has worked as a community artist in Milton Keynes for over 15 years. As well as her own personal artist practice, Alice often runs art workshops for galleries, art centres and community spaces.
Alice's artistic practice is rooted in clowning and play; she is a skilled puppet maker and street performer. This year she has two pieces of work at The Midsummer Festival, a family marionette puppet show and the amazing giant moon hares.
Artists featured at the House of Stories
Specially commissioned artwork has been created for the House of Stories pavilion at the Midsummer Festival by local artists and Arts Central studio holders Jane Charles and Faith Ayilara.
Faith's artwork can be seen either side of the stage, while Jane's textile piece, One sun, many cultures June 2026 can be found by the reading area on the other side of the pavilion.
About the Artists
Jane Charles
Textile and Community Artist
Jane has been making large textiles for over 15 years, often working with schools and community groups. She has a fountain of knowledge and experience in making layers of techniques to create interesting textures and detail.
One sun, many cultures June 2026, is inspired by a much smaller piece of work Jane created in 2025. Using red onion skins to dye fine linen, creating patterns with soy milk, iron water and Indian ink. Enhanced with hand embroidery and gold foil coin wrappers. It will glisten in the sunlight and billow in the breeze, creating a magical celebration of the Summer Solstice for everyone.
“We have only one sun, but many cultures and over time have represented it in so many ways. These illustrations represent the many cultures of the world and the journey it takes each and every day”
Faith Ayilara
Faith is a Milton Keynes-based artist, and a member of Arts Central Studios' community of artists.
More about Midsummer Festival: