25 August 2025 | West Sussex, UK [Vanesa Pizzuto]
Big Church Festival (BCF) is not only the largest annual music and worship gathering for Christians in the UK, but also a stage where established and emerging spoken word artists can shine. This year, as a crowd of 35,000 gathered on the Wiston Estate in West Sussex (22–25 August), the Spoken Word stage was packed. Campers and day visitors listened to Manchester rapper and wordsmith Ben Haydn, author and poet Jude Simpson, and Spoken2Life, among many others.
Words That Heal: Ben Haydn’s Journey of Faith
After performing a powerful poem about his faith and testimony, Ben Haydn reflected on his journey.
“It’s been a rocky ride. My journey of faith started when I was 18. I’d been through a lot: an eating disorder, a spell in hospital where I nearly lost my life, bullying at school, and my parents’ divorce. A whole bunch of pain and rejection. But when I met Christ, He took that rejection and gave me a new purpose. That’s why wherever I go, I tell people there is purpose, hope, and peace, no matter where they come from.”
When asked why he chose words — both in spoken word and rap — as his vehicle for hope, Haydn smiled. “I’ve always loved words, even before I was a Christian. They’ve always been how I express myself most powerfully. I love writing and journaling, forming lines and poetry. I fell in love with the art and the craft of it.”
The Poetry of Everyday Life: Jude Simpson
Jude Simpson’s performance was nothing short of enchanting. With her unique blend of humour and depth, her rhymes and tongue-twisters were utterly disarming. In her poem Parent, featured in her illustrated book Shambolic Mammal, she captured the highs and lows of raising children. She spoke of being “a suncream applier, a school shoe buyer, a ‘when did you get that big?!’ crier.”
The audience laughed knowingly, then leaned in closer as she concluded that all of it was worth it because, occasionally, she had also been: “Waved to, run to, searched for, sung to, wished for, kissed, missed, and clung to.”
“It took me a long time to find the right outlet for my words,” Simpson admitted after the show, reflecting on her journey as a poet and performer. “I didn’t start spoken word until my late twenties. I left a career as a civil servant because something in me longed to be creative. I went part-time at work and saved money so I could afford the shift. When I began writing funny poems, people responded. That’s when I started going to poetry society events and slowly learnt my craft.”
For those doubting their talent or time, Simpson offered simple advice, “Think of someone you’d like to say something to, maybe a compliment, or something encouraging you’ve noticed about them, something they do well. That’s a powerful place to start.”
From Atheist to Believer: Spoken2Life’s Testimony
“I gave my life to Christ at the start of 2018. My best friend led me to Jesus. I was an atheist — I thought faith was nonsense, to be honest. But when my mate became a Christian at university, I noticed a huge difference in him,” recalls Spoken2Life.
At first, Spoken2Life wanted nothing to do with God or the Bible. Yet his friend’s persistence, and his stories of encountering God’s presence, sparked curiosity. “I had never heard anyone talk like that. It was so alien to me. That’s what moved me from, ‘I don’t want to hear anything,’ to actually asking questions.”
One night, after sharing his experiences, Spoken2Life’s friend issued a challenge: “If you want to see it, pray. Just say, ‘God, if you are real, show me.’”
“I had no church background, so it felt strange to pray. But I thought, if God is real, there’s nothing bigger than that. So, I prayed, and very quickly I saw that God was real. It was a crazy couple of months, in a good way. I went from staunch atheist to believer.”
Still, Spoken2Life hesitated to commit. “I didn’t give my life to Christ right away because I loved the rave and club lifestyle. I wasn’t ready to give that up. But after a year, I realised there was nothing there left for me, just emptiness. Finally, I surrendered to Christ.”
About a year later, Spoken2Life felt a divine nudge to start writing. “I was in my final year at university, and I saw young people going to clubs and getting drunk. I thought, ‘These people are just like me. They don’t know anything about Jesus. I need to tell them my story.’ That’s when I began writing spoken word.”
Carrying the Weight of Empathy: Larissa Matson
After performing her moving poem Shoulders — a piece exploring the importance of not numbing emotions in order to truly access empathy — British poet Larissa Matson reflected on her journey back to the stage.
“I’ve been writing poetry since I was about 11 or 12,” she explained. “But after a moment of severe stage fright, I stopped. I only really started again last year.”
Asked how she overcame performance anxiety, Matson pointed to the support of her community. “Lots of friends encouraged me. I also began sharing poetry without performing it — like creating videos for church. That helped build my confidence, just knowing people valued what I wrote. But in the end, I think you just have to dive in. There’s no perfect way to make it easier. I’d sign up for things that forced me to perform.”
Her poem touches on the cost, and gift, of empathy. “I had a friend who suffered with a chronic illness, and at one point she said she had to give up the right to understand why it was happening to her. So often, when we’re struggling, we want answers. But I thought, what if the only reason I’m going through this is so I can help someone else later, to really know what it feels like?
“It’s hard to say those lines in the poem,” she admitted. “But if it helps me share Him in a way others don’t know, then it’s worth it.”
The Power of Spoken Word
Whether rapped, whispered, or woven with humour, words carried weight at BCF 2025. Poets reminded listeners that, when spoken with courage and love, words have the power to heal. They can sprout through the toughest soil, bringing new life.
“So the Word became human and made his home among us. He was full of unfailing love and faithfulness. And we have seen his glory, the glory of the Father’s one and only Son.” — John 1:14 (NLT)
[Photos: Vanesa Pizzuto, featured image: Larissa Matson performing at Big Church Festival 2025].
