With Sam Kelly and Toby Shaer.

Mix Heather Small and Julie Fowlis and you've got singer songwriter Ainsley Hamill.

One of the UK’s leading and most diverse singers, Ainsley has a long list of nods including the BBC Radio Scotland Young Traditional Musician of the Year Finalist and Gaelic Singer of the Year Finalist at the MG ALBA Scots Trad Music Awards.

She represented Scotland at Eurovision in Gothenburg and has appeared at folk festivals the world over, including The Festival Interceltique de Lorient, Celtic Connections and du Bout du Monde for the last 10 years. Hamill has recently been included in The List’s 2024 Hot 100, of the most influential Scottish cultural contributors.

Hailing from the West Coast of Scotland, Ainsley specialises in song writing and songs in Scottish Gaelic and English. Her love of Gaelic song was nurtured whilst studying at the Royal Conservatoire of Scotland and Trad roots are close to her heart. With this new album however, Ainsley is exploring new sounds and ideas as she pushes out from these roots to create personal material that encompasses big topics close to her heart, including feminism and equality, while unearthing forgotten stories and places that deserve a voice.

For many years Ainsley performed and toured with folk bands Barluath and made appearances with The Unusual Suspects. During this time, her accomplished song writing skills were evident in Barluath’s two studio albums; Source and At Dawn of Day as well as various singles including Touch the Gate and At the Fair.

Ainsley is a current member of folk band Fourth Moon, performing Gaelic, English and her own material, as well as step dancing.

‘Her voice thick with velvet and mirk…hovering between the comforting warmth of The Breath and the whip-smart forlorness of early Adele…Hamill has a big intriguing voice, it’s Scottishness ever present’ The Guardian

‘One of the best of her generation’ RnR Magazine

Studio
£16 I £14 (Supporters)

Ainsley's website

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•   6 Mar from £16

Rich music with intertwining harmony, sensitive accomplished musicianship and a creative song-writing style that is both delicate and moving.

Christina Alden and Alex Patterson are multi-instrumentalists and songwriters from Norwich.

Deeply inspired by the world around them, they have a keen environmental eye to craft stories with the natural world at its heart, reflecting on the relationship between humans and the wild.

They have enjoyed touring extensively in the UK and Europe; including a twenty three date concert hall tour with Show of Hands (including Union Chapel and St David’s Hall Cardiff). A show at Glasgow Royal Concert Hall for Celtic Connections, headline and main stage performances at some of the UK’s most prestigious folk festivals and performances in Norway, Belgium, France and Ireland.

They have written and self-released four albums, composed music for a BBC Radio 4 documentary series and have had over a million streams on Spotify.

‘A milestone for contemporary folk song writing’ Bright Young Folk

'A bright, lively collection of songs that plays so sweetly it evokes the sensation of
a summer folk festival' The Guardian

‘Perfectly matched harmonies...at times it’s hard to tell them apart, you could be
listening to a single voice’ Folk Radio UK

'Gorgeous harmonies and lush melodies...a beautiful album that transports the
listener to wild landscapes and wild lives' BBC Countryfile

'Alden’s voice is hauntingly beautiful' Folk London

‘Alex would give even the great Swarbrick himself a run for his money in terms of
sheer feeling and passion' At The Barrier

Studio
£16

Christina and Alex's website

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•  27 Mar from £16

This British folk and roots duo bring folklore to life with delicately interweaving vocal harmonies inside a dynamic world of song writing.

With a diverse range of sounds and textures, and rhythms that flow from the fast and furious to gentle ballads, their live performances are spirited and enthralling. Conjuring stories in song, they tell tales of Suffolk folklore, courageous people they admire and their passion for nature, enchanting audiences up and down the country.

Honey and The Bear have been a tour de force on the UK festival circuit in recent years.

The multi-instrumentalist pair, comprised of songwriters Jon Hart (guitar, bass, bouzouki) and Lucy Hart (guitar, ukulele, bass, banjo, mandolin and percussion), are joined on-stage by band guests Evan Carson (percussion) Archie Churchill-Moss (Melodeon) and Toby Shaer (Fiddle/Flutes/Whistles) who also feature on both Honey and The Bear studio albums. Together they have played at many revered venues and festivals across the UK as well as travelled across the channel for European shows. They played Sold out back to back shows at the world famous Snape Maltings Concert Hall to launch their 2nd album in 2021. Third album Away Beyond The Fret was released 3rd November 2023 with a UK tour and another sold show at Snape Maltings.

Studio
£16 I £14 Supporters (applied to basked once logged in)

Honey and The Bear website

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•  19 Apr from £16

Presented by RM Promotions.

The Irish / Manx / Scottish quintet are BBC Radio 2 Folk Award winners. They are amongst Glasgow’s hottest folk property.

They have a wide reaching fanbase throughout the UK, Europe, USA and Canada. The quintet have fast become one of the trad scene's most talked about group. It's thanks in no small part to their debut video L’Air Mignonne becoming a viral smash in 2016. It catapulted the group to the attention of audiences and media worldwide.

Their two albums Afterlight and Avalanche, have since amassed a devoted listenership. Live audiences are transfixed by their collective and individual technical prowess.

The line up includes Adam Brown (bodhrán), Adam Rhodes (bouzouki), Mohsen Amini (concertina), Ryan Murphy (uilleann pipes) and Tomás Callister (fiddle). They all share a strong background in Irish music. It is a grounding that underpins many of Ímar’s distinctive qualities, in both instrumentation and material.

The shared cultural heritages between Scotland, Ireland and the Isle of Man are well documented: all three once shared the same Gaelic language, and a similar, clearly potent, kinship endures between their musical traditions.

'Striking musicianship, artful arrangements and sheer absolute delight' Songlines

'Genuinely jaw-dropping collective virtuosity supplied frills to burn' ★★★★★ The Scotsman

'The energy that’s seemingly bursting to let loose is tempered by a variety of instrumental formations and an attention to pacing that showcases the tunes’ melodic strength, and even when the floodgates open the effect is all the more exhilarating for the underlying control and musicality' The Herald

Courtyard Theatre
£20

Imar's website

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•  23 Apr from £23

Led by Creative Eye

Norden Farm's Crafternoons are relaxed crafting sessions for older people.

Get crafty with a range of activities, or bring along your own projects to work on with support from tutor Kayleigh Robinson.

You can learn new skills, meet new people and try something new, a cup of tea is included with the ticket price. Come either Tuesday or Wednesday and join in that week's craft. If you are unable to attend in person you can log on from home to chat and join in the session.

Spring Season
Tues 14 Jan - Charcoal Drawing
Tues 21 Jan - Embroidered Photos
Tues 28 Jan - Decoupage Log Slices
Tues 4 Feb - No Session
Tues 11 Feb - Polymer Clay Octopus
Tues 18 Feb - Pin Board
Tues 25 Feb - Willow Suncatcher
Tues 4 Mar - Wire Flowers
Tues 11 Mar - Felt Keyring / Brooch
Tues 18 Mar - Woven Basket
Tues 25 Mar - Wool Hoop Art
Tues 1 Apr - Book Folded Sheep
Tues 8 Apr - Fabric Flower
Tues 15 Apr - Cube Bunny
Tues 22 Apr - Embossed Foil Decorations
Tues 29 Apr - Iris Paper Folding

Social Arts Crafternoons is a partially funded project run by Norden Farm with support from The Berkshire Community Foundation.

Local transport can be provided as part of the ticket price for those attending on a Wednesday.

If you need transport to Norden Farm for the Wednesday sessions please contact Jess Thompson at jess.thompson@nordenfarm.org / 01628 682563 to talk through your requirements.

Suitable for ages 60+ years.

2pm - 3pm
£6.50 per session, including a cup of tea

•  21 Jan from £650
•  28 Jan from £650
• 12 more dates...

Led by Nanda Sharma

Welcome to Bollybhangra Dance Fitness Party sessions! Nanda teaches her original choreographies to top hits from Bollywood, Bhangra, Belly dance and also other international music and dance rhythms.

The joyful music and movements encourage us to open our hearts and minds to possibilities, improve wellbeing and body-confidence and encourage us to embrace our individuality.

Enjoy the benefits of dance on flexibility and balance, health and fitness, and mood, memory, in a fun and friendly environment, at your own pace - no pressure. Beginners welcome.

Every class feels like a party and your place awaits! Dress up or dress down, some colour, sequins and a jingly bellydance scarf will add to your experience!

Bring water, a towel, wear dance sneakers or trainers.

Spring
Tues 14 Jan - Tues 29 Apr
3pm - 4pm

£10 per session

•  21 Jan from £10
•  28 Jan from £10
• 9 more dates...

Led by Seann Wilkinson

A non-audition community choir open to all. Working on everything from Madonna to Les Mis, from gospel to pop - this is an opportunity to meet people, learn some harmonies and sing your hearts out. No experience required. Enthusiasm absolutely necessary!

Spring
Tues 14 Jan - Tues 1 Apr (exc 18 Feb)
7.30pm – 9pm

£11 per session | £110 per 11 week term

•  21 Jan from £11
•  28 Jan from £11
• 7 more dates...

Led by Julie Potter

This class is particularly suited to beginners, those returning to yoga having had a break, those with specific injuries or conditions or even those that consider themselves to be of a certain age that might need a less challenging approach. We will cover general breathing practises, the basic and gentler postures, together with general information and possible discussion around movement and the potential difficulties we might come up against.

The aim will be to relax and enjoy.

The yoga I teach is an evolution of nearly 30 years of practice and study, with a broad experience of many styles and teachers. In recent years I have been moving away from ‘external’ evaluation of the postures and moving towards an internal sense of the postures, moving away from the more used traditional approach of systemised yoga to a more experiential and felt approach, influenced by teachers who have been inspired by the teachings of Vanda Scaravelli.

Please bring a blanket, a Yoga / Pilates mat, and wear loose comfortable clothing

Spring
Wed 15 Jan - 12 Feb (5 weeks)
Wed 19 Feb - 19 Mar (5 weeks)
Wed 26 Mar - 30 Apr (5 weeks)

11am - 12.15pm
£12 per session | £50 per 5 week course

This class will take place both in person and online via Zoom.

You will find the link to access the session in your booking confirmation email.

•  22 Jan from £12
•  29 Jan from £12
• 12 more dates...