INTERACTIVE POETRY TRAIL BRINGS LOCAL VOICES TO LIFE ACROSS WEYMOUTH AND PORTLAND – 30 poems are installed in locations which inspired them, are part of Towns of Culture 2025 Programme of events.

The towns of Weymouth and Portland have been transformed into an immersive literary experience, the trail, featuring carefully selected poems all written by people living in or with a connection to the two towns. What makes this trail special is how poems have been situated in locations that connect to their content – a poem about Weymouth’s famous ice cream parlour, Rossi’s, is located at Rossi’s itself.( Rossi’s is now closed for the summer however there is still a sticker at their doorway and another sign with the poem QR code on the foreshore rail directly in front of Rossi’s

The poetry trail celebrates voices from across the community, featuring works from those with ties to the towns spanning generations – people who were born and bred here, left and returned, and newcomers who have quickly absorbed the fabric of the towns. The

Each poetry location features a QR code that visitors can scan with their smartphone to access a dedicated webpage where they can read the poem and, in most cases, listen to a recording of the poet reading their work.

“I’m so excited about our trail,” said project lead Naomi Wilcox-Lee. “We’re really pleased to bring people’s voices into the spaces that inspire them. It’s really great fun hunting down all the poems, and we have such a wonderful array of fantastic poems for people to discover.”

Volunteer Jess Worner, who helped create the trail and features a poem on it, added: “It’s been such a privilege to be involved in the poetry trail. Getting to read and hear so many beautiful diverse local voices has been a joy. A real celebration of our towns and the diverse communities that make Weymouth and Portland special.”

Trail visitor Andrew Varndell, who recently completed the full Weymouth route, said: “What a wonderful way to pass one’s time. The poems are beautifully written; the locations are stunning, and the trail has clearly been created with talent, style and love. Delightful!”

Trail-hunters can access a map showing all 30 poem locations on The Jawbone Collective Website. Try and find them all… poem seekers are encouraged to be on the lookout for the OmniVerse signs for each of the poems. Many poems are located along the Weymouth promenade as well as other prominent locations throughout both towns.

The poetry trail will remain in place until the end of October 2025. For more information, visit www.jawbonecollective.org.uk