Chippenham Folk Festival | Timetable: Workshops

23 - 26 May 2025

23 - 26
May
2025

Timetable: Workshops

Workshops for 2023

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Workshops on Saturday 27th May 2023
When	What	Where	Description	Price
09:30 to 10:30	Workshop with Seven Champions	The Constitutional Club	Come to our workshop where we will be teaching 7 Champs dances & style with a focus on performance. No experience needed, wear comfy shoes and clothes With: Seven Champions (Molly), Seven Sisters (Molly)	Donation
10:00 to 11:00	Songshop: The Art of Unaccompanied Singing	The Cause: The Cause Cafe	Learn the art and secrets of unaccompanied singing with Moira Craig. With: Moira Craig (solo)	Weekend or Day tickets Only
10:00 to 11:00	Squeezebox from Scratch	Yelde Hall	How to play the D/G melodeon for the absolute beginner. No instrument? We have some to borrow! Non- music reader? You don't need to! With: Squeezebox from Scratch (Melodeon workshops)	Weekend or Day tickets Only
10:00 to 11:00	Workshop with Folk Friendzy	Masonic Centre	Border Morris(All ages) with Folk Friendzy - if you have your own sticks then please bring these along we will only have a limited supply. With: Folk Friendzy (Clog, Morris (northwest/border), Rapper, Irish)	Donation
10:00 to 11:00	Workshop with Mary Rose and Royal George	The Halsway Stage @ St Andrews Church	Join Mary Rose and Royal George and learn some some of their dances, wear comfy clothes and shoes to dance in. With: Mary Rose And Royal George (Non traditional style)	Donation
10:00 to 13:00	Corndolly crafts	Island Park: Make and Do tent	Come have a go at the traditional craft of corn dolly making. This session is ideal for over 8-year-olds. It can be tricky for tiny fingers. With: Barbara Guthrie (Workshop lead)	Donation
10:30 to 11:30	Mass Maypole	St Paul's Church	Seen family events having fun with Maypole, it's the adult's turn with two Maypoles and Let us Dance poised to coordinate us in the art of Maypole. With: Let Us Dance! (Children's festival Artist and Workshop Lead)	Donation
11:30 to 12:30	Workshop With Hammersmith	The Halsway Stage @ St Andrews Church	Join world famous Hammersmith and learn The Longborough tradition in the style of Hammersmith, wear comfy clothes and shoes to dance in. With: Hammersmith (Cotswold)	Donation
11:30 to 12:30	Workshop with Tower Ravens	Masonic Centre	Join Tower Ravens and learn some some of their dance moves, wear comfy clothes and shoes to dance in. If you have any swords please bring them. With: Tower Ravens (Rapper)	Donation
12:00 to 13:00	Ocarina Workshop	Old Road Tavern Barn	An introduction to the Italian Transverse Ocarina. With up to 5 of his ocarinas available to lend. With: Robert Hickman (Musician and workshop lead)	Donation
12:00 to 13:00	Playing melodeon for Morris	St Paul's Church	Ray will be guiding you through playing melodeon for Morris dancers. With: Ray Cunningham	Donation
12:45 to 13:45	Bodhran Workshop	Yelde Hall	A workshop with Fiona Melford on the rhythmic art of playing the Bodhran. With some to lend, but bring your own. With: Fiona Melford (workshop leader)	Donation
13:00 to 14:00	Workshop with Martha Rhoden's Tuppeny Dish	The Halsway Stage @ St Andrews Church	Join Martha Rhoden's Tuppenny Dish and learn some some of their dance moves, wear comfy clothes and shoes to dance in. With: Martha Rhoden's Tuppenny Dish (Border), Shropshire Bedlams (Border)	Donation
14:30 to 15:45	Bones Workshop	Old Road Tavern Barn	A workshop with Louisa Davies on the rhythmic art of playing the bones, with plenty to lend. Beginners welcome. With: Louisa Davies (Bones Workshop)	Donation
15:15 to 17:15	Knitting Critters with the Natty Knitters	Island Park: Make and Do tent	Join the knitters behind the fantastic knitted creations around the tow. Make your own knitted critter. Beginners or experienced. Any age welcome. With: Knatty Knitters (Workshop Lead)	Donation
17:30 to 18:30	These are interesting times	Town Hall	We will be playing a variety of tunes that have unusual or varying time signatures. Music downloadable from Website With: Rod Stradling	Weekend or Day tickets Only

Workshops on Sunday 28th May 2023
When	What	Where	Description	Price
09:30 to 10:30	Meet the Team - Mary Rose and Royal George	The Constitutional Club	Meet Mary Rose and Royal George. With: Mary Rose And Royal George (Non traditional style)	Donation
10:00 to 11:00	Songshop : Songwriting	The Cause: The Cause Cafe	Bring a note book (or the back of your beer mat! Learn the secrets of song writing with Walker and Karen Pfeiffer. With: Paul Walker & Karen Pfeiffer (Duo)	Weekend or Day tickets Only
10:00 to 11:00	Songshop: Homespun from the heart	The Cause: The Cause Auditorium	Homespun from the heart. A collection of songs written or constructed by us. Some of the songs we don't get to do very often. With: Dave Webber and Anni Fentiman (Duo)	Weekend or Day tickets Only
10:00 to 11:00	Squeezebox from Scratch	Yelde Hall	How to play the D/G melodeon for the absolute beginner. No instrument? We have some to borrow! Non- music reader? You don't need to! With: Squeezebox from Scratch (Melodeon workshops)	Weekend or Day tickets Only
10:00 to 13:00	Corndolly crafts	Island Park: Make and Do tent	Come have a go at the traditional craft of corn dolly making. This session is ideal for over 8-year-olds. It can be tricky for tiny fingers. With: Barbara Guthrie (Workshop lead)	Donation
10:00 to 11:00	Workshop with Folk friendzy	Masonic Centre	Clog Dancing for beginners (All ages) with Folk Friendzy - clogs, hard soled shoes, taps maybe best. However this doesn’t affect your chance to join With: Folk Friendzy (Clog, Morris (northwest/border), Rapper, Irish)	Donation
10:30 to 11:30	Meet Seven Champs and Seven Sisters	The Constitutional Club	This is your chance to meet two of the finest Molly sides anywhere together, up close and personal. With: Seven Champions (Molly), Seven Sisters (Molly)	Donation
11:15 to 12:45	Festival Band Workshop	Town Hall	Come and join the Festival Band! Everyone welcome. Music & playlist available: Website. With: Joshua and Benjamin Rowe, Ali Messer & David Ledsam	Weekend or Day tickets Only
11:30 to 12:30	Workshop with Shropshire Bedlams	Masonic Centre	Join Shropshire Bedlams and learn some some of their dances, wear comfy clothes and shoes to dance in. With: Shropshire Bedlams (Border), Martha Rhoden's Tuppenny Dish (Border)	Donation
12:00 to 13:00	Fiddle playing for dancers	Old Road Tavern Barn	A workshop With Manny Grimsley on mastering the art of playing fiddle for dancers. With: Manny Grimsley (Musician)	Donation
12:00 to 13:00	Meet Hammersmith	St Paul's Church	Meet the world famous Hammersmith Morris. With: Hammersmith (Cotswold)	Donation
13:15 to 14:15	Dulcimer Workshop	Old Road Tavern Barn	A workshop with Kerensa on the Dulcimer. Kerensa has a limited number to lend, but you are welcome to bring your own. With: Kerensa Wright (workshop leader)	Donation
14:00 to 15:30	Favourite Dances with the Festival Band	Neeld	Come and dance to the music of the Festival Band as they play for a mixed programme of dances comprising a selection of well known favourites. (G) With: Joshua and Benjamin Rowe, Ali Messer & David Ledsam, David & Kathryn Wright	Weekend or Day tickets Only
14:30 to 15:45	Bones Workshop	Old Road Tavern Barn	A workshop with Louisa Davies on the rhythmic art of playing the bones, with plenty to lend. Beginners welcome. With: Louisa Davies (Bones Workshop)	Donation
17:30 to 18:30	Finding the confidence to improvise musically	Town Hall	A safe & supportive approach for learning to relax, enjoy, and play with the inevitable imperfection of the improvisation process. With: Marni Rachmiel ((of Contra Sutra))	Weekend or Day tickets Only
17:30 to 18:30	Scandi music for English ceilidh players	Olympiad: Riverbank	Tunes will be in D or G. Chris, who runs the London Scandi Session, will post the dots in advance on the group's Facebook page. With: Chris Dyer	Weekend or Day tickets Only

Workshops on Monday 29th May 2023
When	What	Where	Description	Price
09:30 to 10:30	Meet the Teams	The Constitutional Club	Meet Martha Rhoden's Tuppenny dish and Shropshire Bedlams. With: Martha Rhoden's Tuppenny Dish (Border), Shropshire Bedlams (Border)	Donation
10:00 to 11:00	Harmony Workshop	The Cause: The Cause Auditorium	Join festival artists Capella in learning harmonies. Bring your voices and Capella will show you the way. With: Capella (Duo)	Weekend or Day tickets Only
10:00 to 11:00	Squeezebox from Scratch	Yelde Hall	How to play the D/G melodeon for the absolute beginner. No instrument? We have some to borrow! Non- music reader? You don't need to! With: Squeezebox from Scratch (Melodeon workshops)	Weekend or Day tickets Only
10:00 to 11:00	Seven Sisters Molly Workshop	Masonic Centre	Come and have a go at Seven Sisters’ molly dancing; we will be teaching our own dances. No experience is necessary; wear comfy shoes/boots and clothes With: Seven Sisters (Molly), Seven Champions (Molly)	Donation
11:30 to 12:30	Ocarina Workshop	Yelde Hall	An introduction to the Italian transverse Ocarina. With up to 5 of his ocarinas available to lend. With: Robert Hickman (Musician and workshop lead)	Donation
11:30 to 12:30	Meet the Team - Tower Ravens	Masonic Centre	Meet Tower Ravens rapper team. Test your knowledge of rapper, London and all things avian with Tower Ravens, no shoes/swords required! With: Tower Ravens (Rapper)	Donation
13:00 to 14:00	Guitar Accompaniments Workshop	Yelde Hall	Guitar accompaniments that let the song breathe. All abilities. How to devise an accompaniment that enhances the song and helps the singer to shine. With: Jeff Gillett (solo)	Weekend or Day tickets Only