Our Workshops

Host: Mel Langton
Venue: Number 28, Wingfield Street
Time: 10.00-11:30am
Date: Saturday Sept 5th
Max participants: 12
Cost: £6 Under 16 Free

Tickets

Mel is an experienced player and workshop leader. In the 90 mins he will outline the history, construction and playing styles of the instrument followed by a 'hands on' period of actually playing the dulcimer and singing along too! He provides instruments to use and everything else that will be needed.

This workshop is limited to 12 participants.

Host: Jill Parson

Date: Saturday 5th
Venues: The British Legion
Time: 1.00 – 2.00pm
Max participants: 8
Cost: £6 Under 16 Free

Tickets

This is an introduction to the melodeon and is supported by the East Anglian Traditional Music Trust. Jill will introduce you to the melodeon and will have one for you to try out. This is intended as a starter workshop where you may come away thinking you’d like to take it further. It is not intended for those who already play the melodeon. Instruments will be provided but this event is limited to 8 places.

Host: Darren Bidle
Venue: Bungay Community Centre
Time: 1.00 - 2.00pm
Date: Saturday 5th Sept
Max participants: 20
Cost: £6 Under 16 Free

Tickets

Join local guitarist Darren Bidle for a hands-on session focused on traditional folk accompaniment using DADGAD tuning. With years of experience performing in a range of folk settings, Darren will guide participants through the use of partial chords and simple voicings to create rich, effective backing for traditional tunes.

This session is ideal for players who are curious about DADGAD, new to alternate tunings, or simply looking to expand beyond standard chord shapes. You'll need a guitar and a basic ability to form and play chords—no prior DADGAD experience required.

Host: Clare Bakewell
Venue: Number 28 Wingfield St
Time: 12:30-1:30pm and 2.00-3.00pm
Date: Saturday Sept 5th
Max participants: 6 in each session
Cost: £6 Under 16 Free

Tickets for session 12.30 - 1.30pm Sat 5th

Tickets for session 2.00 - 3.00pm Sat 5th

Clare has a particular interest in introducing beginners of all ages to the harp and has a varied and flexible approach to suit all types of learners. At the workshop you will learn some basic techniques and to play some simple folk tunes. Harps are provided and no musical experience is necessary. Learning will be by ear with sheetmusic provided at request.

Website

Host: Chris Dyer
Venue: The Riverside Centre
Time: 10.00 - 11.30am
Date: Saturday Sept 5th
Max participants: 20
Cost: £6 Under 16 Free

Tickets

Chris Dyer is a regular performer and workshop leader at UK festivals and bal folk dance clubs and is a guest player with Boda and Falun spelmanslags in Sweden. Chris will teach tunes from Sweden, Norway, Denmark and Finland. Joining her is guitarist Chintamani Weiss, who will share his ideas for making dance music danceable. Participants should be able to learn tunes by ear (dots will be available); not suitable for beginners.

Chris will be playing with her Nordic band in The Old Bank on Friday evening 7.00 - 7.45pm, a Scandi session in The Three Tuns afterwards from 8.15 - 9.45pm and in The Three Tuns banquet hall at 1.30 - 2.15pm on Saturday 5th Sept.

Host: Mog
Venue: Riverside Centre
Session 1: 1:00-2:00pm Sat 5th Sept Session 2: 2.30 - 3.30pm Sat 5th Sept
Session 3: Bodhran Clinic Sun 6th Sept
Max participants: 20
Cost: £6 Under 16 Free

Session 1 Tickets

Session 2 Tickets

Session 3 Tickets

We are delighted that Mog will run 3 different workshops this weekend so there is no excuse that you missed him! Most of these are aimed at first time bodhran players with a focus on your needs during the bodhran clinic Sunday afternoon.

Mog is a professional bodhran player with a wealth of teaching experience having taught for over 30 years at festivals both home and abroad. His workshops are exhilarating and fun, with an inclusive teaching style. He has a knack for gently inspiring confidence in each person regardless of their level or ability at drumming. As a well-respected drum maker, he will also have drums for use during the workshops.

Host: Hazel Mair

Venue: Riverside Centre

Date: Fri 4th, Sat 5th and Sun 6th Sept

Time: 8.00 - 9.00am

Cost: Free. Places are limited so you do need to book. Accessible for all

Friday 4th Sept - Festival Friday. Combining classic poses, with movement to leave you feeling balanced, re-aligned and rejuvenated.

Tickets

Saturday 5th Sept - Wake up & Flow

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Yoga to energise the mind and body.  An active Yoga flow combining classic poses, with movement to leave you feeling balanced, re-aligned and rejuvenated.

Sunday 6th Sept - Softly, Slowly Gently – Ease into Sunday Morning:

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Ease into Sunday with a gentle Yoga flow. Movement to unwind the body and ease tension. Guided breathwork to calm the mind. With a focus on subtle movement and listening to your body you will leave with an inner sense of calm and wellbeing.

I am Hazel a Yoga teacher living in Bungay.  My classes explore the many facets of Yoga; movement that can build strength and mobility to enhance our daily lives and the power of breath to calm the mind.  I like to think my practice offers a calm, safe space to connect with the breath, move freely, learn a little & laugh a little and be part of a joyous community. 

Host: David Bartlett

Venue: Emmanuel Church Rooms

Date: Friday 5th Sept 1.00 - 2.00pm

Cost: £6 Under 16 Free

Tickets:

Ever thought of playing spoons? This workshop is for first-timers and absolute beginners. Join David from Sound Tradition n a friendly supportive atmosphere you can do some simple spoon tapping along to Sound Tradition's singing. By the end of the session you should know if it's for you or not. Spoons provided or bring two dessert spoons of your own. 

Host: Chris Keeler

Venue: The Riverside Centre

Date: Sunday 6th Sept; 11.30 - 12.30pm

Cost: £6 Under 16 Free

Tickets

The workshop will focus on improving confidence and technique in playing Irish tunes. We will cover different types of ornamentation and how to include them in tunes. We will also look at techniques for learning by ear and how to make progress so that you can play in sessions. Some notation will be available.The workshop will be aimed at intermediate players rather than beginners, you should be able to play 4 - 5 tunes on the whistle so it is not suitable for complete beginners. Please bring your own D whistle.

Chris has been playing the whistle since she was a teenager and has played in bands for most of her adult life, notably in Mooncoin and more recently in Flánn and Fendango. She ran a session at the Gatehouse, Norwich, together with her husband Paul for ten years.

Chris and Paul are leading an Irish session in The Fleece on Saturday 5th Sept from 7-9pm

Host: Nick Wiseman Ellis

Venue: Riverside Centre, 11.30 - 12.30pm Friday 4th Sept

Tickets: £6 Under 16 Free

Venue: Riverside Centre, 11.30 - 12.30pm Saturday 5th Sept

Tickets: £6 Under 16 free

Box players!! Do you love playing for dancing?!!

In this workshop we will be exploring different balfolk tune types and how we might make the most of the rhythms that underpin these dances.  We will explore the groove, feel and how we can use the bass in different ways to complement and add more flavour. We'll look at how we can take small melodic and rhythmic ideas and use them to start to build an arrangement. This workshop will be for D/G melodeon players, all models from 8 to 18 bass welcome! Some notation will be available and please bring a recording device. Please note, this workshop is not intended for beginners.

Hailing from Norwich, Nick has performed and taught professionally since 2010 after completing the BMus Folk and Traditional Music with a 1st from Newcastle University. Since then, he has been part of various musical projects both in the UK and abroad. In 2015 Nick joined the Germany-based Irish music trio ‘Iontach’ and has since toured all over the country performing and giving workshops in both fiddle and diatonic button accordion. More recently, in 2024, Nick became the third member of the balfolk trio ‘Woodwose’, specializing in playing for dancing and with an emphasis on newly self-composed melodies. Nick’s musical style stems from a blend of inspirations and music traditions including Great Britain, Ireland, France and Scandinavia.

Host: Nick Wiseman-Ellis

Venue: British Legion, 2.30 - 3.30pm

Saturday 5th Sept

Tickets: £6 Under 16 Free

The music of Ireland is full of energy, beauty and passion. In this workshop we will break down some of the elements that make irish music so special including ornamentation, groove and flow. We’ll also have a look into how silence can have a big impact on the flow of a tune. Bowing can be a bit of a chore sometimes, so we’ll have a look at a few bowing techniques. Some notation will be available. Please note, this workshop is not intended for beginners.

Hailing from Norwich, Nick has performed and taught professionally since 2010 after completing the BMus Folk and Traditional Music with a 1st from Newcastle University. Since then, he has been part of various musical projects both in the UK and abroad. In 2015 Nick joined the Germany-based Irish music trio ‘Iontach’ and has since toured all over the country performing and giving workshops in both fiddle and diatonic button accordion. More recently, in 2024, Nick became the third member of the balfolk trio ‘Woodwose’, specializing in playing for dancing and with an emphasis on newly self-composed melodies. Nick’s musical style stems from a blend of inspirations and music traditions including Great Britain, Ireland, France and Scandinavi

Venue: The Riverside Centre

Date and Time: Friday 4th Sept 1.00 - 2.00pm

Tickets: £6 Under 16 Free

Tips, techniques and tunings for accompanying songs and tunes from both sides of the Atlantic.

In this workshop we’ll look at: Extending your range of chords; Strumming patterns for jigs, reels, waltzes and songs; Fingerstyle picking patterns

THIS WORKSHOP IS NOT SUITABLE FOR COMPLETE BEGINNERS.

If you can strum a few chords to simple songs, but would like to extend your repertoire of chords and techniques, then this workshop is for you.

Pete Arnold is a local musician and teacher. He runs the group, Ukaholics Anonymous, and plays in Daisy & The Continentals, who will be performing at the Folk Picnic at 12.00 on Sunday.

Host: Steve Turner
Venue: Number 28, Wingfield Street
Time: 10.00-11:30am
Date: Saturday Sept 5th
Max participants: 12
Cost: £6 Under 16 Free

Tickets

A relaxed, hands‑on workshop for anyone interested in using the concertina to support their singing. We’ll start with a light vocal warm‑up and a few simple singing techniques, followed by song demonstrations and guidance on developing your own accompaniment style.

We’ll look at different concertina systems and what each offers for song accompaniment, along with tips on chords, rhythm, balance, and approach. There’ll also be time for questions and trying things out.

Open to all ability levels and ALL SYSTEMS OF CONCERTINA.

Host: Mike Keen

Date: Friday 4th September

Time: 4.00 - 5.00pm Riverside Centre

Cost: Free

Tickets

Mike plays bodhran in a variety of settings and has a unique take on where the drum works in sessions other than Irish sessions. He plays one of Mog’s renegade Rhythm drums but you will need to bring your own bodhran to this workshop as he does not have spare ones to use.

Host: Christina Alden

Venue: Emmanuel church Rooms

Friday 4th Sept: 11.30 - 12.30pm

Cost: Free

Tickets

For all abilities. Christina will talk about her songwriting process focussing on nature and the environment and discuss how to find ideas and turn them into songs, writing lyrics, arrangement and melody. Participants will come away with the confidence to build on their own foundations of songwriting and develop their passion for crafting stories inspired by the natural world. 

Christina Alden has been a professional musician for the past ten years, touring throughout the UK and Europe. 

Featured on a BBC show of Chris Difford’s favourite acoustic songwriters, she has been applauded for her ‘strong contemporary songwriting’ (Tom Robinson) and ‘exquisite story-telling (The Mirror).

Hosts: Ethan Beal and Lindsay Want

Venue: Three Tuns Banquet Hall

Date: Sat 5th Sept, 11.00 - 12.00pm

Host: Sarah Burton

Venue: British Legion: Sat 5th Sept, 10.00 - 11.00am

Cost: Free

Tickets

'What's in a tune?'

'One of my favourite things about being a folk musician and band member is getting to explore different ways to arrange tunes and bring them to life. In the workshop I'll introduce a tune and use a bit of music theory to delve into its harmonies, rhythms and melodic shape, and think about what makes it a good tune. The aim is to help you hear and interpret tunes in different ways, choose chords, compose harmony lines and so on in your own music-making. I'll provide sheet music and aim the workshop at people who can read quite well as I won't want to spend too long on learning the tune.'

Sarah plays fiddle and cello in the Norfolk based band Klezmerized that graced the folk picnic at last year’s festival. Her other band Flute, Fiddle and Box will be performing this year.

Host: Stuart Green

Venue: Emmanuel Church Rooms

Saturday 5th Sept: 2.30 - 3.30pm

Cost: £6 Under 16 Free

Tickets

Shanty Singing is very popular - the feeling of joy when you are part of a large group singing together is quite unique. Shanty songs are working songs and are quick and easy to pick up. Stuart led a workshop in Bungay last year which was very successful.

The workshop will include a variety of activities:
• Illustrated talk on the history of the sea shanty with discussion on some of the relevant maritime language used on ships, and often used as part of the song lyrics
• Investigation into writing modern shanties with a historic narrative, using one of Stuart’s own songs as an example
• Analysis of different types of shanties with sung examples.
• Group singing of classic shanties
The aim is to maximise involvement so that everyone can engage with the nature of the shanty ethos - singing together as a group.
Suitability and Requirements
This session is open to all. The church rooms are accessible for all.  No singing ability necessary – this is a fun sing song, not a choral masterpiece!

Host: Helian

Venue: Emmanuel Church Rooms, Saturday 5th Sept, 11.30 - 12.30pm

Cost: Free

Tickets

Join Helian for a crash course in improvisation, the how, when and what! Any instruments and abilities are welcome to our lighthearted guide to improvising!

Helian are a Leeds based folk quartet and are one of our headline acts on Saturday 5th Sept in The Fisher Theatre.

https://www.helianmusic.co.uk

Host: Ouse Washes Molly

Venue: Emmanuel Church Hall

Date: Saturday 5th Sept, 12.00 - 1.00pm
Cost: Free

Tickets

Come along and learn about the history of molly dancing and have a go yourself.

Learn how it relates to other forms of traditional dance, nationally and locally, how it grew around plough traditions, it's rejection by Cecil Sharp,  subsequent revival and current blossoming. The talk will be interspersed with demos of Molly, Broom and Step dancing with plenty of time left for everyone to learn a traditional Molly Dance.

Ouse Washes Molly are also dancing around the town.

11.00-11.45am Outide St Mary’s Church

2.30 - 3.15pm Outside The Green dragon Pub

Host: Soniya

Date: Saturday 5th Sept: 1.30 - 2.30pm

Venue: Bungay Community Centre

Cost: £6

Tickets

This workshop will introduce you to the wonderful world of Indian Classical Dance. Bharatanatyam is one of the 8 Indian Classical Dances, and it uses Mudras - hand gestures to story tell. It is a very graceful dance style, with poses and balanced arm and leg positions. A truly magical way to spend an hour – with some beautiful Indian Music. No dance experience necessary, expect a gentle pace, open to all.

Please wear comfortable clothes – dancing bare foot or with light ballet pump shoes.

Soniya and her school of dancing will be performing outside St Mary’s Church from 12.00 - 12.30pm. This will inspire you to attend her introduction to Classical Indian Dance Workshop at Bungay Community Centre later that afternoon.

Host: Birgitta

Venue: Three Tuns banquet hall, Sunday 6th Sept 11.00 - 12.00pm

Cost: Free

Tickets

Birgitta is a well-known figure on the local folk scene and her Balkan dance classes are always very popular. This is a delightful way to begin your BFF Sunday morning.

This is a free workshop where you can have lots of fun learning circle dances from the Balkan region. You do not need a partner for these dances. Even though this is a free workshop please reserve your places with a ticket.

Host: Cohen Braithwaite-Kilcoyne

Venue: Riverside Centre, Sunday 6th Sept 10.00 - 11.00am

Cost: £6 Under 16 free

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Cohen is a popular teacher and works with people of all ages and abilities with ease. Cohen’s passion for the English folk tradition has also led to work in research, publishing, and teaching. So far Cohen has been involved in publishing four books of English folk songs, has given several talks on the subject, and has worked with hundreds of students across the globe from school children to pensioners.

Host: Helian

Venue: Number 28, Sunday 6th Sept 11.30 - 12.30pm

Cost: £6 Under 16 Free

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Join us for a session of wonderful words, exploring lyrical poetry. Bring a selection of your favourites, or write some together at our sharing workshop focused on wellbeing, and relational expression.

Helian are a Leeds based folk quartet and are one of our headline acts on Saturday 5th Sept in The Fisher Theatre.

https://www.helianmusic.co.uk

Host: Natasha Hood

Natasha is a regular at BFF and led our first singing workshops in 2024. She is offering two opportunities to sing on Saturday 5th September.

Session 1: 10.00 - 11.30am. Tickets £6

SEssion 2: 2.00 - 3.30pm. Tickets £6

Sessions are friendly, fun and up-lifting. No singing experience is necessary and all songs are taught by ear and repetition.

I draw on rounds and harmony songs from all over the world, from different folk or spiritual traditions, as well as songs and chants written more recently for group singing.

Host: Paul Gill

Venue: Emmanuel Church Rooms 10.00 - 11.00am Friday 4th Sept

Cost: Free

Tickets

Playing and singing from memory liberates you from the constraints of having to read music or dots. It is great exercise for the mind but more importantly enables you to engage with your audience and put expression into your performance.

Host: Alex Patterson

Venue: Riverside Centre; 10.00-11.00am

Date: Friday 4th Sept

Cost: Free

Tickets

Alex will be leading a workshop focussing on fiddle improvisation and playing with others. The workshop will include how to embellish songs and tunes with bowing techniques and ornamentation, take solos, add fiddle parts to songs and develop arrangements. 

Alex Patterson is a renowned fiddle player and producer from Suffolk, with a musical profession spanning over fifteen years. A thoughtful and skilled musician, “Alex would give even the great Swarbrick himself a run for his money in terms of sheer feeling and passion.” - At The Barrier