Arthur Coates & Kerran Cotterell are carving out a name for themselves with their unique capabilities.

​ While some of their music takes a clean, modern sound, others hop aboard the blues train and take a whistle stop tour of the Québécois traditional music line.

The have a unique style, rooted in Québécois traditional music fused with songs from around the British Isles and North America.

Their creative choices and syncopated melodic rhythms are a testament to their talent and great synergy. These multi-instrumentalists and vocalists are making music that is thoughtful, conscious, and driven. They excite, motivate, inspire, comfort, and spread love and joy to all those that hear them.

Holly Clarke & George Sansome  are a dynamic new duo of two talented musicians, a must-see act for folk music lovers.

After their initial collaboration as part of Queer Folk, Holly Clarke and George Sansome found their musical chemistry to be undeniable. Their shared passion for traditional songs and their remarkable stage presence quickly became apparent to those who had witnessed their first performance, that this was a duo in the making.

As they pick their way through some of their favourite traditional songs, Holly Clarke and George Sansome are continually exploring innovative ways to arrange the music between their instruments. Their goal is to create arrangements that not only showcase their individual talents but also highlight the unique synergy and connection they have when playing together.

George is well known on the folk scene as part of the trio Granny’s Attic.

Dave Camlin is based in West Cumbria; his work covers performance, composition, teaching, socially-engaged music practice and research. He is a Lecturer in Music Education at the Royal College of Music and Trinity-Laban Conservatoire, and was Head of Higher Education and Research at Sage Gateshead from 2010-19, and founded the Cumbria music charity SoundWave.

He performs in various guises, as a singer / song writer, with vocal quartet Mouthful and jazz / folk collective The Coast Road.

Dave first performed at Furness Tradition many years ago as a member of Altar Native. In 2024 he won the Furness Tradition song writing competition with his song The Long Way Home.

The ever popular Tumbling Tom Big Band will again be your dance band on Saturday night.

For many years Tumbling Tom have been one of the leading Ceilidh Dance Bands in Cumbria and the North-West. They are now only doing a few select gigs a year and are happy to be here at the festival again with the Big Band, playing their robust blend of roots, rock, and reggae rhythms. Led by melodeon with guitar, drums, and bass, and joined by trumpet, alto and tenor sax to form the Big Band, their infectious rhythms will have you dancing the night away! 

Your caller is Les Ord. Les has years of experience calling with many bands throughout the North West. His confident yet relaxed style and varied repertoire will ensure a great night of dancing.

The Lakeland Fiddlers is a community band with a fluid membership; it was formed 24 years ago out of an Adult Education class at Kendal’s Brewery Arts Centre. Since then it has performed regularly at all manner of local festivals, fairs and galas. Its repertoire, naturally enough, focuses on – although not exclusively – fiddle tunes from the local region (the Lake District),

They are led by Carolyn Francis, is known for her research, performance & teaching of Cumbrian fiddle & Borders bagpipe tunes. Her energetic style has developed over almost 50 years of playing various authentic traditional styles. She’s played with Striding Edge Band since 1996 & many other collaborations over the years.

Lakeland Fiddler Carolyn Francis is well known for her research, performance and teaching of Cumbrian fiddle and border bagpipe tunes.

Over the past 25 years she has made a career of producing a living, inclusive, culture of traditional music rooted in Cumbria, in particular with Striding Edge band and The Lakeland Fiddlers.

She is currently consolidating her 24 years of work with the Lakeland Fiddlers through developing a solo show of tunes, poems and songs using a loop pedal to layer harmonies and textures, so creating a soundscape reflective of this environment we know, love, and work, within.

Her fiddle style is unique; energetic and focused, with plentiful use of double-stopping (ringing strings) and ornamentation, developed over almost 50 years of playing various authentic traditional styles.

She is a prolific tune writer; In 2023 one of her compositions, “Cissy Middleton”, was published by Faber in “Tunes from the Women”, a compilation edited by Kathryn Tickell.

Based in North Yorkshire, Pateley Longsword was formed in 2004 by experienced dancers from other Morris traditions.

All their dances are devised by themselves and bring a vitality and freshness to the tradition. They intersperse the longsword with other dances such as a Basque dance or a Border Morris dance.

Yorkshire Long Sword dancing is a form of English ritual hilt-and-point sword dance from the 15th century, or even earlier; the dances could have been brought across by the Vikings invaders; they may also have started due to the belief that iron was thought to have magical properties, which would promote fertility and encourage the coming of a good spring and summer.

The usual pattern of performance starts with the rhythmic clashing of swords, followed by the formation of a ring in which each person holds the hilt of his sword and the point of his neighbour’s sword; there follows a number of weaving and twisting movements which demand a high degree of teamwork if the circle is to remain unbroken throughout the dance; at certain stages of the dance the swords are plaited together to form various shapes, called a lock, which is held aloft.

Furness Clog are our local dance side.

Their Dance traditions are NorthWest Clog (step), plus some dances from other folk traditions e.g. Manx and Hebridean Stepping.

North-west morris originated in North Lancashire and North Yorkshire, and is traditionally danced in clogs by six or eight people.

Furness and Westmorland stepping was unique to this area, and was once danced by hundreds of groups of dancers at all-night folk or barn dances.

Amounderness Ladies Morris is a Women’s team of North West Morris Dancers. They promote and perform traditional ladies North Western garland and stick dances.

They are easily identified in their kit of purple dresses and green tights and shoes.