NEFS Summer Workshop Weekend 2026
Sat 4th & Sun 5th July 2026
with Stewart Hardy and Grace Smith
Riding Mill Parish Hall, Millfield Road, Riding Mill, NE44 6DJ
Saturday 4th July: The Wider World of Jigs
– introducing syncopation and jigs from beyond the British Isles
9.30 am – 5.00 pm
Learn exciting new tunes and look at bowing and any useful ornaments to make these tunes even more interesting, as well as techniques to make playing them easier. We will finish the day with a session of our core NEFS repertoire.
Sunday 5th July: Ways into Creativity in Folk Fiddle
9.30 am – 4.30 pm
Learn to do even more with our folk tunes: creating fiddle harmonies from a bass line or riff, rhythmic claves for accompaniment, understanding pentatonic tunes and creating harmonies.
Social evening
Saturday 4th July: 7.30 – 9.30 pm
Bottle Bank Band – Concert & Session
Join us for an inspiring concert of fiddle music by the wonderful Bottle Bank Band. Stewart Hardy, Sophy Ball, David Jones and Chloe Jones combine their outstanding individual talents to create exciting and mesmerising arrangements for four fiddles.
This will be followed by a music session open to all, with tunes from our NEFS repertoire and more!
Free entry for all – donations towards the event will be gratefully received.
Join us for two days of folk fiddle workshops for adults with Stewart Hardy and Grace Smith. Each day can be booked separately, or you can book both together, as they are complementary but not dependent upon each other.
- All workshops are aimed at competent beginners to advanced players, but won’t be suitable for absolute or early beginner players.
- Full notation and audio files will be provided for all workshops and sessions.
- Tea and coffee during the daytime breaks are included, but please bring your own lunches and evening refreshments. Please advise us of any relevant dietary requirements.
Each workshop day is £55 and includes all tuition, full resources and refreshments during the breaks (lunch is not included).
Book both SWW workshop days for £105.
Advanced booking for the workshop days is essential. Book now via the NEFS Shop.
Saturday evening: Free Entry – donations gratefully received
Venue
Riding Mill Parish Hall, Millfield Rd, Riding Mill NE44 6DJ
Riding Mill Parish Hall is less than a five-minute-walk from Riding Mill station. Car shares may be possible from various localities.
Timetable
Saturday
| Time | Event |
| 09:30 | Welcome & set up |
| 09:45 | Physical warm-up |
| 10:00 – 11:15 | Workshop 1 |
| 11:15 | Break |
| 11:45 – 13:00 | Workshop 2 |
| 13:00 – 14:00 | Lunch |
| 14:00 – 15:15 | Workshop 3 |
| 15:15 | Break |
| 15:45 – 17:00 | Session |
| 17:00 | Finish |
Saturday evening
| Time | Event |
| 19:30 – 20:15 | Concert by Bottle Bank Band |
| 20:15 | Session for all instruments |
| 21:30 | Close |
Sunday
| Time | Event |
| 09:30 | Welcome |
| 09:45 | Physical warm-up |
| 10:00 – 11:15 | Workshop 1 |
| 11:15 | Break |
| 11:45 – 13:00 | Workshop 2 |
| 13:00 – 14:00 | Lunch |
| 14:00 – 15:00 | Workshop 3 |
| 15:00 | Break |
| 15:30 – 16:30 | Session |
| 16:30 | Finish |