A new programme of free workshops, open traditional music sessions and shared music-making will launch at Llangollen Fringe this weekend, creating new opportunities for musicians, singers, learners and curious newcomers to get involved in traditional music.
Llangollen Trad Lab runs from September 6–13 September, bringing together experienced artists, emerging musicians and participants in a welcoming environment built around learning, playing and connecting with others.
The programme puts Welsh traditional music and Cymraeg at its heart, with workshops exploring Welsh tunes and song alongside session skills, tune arrangement, Arabic folk singing and percussion. A series of open sessions throughout the week will give people the chance to bring an instrument and join in, share tunes and meet other musicians – or simply come along and listen.
Artists and facilitators include Aneirin Jones (Vrï), Patrick Rimes (Vrï), Sarah Zyborska (SERA), Gwilym Bowen Rhys, Katie Stevens, Yasmine Latkowski (Panedeni), Joëlle Barker, Andy Hickie and Angharad Huw, with musicians from Wales and further afield leading sessions throughout the festival.
The response has already been strong, with several workshops reaching capacity ahead of the festival and places still available across parts of the programme.
Trad Lab has been developed by Caroline Murphy in partnership with Llangollen Fringe, with the aim of creating more opportunities for people to experience traditional music as something they can actively take part in, as well as enjoy from an audience.
Caroline Murphy said: “Trad Lab is really about creating the kind of environment where people feel comfortable turning up, learning something new and playing music together. You don’t need toalready be part of a traditional music scene or know all the tunes. We’re all there to learn, share, meet people and connect through music.
“There is so much brilliant traditional music activity in Wales, but we need more visible opportunities for people to participate and for musicians to connect with each other. Llangollen Fringe gives us a brilliant setting to bring that together, with Welsh music and Cymraeg sitting alongside traditions and artists from around the world.”
The wider Fringe programme is an important part of Trad Lab, encouraging participants to move between workshops, sessions and live performances and experience traditional, folk and global music in different settings.
This includes Scotland Introducing, with free performances from Scottish traditional and folk artists, alongside festival appearances from artists including Talisk, BCUC, Nubiyan Twist, Kasai Masai, Ryan Young, Panedeni and more.
The project is supported through Tŷ Cerdd’s Cronfa Tradd Fund, funded by the Arts Council of Wales in response to its recent Traditional Music Review. The new fund supports grassroots and participatory traditional music activity across Wales, creating more opportunities for people to take part, share and connect through music.
To help people explore everything happening across the week, Trad Lab has also created a Trad · Folk · Global Festival Guide, bringing workshops, open sessions and festival highlights from across Llangollen Fringe together in one place. Available in English and Cymraeg, visitors can browse events and build their own festival schedule.
All Trad Lab workshops are free, with advance booking required. Open sessions are free and open to everyone.
* Explore the Trad Lab Festival Guide: https://llangollen.netlify.app/
* Full programme and workshop booking: https://llangollenfringe.co.uk/whats-on/trad-lab
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