Broadcast Partner
Far more happens at the festival than just the music played on the main stages!
All workshops, unless otherwise stated, are suitable for all abilities and are also fun to watch! Please bring along the relevant instrument or equipment if you have it with you and please arrive about 10 minutes before the advertised start time. The Hub workshops are for children or younger people only.
Guitar Stylings: Unique Fingerstyle Guitar & Wonderful Bad Habits
Friday 10am - 11:30am | Stage 3
Australian singer-songwriter and guitar picker, Nigel Wearne will present a workshop on his unique, self-taught guitar style. The workshop will cover a range of topics including regular Travis-style thumb-picking, flatpicking, slide and a plethora of tunings as well as a couple songs thrown in. A particular focus will be to accompany oneself solo; something Nigel has specialised in for over a decade. Be ready for useful titbits, the odd bad habit he’s picked up along the way and an offering of insights from one guitarist to another.
Fiddlin' Around with Mikey Kenney
Saturday 10am - 11:30am | Stage 3
A passionate and well-respected advocate for traditional music and brilliant Liverpool-style fiddler, Mikey Kenney draws primarily on his native North West English and Irish heritage, but brings a modern-day perspective to time-honored tunes.
No Time For Genre
Sunday 10am - 11:30am | Stage 3
#1 Billboard bluegrass-charting hip-hop band Gangstagrass has been defying stereotypes and bringing people together by blending seemingly opposed genres for more than a decade. Gangstagrass explains the ugly history of how the categories of "country" and "rap" came to be embedded in recorded music -- and offers hope that we can heal from these artificial divisions.
WILLOW WORKSHOPS
Daily | Cherry Hinton & Coldham's Common
Michelle Cain is the artist who weaves the wonderful statues in the main arena. She’ll be running workshops at Cherry Hinton that will introduce you to working with willow. Meanwhile, at Coldham’s Common, Thomas Hare will be creating a sculpture, to which everyone is invited to contribute.
PEARL IN THE EGG
Friday and Saturday 1- 2pm | Cherry Hinton Duck Pond
Pearl in the Egg are a historical re enactment duo. They play Medieval and Tudor in full costume on copies of historical instruments, including, harp, psaltery, recorders, shawms, crumhorn, bagpipes and bells. In the past they have played at festivals all over the country, for BBC radio and at Hampton Court Palace and the Tower of London.
DRAWING WORKSHOPS
Daily | Cherry Hinton Duck Pond
John Holder, veteran illustrator, musician and friend of the Festival, and Jim Butler, leader of the illustration course at Cambridge School of Art, will be running informal sessions where everyone is welcome to benefit from their lifetime’s experience of art teaching. Participants should bring their own materials.
HOBGOBLIN MUSIC WORKSHOP
Friday | Children's Area
Hobgoblin have presented “a come and try” workshop over the recent years and it has been one of our most popular workshops. It’s a great opportunity to try something you’ve always wanted. One of the Hobgoblin team will lead you through the basics, give you some much appreciated “top tips” and assist if you decide to take one home! This year it’s a Whistle Workshop.
NORTHUMBRIAN PIPES WORKSHOPS
Saturday 10:00 - 11:30 | Stage 2
Sunday 11:45 - 13:30 | The Flower Garden
The Northumbrian small pipes are one of the country’s most beautiful and sophisticated folk instruments. These workshops give everyone the chance to hear what they can do, to meet makers and get started with the pipes.
T'AI CHI & HEALING AREA
Friday, Saturday & Sunday | Cherry Hinton & Coldham's Common
All things therapeutic are on offer near the duck pond at Cherry Hinton and on Coldham’s Common, thanks to Mike Tabrett, Alison Warlow and their team. They will be providing T’ai Chi, positive thinking, yoga and DIY head and shoulder massage.
SONGLINES INTERVIEW
Friday | Stage 3
We’re thrilled to announce that this years Songlines interview will be with……Le Vent du Nord!!! Firm Festival favourites with a huge breadth of work and experience in the music industry, this will be a fascinating chat lead by the brilliant Kevin Bourke. Not to be missed.
KNITTING WORKSHOP
Thursday | Stage 3
Carole Emery-Scott returns with the ever-popular workshop, where everyone will be collaborating to make a giant wall hanging. Theme this year is ‘What do you think of when you think of knitting?’ Most people would think of knitting needles and wool, however the challenge is to see what you can use in place of knitting needles and wool to do some knitting with. Any items used, have to be recycled and not bought specially for the event. Making a useful item would be a bonus. There you have it, let the creative juices flow and see where it takes you.
UNCENSORED TALES
Friday - Sunday | FLOWER GARDEN
As the witching hour approaches, gather round the flickering candlelight for a storytelling and group singalong session of freaky, filthy and downright surreal folk tales, including secret guest performances. Prepare to forget everything that Disney taught you: this one is for the grown ups. From a child-eating giantess to the Fenland’s “Black Shuck”, join Uncensored Tales and explore the dark, uncensored side of all things folk. B.Y.O.S (Bring Your Own Story or Song) or read one of ours – and don’t forget to bring your torch - you never know what is lurking in the dark…
BEER MAKING TALK
Friday | Main Bar
Come down to the main bar at 11:30am on Friday to hear from Otter Brewery’s Patrick McCaig. Otter are long term supporters of the Festival and Patrick will talk about the ins and outs of the brewing process.
WONDERFUL WORLD OF WATER
Friday | Flower Garden
Join Emily Eden from Cambridge Water as she takes you through an informative and interactive talk about all things water and climate change followed by a Q&A.
