workshops:
Group Harmony Singing ,
Story Telling ,
Classical Belly Dance & Belly Dance to Live Drumming ,
Industrial Rhythmic Grooves ,
Laughter Workshop ,
Found Sounds and Junk Percussion ,
Fire Juggling ,
Spoons ,
Judo ,
Yoga ,
Welsh in an hour ,
Dancing (the mesopotamian way)
last update:25/04/2008 
friday |
saturday |
sunday |
workshops
This year there will be a varied and exciting programme of workshops- something for all ages and interests.
For the drummers amongst you, there are 2 workshops, on Saturday come and learn from Justin Fellows some of the rhythms of 19th
century industrial machinery. This workshop will lead to a performance later in the afternoon.
On Sunday join Boyd Erlam in a junk percussion ensemble and play for dancers.
For all female movers and shakers there are 2 chances to strut your stuff with belly dancer Guinevere,
and for teenagers (of all ages) a moment to let off steam with Judo instruction from Geoff Mock.
Be enthralled by Cliff Eastabrook's spellbinding tales, raise your spirits and voices with singer Vivienne Couch,
learn a little Welsh with Jean Hughes, and improve dexterity and rhythm whilst having fun in juggling and spoon workshops.
On Sunday morning there are 2 chances to clear your head, either by indulging in a spot of yoga with local expert Norman Martell,
or taking a bracing walk up nearby Cwm Rhaeadr in the company of Ken Day.
One workshop which should be enjoyed by all is the laughter workshop on Sunday morning.
Lets all join Joe Hoare in getting the festival united in a huge belly laugh!
VIVIENNE COUCH
Group Harmony Singing
Vivienne has a long experience of facilitating groups in Wales and England.She believes that group harmony singing is a rewarding, soul lifting experience, - our natural birthright, - and aims to inspire people of different abilities and tastes, to experience the 'tingle factor' in harmony singing. She teaches acappella songs of different styles and world traditions, which include the whole range of human expression.
CLIFF EASTABROOK
Story Telling
What are stories for? What does a story need? Look inside the storytellers toolbox and find out what you need to be a story teller?
The Travelling Talesman has been weaving his web of words from Penzance to York, for feasts, festivals and fun since the early nineties. Old, young and all those inbetween have faced The Mester Stoorworm with Assipattle, ventured into the Wild Wood with The Little Bull Calf, reclaimed the Mead of Poetry with the Norse God Odin and raced against the Devil with the humble hedgehog.
Today theTalesman offers a very creative storytelling workshop calling on participants to be fully engaged, focusing on details, building characters and crafting tales.
Fantastically inspiring for anyone with a pinch of imagination.
Cliff is also the narrator (and bassist) in Merch y Felin .
For adults or children over 9.
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Guinevere has been belly dancing for 14 years, originally training in belly dance to ease back pain. She is now a certified A-Z and Astrobelly dance instructor and teaches and performs in West Wales. She is the author of 'The Belly Dancers Treasure Pack' and promotes the art as a fun, inspiring way for women to get fit and access unlimited potential within their minds, bodies and souls.
Classical Belly Dance
Explore the mesmerising and healing art of belly dance. We will learn traditional dance moves, combinations and 'The Harem' choreography. To include undulations, figure eights and beautiful arm movments. Belly dance improves confidence, posture and general wellbeing. Come and have a go! Women and girls only.
Belly Dance to Live Drumming
Dancing with drums is a fun, playful and wild art!
Explore belly dance moves to improve your expression, from hip and shoulder accents to shimmies, stomps and turns.
Focus on interpreting rhythm, spontaneity and improvisation. This workshop will run after the 'junk percussion session'.
Men, Women and children welcome!
JUSTIN FELLOWS
Industrial Rhythmic Grooves
Justin Fellows is a drummer and percussionist who wants to make you move ! Distinction graduate of ACM, Justin has performed and recorded with bands at festivals, clubs, holiday resorts and functions throughout the uk and europe as well as running rhythm based events for a wide variety of people both young and old.
Participants at this workshop will learn drumming patterns,which, when put together, will recreate the sounds of a 19th century Wool mill.
This is a chance to feel some Victorian grooves! Drummers are then invited to join in the performance of
Merch y Felin ( see main programme).
For adults or children over 9.
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JOE HOARE
Laughter Workshop
come and have a rampant laugh-a-bout where you can breathe, stretch, move, jiggle, giggle, chuckle & guffaw'
Found Sounds and Junk Percussion
Boyd Erlam is a community musician based in Swansea who specialises in inclusive drumming and percussion workshops. Inspired by a lifetime of incessantly playing anything within reach, he will on hand to help create a Small Nations rhythm orchestra- without an instrument in sight!
Suitable for adults and young people aged 11 and upwards, no previous musical experience necessary.
MATT SMART & TOBY WALKER
Fire Juggling
Matt and Toby aim to light up our evenings with some skillfull and daring fire juggling/swinging/diablo/poi and lazer balls. They will also be holding circus workshops during the day, on saturday afternoon for anyone who is interested in learning to juggle, swing poi, or learn to spin the diablo.
Both beginners and pros are welcome to come and join in the fun!
PAT & NED
The amazing spoons workshop
The art of spoons playing is as old as the hills. They were used to provide the rhythm for singing and dancing when no other instrument was available, and have evolved into a percussion instrument in their own right.
Over the years Pat has taught spoons at festivals all over the world and has formed orchestras who have performed pieces like the
Can Can and William Tell Overture. Pat will teach you the basics of spoon playing, taking you through jigs, reels, polkas and hornpipes.
Spoons will be provided, but the enthusiast could bring their own!
GEOFF MOCK
Judo
Details to follow...
JEAN HUGHES
Welsh in an hour
Come and taste and use the language of heaven (Welsh) in 60 minutes of fun and communication with Jean Hughes, an experienced Welsh tutor
Croeso cynnes i bawb.
NORMAN MARTELL
Yoga
Details to follow...
BAMO
Dancing (the mesopotamian way)
Details to follow...
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