top of page

What's On

No upcoming events at the moment

List Title 

Workshops and interactive events

Friday 11th August

11am - 12 PM 

Guns's Bar

Why A Cappella?

Beth Burrows

There are many forms of sharing music of which A Cappella is one -  sometimes underestimated, shied away from or undervalued. But like all forms of music,  A Capella brings its own gifts and joys.

2:15pm-4pm

Scout Hut 

DIY Ceilidh

​

This is your opportunity to learn to play tunes for ceilidh dance, as well as get to grips with the dancing! If you are keen to join the band as part of the ceilidh - sign ups and a list of the tunes are available here

11am - 12:15pm

Scout Hut

Absolute Beginners Ukelele

Stan Gee

 Have fun with others as you learn a simple accompaniment for a song.  Ukuleles will be provided for use during the workshop, so even if you’ve never picked one up before, this is for you!

3pm-4:30pm

Gun's - Basement Lounge 

Intro to Bluegrass & Old Time

Tom Kimber

Tom Kimber welcomes musicians old and new to play Bluegrass and Old Time. Bring instruments or voice - ideal for fretted strings, fiddles, bass, ukulele, harmonica - but open to anyone who wants to learn and play!

1:30pm-3pm 

Gun's - Basement Lounge

Poetry and Song 

Paul Lucas and Alan young

Paul and Alan invite you into their world of poetry and song 

All day 

Huntcliff School - Atrium

Lantern Making

Youth Hub

Make willow lanterns with artist Natalie Reid - open to young people under 18. Spaces are limited, so please sign up here to avoid dissapointment

​

Click here for full Youth Hub info

​

​

Saturday 12th August

10:30am - 12pm 

Guns's Bar

Intro to Bodhran

Steve Bentley

Suitable for people with any level of experience, including complete beginners. Everyone is welcome and Steve will have a number of drums available for those who aren’t bringing their own.

​

​

 

1pm - 2:30pm

Scout Hut 

Gypsy Wagon Painting

Nick Dow

Nick is trained in the dying art of Gypsy Wagon Painting, having worked  as a painter for a long list of Celebrities, including Ronnie Wood of the Rolling Stones. This is a rare chance to learn some of those 
skills and have a go yourself! 

5pm - 6:30pm

Scout Hut

Clog Dancing

Kingsmen Clog

Join the Kingsmen Clog team to learn percussive step dancing - open to all. The team will bring clogs for those that don't have their own, or wear heavy soled shoes! 

11am - 12:30pm

Scout Hut

Rapper Dance

Star and Shadow

Learn to dance rapper sword, from the Northumberland and Durham coal mining tradition. Rapper sword dancing is fast-paced style in which dancers hold onto double-hilted sprung steel swords to make intricate patterns and wow audiences.

​

​

3pm-4:30pm

Scout Hut

Flashmob Choir

Katie Doherty

 Learn a song with Katie Doherty to join the 'Flashmob Choir' - who may just pop up in the concert that evening ( 19:00 – 21:15 )

​

​

​

11am- 1pm

Huntcliff School Atrium

Youth Band

Youth Hub

Join Tom Kimber and Rupert Philbrick for music making. 

​

Click here for full Youth Hub info

12pm - 2pm

Gun's - Basement Lounge

Sea Folk - Spoken Word

Helen Darby

From ballads of pirates, seafarers and their ships, to tales of merpeople and selkies, the seaside is a rich source of both folklore and everyday stories of people who live and work on the coast. Join us to share poetry and spoken word on the theme of 'Sea Folk'.  All levels of experience are welcome to perform. 

3pm-4:30pm

Gun's - Basement Lounge

Music Hall Desert Island 78s

Mary Hollins

Mary  returns this year, bringing her trusty wind up gramophone along, and intersperses her talk, on how Music Hall originated and developed, with gems like “Gertie Shut that Door” and “Bertie Behave Yourself”. Bring your own 78s along to share and discuss. 

10:30am-12pm

Gun's Bar

Intro to Bodhram 

Steve Bentley

Suitable for people with any level of experience, including complete beginners. Everyone is welcome and Steve will have a number of drums available for those who aren’t bringing their own.

1pm-2:30pm

Scout Hut

Gypsy Wagon Painting

Nick Dow

Nick is trained in the dying art of Gypsy Wagon Painting, having worked  as a painter for a long list of Celebrities, including Ronnie Wood of the Rolling Stones. This is a rare chance to learn some of those 
skills and have a go yourself! 

Spaces limited.

5pm-6:30pm

Scout Hut

Clog Dancing 

Kingsmen Clog

Join the Kingsmen Clog team to learn percussive step dancing - open to all. The team will bring clogs for those that don't have their own, or wear heavy soled shoes! 

11am - 12:30PM 

Guns's Bar

Rapper Dance

Star and Shadow

Learn to dance rapper sword, from the Northumberland and Durham coal mining tradition. Rapper sword dancing is fast-paced style in which dancers hold onto double-hilted sprung steel swords to make intricate patterns and wow audiences.

3pm-4:30pm

Scout Hut

Flashmob Choir

Katie Doherty

This is your opportunity to learn to play tunes for ceilidh dance, as well as get to grips with the dancing! If you are keen to join the band as part of the ceilidh - sign ups and a list of the tunes are available here

11am-1pm

Huntcliff School Atrium

Youth Band

Youth Hub

oin Tom Kimber and Rupert Philbrick for music making. 

​

Click here for full Youth Hub info

​

​

12pm-2pm

Gun's Basement Lounge

Sea Folk - Spoken Word

Helen Darby

From ballads of pirates, seafarers and their ships, to tales of merpeople and selkies, the seaside is a rich source of both folklore and everyday stories of people who live and work on the coast. Join us to share poetry and spoken word on the theme of 'Sea Folk'.  All levels of experience are welcome to perform. 

3pm-4:30pm

Gun's - Basement Lounge 

Music Hall Desert Island 78s

Mary Hollins

Mary  returns this year, bringing her trusty wind up gramophone along, and intersperses her talk, on how Music Hall originated and developed, with gems like “Gertie Shut that Door” and “Bertie Behave Yourself”. Bring your own 78s along to share and discuss. 

Sunday 13th August

10am - 11 am

Scout Hut

Rapper Dance

Newcastle Kingsmen

Learn to dance rapper sword, from the Northumberland and Durham coal mining tradition. Rapper sword dancing is fast-paced style in which dancers hold onto double-hilted sprung steel swords to make intricate patterns and wow audiences.

 

11:15am - 12:15pm

Scout Hut

Harmony Singing

Ailsa MacKenzie,

Graham Walker

Ailsa and Graham have long-established fine reputations as musicians and singers. Both were members of harmony groups renowned for arrangements of vocal and instrumental harmonies  - come and learn how they do it! 

12pm - 2pm

Gun's - Basement Lounge

Folk Choir

Janice Burns

Janice Burns (a now familiar name for anyone who caught their set with Jon Doran last year at Saltburn Folk Festival) is at Saltburn leading the Ouseburn Folk Choir this year. If singing is your thing, check out her workshop! 

​

Outdoor Entertainment and Dance Displays

Saturday 12th August

P8100022.jpg
Feet First  
11am and 3pm, Station Portico

Founded in 1985 Feet First are the UK's longest running Appalachian Dance Team. They perform traditional Appalachian steps choreographed into performance dances in much the same way as the American Appalachian teams do. The dances themselves have a wide variety of influences e.g. Ballroom, Irish, Greek, clog, Morris and jazz, and new dances are continually being added to the repertoire. Above all the dancing is high energy, fast and fun. Feet First always dance to their own band consisting of fiddles, guitar, mandolin, and banjo. Take home some of their music on their CD 'Feet First..Ask Questions Later'.

Newcastle Kingsmen.jpeg
Newcastle Kingsmen - Rapper and Clog
11:30am, Station Portico

The Kingsmen have been at the forefront of the revival of the Northumbrian rapper sword dance since 1949, leading the field in research, publication and teaching, as well as performance. We were founded by Prof Bill Cassie of King's College Durham (hence the name). In 1963 this became a university in its own right, the University of Newcastle upon Tyne (hence the other bit of the name). Originally a student team, we maintain strong links with the University, although the team now has a good mixture of students with graduates of Newcastle University and others. The dances we perform are the honest hard-working traditions from the northern industrial heartland, represented in the Kingsmen’s performances by the Rapper sword dance (from the coal-mining communities of Northumberland and Durham), the Grenoside Longsword dance (Yorkshire) and the Royton northwest dance (Lancashire).

Jump.jpg
Whippet Up, with Amelia Coburn
12pm- 1pm, 1:30pm-2:15pm, 3-3:45pm,  Upper Esplanade

 Redcar and Cleveland based community arts organisation Whippet Up will be performing their pop up theatre show, 'For the People, By the People'. 'For the People, By the People' is a pop up puppet theatre telling tales inspired by local folklore. Redcar and Cleveland based Whippet Up worked alongside people referred to them for a wellbeing boost turning junk and found items into puppets, props, and costumes. They are joined live on set by local folk artist Amelia Coburn, who worked with Whippet Up's groups to write songs that narrate the tales. Together they have created a dazzling family friendly show that unlocks the humour, meaning and mayhem found in local folktales.

Rattlejag Southwell Apple Day 2021.jpeg
Rattlejag Morris
12pm, Station Portico

Rattlejag Morris, based in Retford, Nottinghamshire, is a mixed dance side formed in 2002, with the aim of reviving and developing a dance tradition, based in our own local area. Taking inspiration from the local ploughboys of the 19th century and using material collected from East Yorkshire, Nottinghamshire and Lincolnshire, we dance Plough Morris.
Each dancer and musician has their own colour ribbon and face paint which together gives the side a multi-coloured effect. We perform a variety of dances; some include swords or brooms; almost all are unique to our group. We use many rarely heard local tunes or music written to suit a particular dance. 

Leven Sword.jpg
Leven Sword (with Harlequin Morris)
12:30pm, Station Portico

Leven Sword are performing for the first time at Saltburn Folk Festival. Formed in 2016, our mixed side aims to bring back to life the local tradition of Yorkshire Longsword in the Great Ayton and Stokesley area following a gap of 100 years as far as we know.  Based in Great Ayton, we dance the nearest recorded dance Boosbeck and our own dance High Green. When we dance out we like to finish with a song and tune session so please join in if you spot us around Saltburn on Saturday.

Flagcrackers of Craven.jpg
Flagcrackers of Craven
1pm, Station Portico

The Flagcrackers of Craven Border Morris side was founded in Skipton, North Yorkshire, in 1988. Their style of dancing originated on the border of England and Wales, hence the name "Border Morris".  The dancers wear top hats, tattered waistcoats and clogs and have disguised faces, the band dress in the side's colours (black and red). They have a wide repertoire of dances, most of which were devised by themselves, and dance to traditional tunes.

Star and Shadow Rapper.jpeg
Star and Shadow Rapper
1:30pm and 2:45pm,  Station Portico

Hailing from Newcastle upon Tyne, Star and Shadow will dazzle you with their rapper sword dancing, swirling skirts and class tunes. From the Northumberand and Durham coal mining tradition, Rapper sword dancing is fast-paced style in which dancers hold onto double-hilted sprung steel swords to make intricate patterns and wow audiences.

Harlequin.jpeg
Harlequin Morris (with Leven Sword)
1:45pm, Station Portico

Harlequin North West Morris were formed in 2011 (as Harlequin Women's Morris) to dance traditional and new dances in the north-west tradition. Based in the village of Cleasby, just south of Darlington, our members are drawn from the Darlington, Northallerton and Richmond areas. Our kit includes petal skirts or waistcoats in primary colours, black tops or trousers, and black clogs.

Locos.jpeg
Locos- in-Motion Border Morris
2:15pm, Station Portico

Locos are pleased to be invited once again to Saltburn Folk Festival, one of our favourite events in the dance calendar.  We have been dancing together for more years than most of us can remember, building a reputation in the Tees Valley for Morris dancing 'with attitude'.  We perform traditional stick dances from the English/Welsh border with the emphasis on fun.  

​

Sunday 13th August

P8100022.jpg
Feet First  
11am and 3pm, Station Portico

Founded in 1985 Feet First are the UK's longest running Appalachian Dance Team. They perform traditional Appalachian steps choreographed into performance dances in much the same way as the American Appalachian teams do. The dances themselves have a wide variety of influences e.g. Ballroom, Irish, Greek, clog, Morris and jazz, and new dances are continually being added to the repertoire. Above all the dancing is high energy, fast and fun. Feet First always dance to their own band consisting of fiddles, guitar, mandolin, and banjo. Take home some of their music on their CD 'Feet First..Ask Questions Later'.

Newcastle Kingsmen.jpeg
Newcastle Kingsmen - Rapper and Clog
11:30am, Station Portico

The Kingsmen have been at the forefront of the revival of the Northumbrian rapper sword dance since 1949, leading the field in research, publication and teaching, as well as performance. We were founded by Prof Bill Cassie of King's College Durham (hence the name). In 1963 this became a university in its own right, the University of Newcastle upon Tyne (hence the other bit of the name). Originally a student team, we maintain strong links with the University, although the team now has a good mixture of students with graduates of Newcastle University and others. The dances we perform are the honest hard-working traditions from the northern industrial heartland, represented in the Kingsmen’s performances by the Rapper sword dance (from the coal-mining communities of Northumberland and Durham), the Grenoside Longsword dance (Yorkshire) and the Royton northwest dance (Lancashire).

Flagcrackers of Craven.jpg
Flagcrackers of Craven
12pm, Station Portico

The Flagcrackers of Craven Border Morris side was founded in Skipton, North Yorkshire, in 1988. Their style of dancing originated on the border of England and Wales, hence the name "Border Morris".  The dancers wear top hats, tattered waistcoats and clogs and have disguised faces, the band dress in the side's colours (black and red). They have a wide repertoire of dances, most of which were devised by themselves, and dance to traditional tunes.

Black Gate Morris.jpg
Black Gate Morris
12:30pm, Station Portico

Black Gate Morris dance and play Cotswold old and new. In 2018 a series of workshops to gauge interest in mixed Cotswold in Newcastle upon Tyne quickly turned into a side, and we had our first performance. Since then, we’ve been dancing out at pubs in Tyneside
and at festivals and days of dance across the North. Our musicians and dancers are a mixture of the morris innocent and the morris experienced, and our repertoire comes from Adderbury, Bledington, Bucknell, Raglan and Woodside.

Glaisdale Cloggers-1.jpg
Glaisdale Cloggers
1pm, Station Portico

Eileen Till and Anna Downes have been clog dancing around the country for many years, with the Carlisle and Camden clog dancers and other teams. After settling in Whitby they were invited to run workshops at the Robinson Institute in Glaisdale, and Glaisdale Cloggers was formed initially to dance at a local music hall concert. Performances at Castleton jubilee celebration, the Esk Valley and East Cleveland Community Earth Festival and Glaisdale Mini Arts Festival followed and there are plans to perform regularly at local festivals.

Jet Set.JPG
Jet Set Border Morris
1:30pm,  Station Portico

Jet Set Border Morris were formed in 1999 after some of our founder members discovered border morris at Whitby Folk Week. We currently practice in Saltburn by the Sea, and perform a combination of traditional and self written dances, named after local landmarks and history. The men dress in a 1920s style, and the ladies' kit has a gothic touch to reflect our Whitby heritage.

Rattlejag Southwell Apple Day 2021.jpeg
Rattlejag Morris
12pm, Station Portico

Rattlejag Morris, based in Retford, Nottinghamshire, is a mixed dance side formed in 2002, with the aim of reviving and developing a dance tradition, based in our own local area. Taking inspiration from the local ploughboys of the 19th century and using material collected from East Yorkshire, Nottinghamshire and Lincolnshire, we dance Plough Morris.
Each dancer and musician has their own colour ribbon and face paint which together gives the side a multi-coloured effect. We perform a variety of dances; some include swords or brooms; almost all are unique to our group. We use many rarely heard local tunes or music written to suit a particular dance. 

Leeds Morris Men.png
Leeds Morris Men
2:30pm, Station Portico

We began as an offshoot of Leeds University Folk Club – hence our colours – and the owl on our waistcoats is part of the Leeds coat of arms (look at the top of the Civic Hall if you don’t believe us!) We have been dancing for nearly 70 years, and regularly perform at events and festivals all over the country. We have also toured France, Brittany, Germany, Holland and Belgium. Ours is the Cotswold tradition (bells, sticks and handkerchiefs) and dances are from the repertoire of towns and villages in the Midlands and Southwest of the country. Although firmly rooted in the past though we are, Leeds is always looking to the future of the Morris so we always give a warm welcome to any prospective dancers or musicians. 

bottom of page