You will need to bring your own food, this is a time and place to eat it together.
No light show — see access statement
Balfolk is a tradition of music and dance from across Europe. There’s a big variety of dances, some with a partner, and some as part of a larger group. If you’re new to Balfolk, this workshop will give you all the tools you need to have a great evening.
Toned down light show — see access statement
Bal dances with Portmanteau
Portmanteau is a dynamic and modern balfolk band combining traditional folk music with altogether too many synthesisers. Armed with wind synthesisers, keyboards, a sequencer and an eMelodeon, they propel traditional European dance music into the 21st century. The result is a vibrant, high-energy sound built from the ground up to keep dancers moving.
Indoor camping in this venue. Indoor camping tickets required. Please respect those trying to get an early night by being quiet.
Bring your instruments and your dancing feet for some ad hoc, participant-led dancing and sessioning.
Indoor camping in this venue. Indoor camping tickets required.
Indoor camping in this venue. Indoor camping tickets required.
A light breakfast will be available for indoor campers, largely to avoid everyone bringing their own milk and trying to fit it in the fridge.
No light show — see access statement
The master sequencier of Portmanteau, Robin Fairey, brings us a workshop on percussion sequencing. Bring your tea, your laptop/phone/tablet and your headphones.
Bio coming soon
Toned down light show — see access statement
Easy-going morning contra.
‘No Bad Ideas’ is a new and exciting project creating folk dance music live from code.
Sam Tetley Smith wields electric melodeon and loop pedal.
Calling by Charlie Brown.
No Bad Ideas is a new and exciting project creating folk dance music live from code. Drawing on a background in software engineering and extensive experience playing for folk dance (Portmanteau, Trip Hazard, Flying Cat), No Bad Ideas combines folky melodies with live-coded beats and groovy basslines, compiled for maximum danceability.
Bio coming soon
Bio coming soon
No light show — see access statement
Our brilliant sound tech for the weekend Ross is leading a workshop on the basics of sound teching and some more specific stuff to folk.
Ross was brought up in a folk singing family, and having chosen a career in engineering, it was only a matter of time before the two worlds merged. Ross has been providing sound for folk music events since starting university and in that time has teched countless ceilidhs, provided sound at multiple national folk festivals and engineered 10 albums. As a folk sound engineer, Ross’ focus is ensuring the core soul of the music is conveyed to the audience, the emphasis being on clarity and quality. Ross is very open to teaching others about sound engineering, so do come over and say hello.
Hathersage’s lovely outdoor swimming pool is just next door! Their Saturday morning Public Swim is in this time slot, so some of you might like to go for a dip! You can book yourself or just show up: hathersageswimmingpool.co.uk
No light show — see access statement
Let’s explore Strudel, a live-coding environment in your browser, by building up a simple electronic track suitable for your favourite style of folk dancing. No prerequisites (musical, coding or otherwise), bring a device with a web browser and some headphones to join in.
Bio coming soon
You will need to bring your own food, this is a time and place to eat it together.
No light show — see access statement
Identify and exploit opportunities for self-expression and playful, even silly connection in contra - experiment with flourishes, swaps and more!
Music by Bearded Dragons in chill mode.
From fire and darkness rise the mighty Bearded Dragons. Blending traditional and electronic styles, they are pioneers of Techno Contra, Techno Playford, and Electro Folk in general, at the very cutting edge of folk dance music. They are fiddle playing behemoth Benjamin Rowe (also found rampaging in Contrasaurus); and bellows, keys and synths monster Vic Smith (known also in Double Dichotomy and Ceilidh Experiment). Using both traditional instruments and sounds, with live hardware synthesisers, Bearded Dragons weave a musical experience that is entirely unique.
Charlie Turner has been dancing and teaching for as long as she can remember, but a move to San Francisco transformed her contra dancing and started her calling. Now based in Oxford, UK, she brings the best of the West Coast to contra crowds, with clear, friendly teaching and satisfying dance selections. She has helped to start two gender-free contra dances: Contrabridge and Oxford Contra, as well as helping to organise EFDP! She emphasises connection, fun, flow and inclusivity in dance.
Ever wanted to add another shape to dance contra in? Come try out how we can put contra in a circle. Contra circle is inspired by Salsa Rueda and is like a contra square, but with more couples, and a regular contra set in Sicilian circle formation, and some switching between the both of them.
Toned down light show — see access statement
Traditional steps meet modern synths. Join Ben & Sel for a high-octane electro ceilidh, featuring driving electronic beats, live folk melodies, and caller Adam Hughes guiding you through every dance on the floor. No experience needed—just bring your energy.
Dancers and musicians Ben & Sel have been collaborating since meeting at Chippenham Folk Festival in 2013. Drawing on a decade in the English folk scene and a love for diverse genres, they blend traditional folk tunes with heavy electronic rhythms. Originally conceived during lockdown, their high-energy sound reimagines ceilidh music for the modern dance party.
Adam Hughes has been calling for English, Scottish and American dances for more years than he is likely to admit, with clarity, variety, enthusiasm and a hint of mischief. Electro-ceilidh? Woop-woop!
You will need to bring your own food, this is a time and place to eat it together.
No light show — see access statement
Learn or remind yourself of the basics of contra dancing before the Techno Contra. Aimed at new contra dancers, everybody welcome!
Lead by Charlie Turner.
From fire and darkness rise the mighty Bearded Dragons. Blending traditional and electronic styles, they are pioneers of Techno Contra, Techno Playford, and Electro Folk in general, at the very cutting edge of folk dance music. They are fiddle playing behemoth Benjamin Rowe (also found rampaging in Contrasaurus); and bellows, keys and synths monster Vic Smith (known also in Double Dichotomy and Ceilidh Experiment). Using both traditional instruments and sounds, with live hardware synthesisers, Bearded Dragons weave a musical experience that is entirely unique.
Charlie Turner has been dancing and teaching for as long as she can remember, but a move to San Francisco transformed her contra dancing and started her calling. Now based in Oxford, UK, she brings the best of the West Coast to contra crowds, with clear, friendly teaching and satisfying dance selections. She has helped to start two gender-free contra dances: Contrabridge and Oxford Contra, as well as helping to organise EFDP! She emphasises connection, fun, flow and inclusivity in dance.
Full light show — see access statement
We’re letting Bearded Dragons unleash everything they’ve got, with epic dances to match called by Charlie Turner.
From fire and darkness rise the mighty Bearded Dragons. Blending traditional and electronic styles, they are pioneers of Techno Contra, Techno Playford, and Electro Folk in general, at the very cutting edge of folk dance music. They are fiddle playing behemoth Benjamin Rowe (also found rampaging in Contrasaurus); and bellows, keys and synths monster Vic Smith (known also in Double Dichotomy and Ceilidh Experiment). Using both traditional instruments and sounds, with live hardware synthesisers, Bearded Dragons weave a musical experience that is entirely unique.
Charlie Turner has been dancing and teaching for as long as she can remember, but a move to San Francisco transformed her contra dancing and started her calling. Now based in Oxford, UK, she brings the best of the West Coast to contra crowds, with clear, friendly teaching and satisfying dance selections. She has helped to start two gender-free contra dances: Contrabridge and Oxford Contra, as well as helping to organise EFDP! She emphasises connection, fun, flow and inclusivity in dance.
Indoor camping in this venue. Indoor camping tickets required. Please respect those trying to get an early night by being quiet.
Bring your instruments and your dancing feet for some ad hoc participant-led sessioning and dancing!
Indoor camping in this venue. Indoor camping tickets required.
A light breakfast will be available for indoor campers, largely to avoid everyone bringing their own milk and trying to fit it in the fridge.
The Peak District is right outside, you could go to explore!
Gather in the car park if you desire company on your walk.
Your walk’s light show will be programmed by the sun. We make no promises on what it might get up to.
Toned down light show — see access statement
Possibly the world’s first long-form techno contra medley! Over half an hour of non-stop contra dancing with an ever-evolving, boundary-pushing, genre-breaking music set.
Although music and dancing will continue throughout, dancers are encouraged to take breaks as needed.
How many drum machines does it take to play for 12 contra dances back-to-back? The faces you know and (hopefully by this point) love from Portmanteau, No Bad Ideas and Bearded Dragons are joining forces to create The Medley Band. Passing sequencer duties around, they’ll be sure to show off a range of groovy beats and basslines underpinning driving tunes to keep the dances flowing.
Charlie Turner has been dancing and teaching for as long as she can remember, but a move to San Francisco transformed her contra dancing and started her calling. Now based in Oxford, UK, she brings the best of the West Coast to contra crowds, with clear, friendly teaching and satisfying dance selections. She has helped to start two gender-free contra dances: Contrabridge and Oxford Contra, as well as helping to organise EFDP! She emphasises connection, fun, flow and inclusivity in dance.
You will need to bring your own food, this is a time and place to eat it together.
Ever wondered what our amazing Amy Worrall is up to? Come learn the basics.
This workshop will feature a full range of the use of the lights. See access statement for further details.
Bio coming soon
Full light show — see access statement
Ceilidh to pop tunes? Hell yes. Vic Smith has you covered. Calling by Daisy Black.
Bio coming soon
Daisy is based in Sheffield, where she runs the popular dance and music session, Playford in the Pub. She calls for contra, ceilidh and English dances, and particularly enjoys making dances of all eras lively and accessible. She also uses her experience as a drama lecturer, theatre practitioner and storyteller to give dances momentum, narrative and energy.