Workshops at Festivals
For me, folk music is, in its essence, about community and accessibility. When traditional songs were being performed in their original contexts by their source singers, it would have been ridiculous to think that things like understanding music theory or notated music would be a barrier to access.
At festivals, I'm interested in building music creation spaces that feel engaging and accessible to everyone. I've facilitated workshops at festivals including Cambridge Folk Festival, Folk East, Whitchurch, Tolpuddle and Greenbelt.
Workshops I offer for festivals include: political songwriting, interpretation of traditional song using voice, lyric writing sessions, queering song, singers' sessions, and using mythology for songwriting. I also offer non-music based workshops focusing on community engagement including: zine making, community letter writing, pin badge making and other craft and chat type sessions. These can be a lovely, intergenerational way to get folk speaking.
For festival workshop bookings, contact my agent Jo Elkington.
“ The song writing workshop should have been intimidating as a non musical, never written a song in their life before person, BUT it was actually so joyful, so welcoming and very accessible. I had the best time”
— Workshop Attendee
Artist-led Workshops for Corporate Events and Away Days
I offer 1 hour and half-day workshops for organisations across the UK, previously working with companies including ITV, ASME Medical Conference and Inspiring Music.
Sessions include: talks and artist stories, songwriting, group music making and badge making. These sessions can be in-depth or drop in sessions. I'm happy working to a brief or working with clients to tailor the experience to best suit the needs of your organisation.
These sessions are a great way to model inclusive approaches for organisations interested in increasing awareness and accessibility.
My approach is to create sessions that are fun, relaxed and focused on ‘process over product,' meaning that the process of group creation is held at higher value than what we come out with.
Workshops in Education and Youth Settings
I've been really lucky to have loads of opportunities to work with schools, colleges and alternative education providers doing performances, workshops and residencies with young people.
I've done really exciting projects, including working with LGBTQ+ Bedfordshire to facilitate a week-long songwriting residency with young LGBTQ+ people at Redbourne High School, working with over 100 children across Cumbria and Northumbria as part of a tour with Highlights Rural Touring, and working as part of a specialist provision offering 1-1 support for children affected by domestic violence.
I offer loads of different types of sessions at schools and colleges, including drop-in industry mentoring, introductions to folk music, and beginners songwriting sessions. My sessions never include notated music, and have been described as “aspiration raising”.
“The workshop felt safe - it was my first time meeting supportive adults who were like me. I'd never met anyone like Maddie before, it made me think I could be a songwriter too”
— Participant, Bedfordshire Songwriting Residency