ShireFolk is a multi-strand project to promote arts, artists, audience engagement & development, technical training, digital promotion of artists and venue sustainability across a series of rural communities who struggle to access new and upcoming artists.
ShireFolk has delivered a programme of activity to champion Grassroots Music in Shropshire through the platform of the Bridgnorth Music & Arts Festival. A free to attend festival held over the August bank holiday weekend in multiple spaces across Bridgnorth.
Project Objectives
- Upskill local people through hands-on technical training with industry professionals followed by real world experience during the Bridgnorth Music & Arts Festival. Entitled Crew Futures, ShireFolk worked with 5 trainees on a structured programme of training sessions in sound engineering and backstage technical roles. This in-depth programme supported 5 trains recruited from Shropshire who can take their learning forward on to other events in Shropshire.
- Celebrate grassroots music and musical talent in Shropshire by reserving performance slots within the Bridgnorth Music & Arts festival programme for original Shropshire musicians.
- Actively engage rural and low-income communities by offering high-quality, accessible cultural experiences and actively promoting the festival to these audiences. These included drumming workshops, dance workshops and an open air musical jam workshop.
Read the full project write up here
Website: Shirefolk.co.uk
Bridgnorthfestival.co.uk
Photo credit: Andy Darby Photography – Image is of 4 of the Crew Futures participants with Westley Bone at the castle Gardens Stage of the Bridgnorth Music & Arts Festival.
