Get in step with a musical tradition (From The Wiltshire Gazette and Herald)

Get in step with a musical tradition

10:49am Friday 11th May 2007

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This year's Chippenham Folk Festival will have even more than usual to keep young people involved.

Organisers want to get as many people as possible aged between 12 and 21 to take part at the festival that runs from May 25 to 28.

"We want to encourage them to try out folky stuff without any pressure from adult influence," said folk festival organiser Bob Berry.

"We have taken over the Bridge Centre for the weekend and put in a cafe.

"We hope to encourage young people from Chippenham to come along and try it out for themselves by offering some tickets at reduced prices. To attend all the youth events on a daily basis would cost £24 per day.

"If local youth want to attend any of these they need to show some identification they are from the Chippenham area then they can get into the events for half price."

Workshops are to be run at the Bridge Centre by Shooting Roots, a fun folk arts project for young people.

This year young people can join in workshops every day at the Bridge Centre. Workshops include band sessions for those who play instruments and also people who enjoy singing.

Dance workshops will be an introduction to Morris.

A Shooting Roots spokesman said: "Morris is about working as a team, the aim ranges from things like keeping in a straight line with your team while also travelling as fast as possible, to making a great rhythm with your sticks.

"There's easy bits and hard bits, but its all fun and energetic - just the thing to introduce you to Chippenham Folk Festival and prepare you for going to a ceilidh."

There are also workshops exploring folk theatre.

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