Umina folk festival planned

A folk festival is being planned for Umina from October 17 to 19 by the Central Coast Dance and Music Association and its Woy Woy-based Troubadour Folk Club.

The festival will commence on the Friday evening and run through to Sunday afternoon.

It will be hosted at Club Umina, the adjoining Umina Public School and the Umina Scout Hall.

There will be several concerts in large auditoriums, a large dance, music work shops, a children's festival, dance workshops, poets' breakfasts and late-night undercover sessions.

In total there will be 36 hours of concerts, four hours of poets' breakfasts, 13 hours of dance workshops, 12 hours of music workshops, a four-hour dance and a children's festival.

Performers are booked from many parts of New South Wales as well as some from interstate.

A smaller folk festival has been held at Patonga for the past two years.

The association decided to hold festival in Umina this year because of the need for larger venues for all events and to have them situated closer together.

Umina also offered ample accommodation nearby.

Concerts will include a wide variety of music including contemporary, blues, traditional, Celtic and world music.

Music workshops will take the form of a presenter teaching their skill in a variety of musical areas.

Dance workshops also feature expert presenters teaching their style of dance, including Colonial, Scottish country, Irish set dancing and American contra.

Dancers can then practice their new found skills at the festival dance where a professional dance band will have assembled for their entertainment with all dances taught and called.

Poets' breakfasts are morning gatherings where bush poets recite funny or moving poems to an assembled audience over breakfast at the club from 8.30am each day.

The children's festival activities include making musical instruments, painting stage back drops and listening to children's music programs.

Children under 16 at the festival are free if accompanied by a paying adult.

Additional information is also available on the Internet on: http://www.geocities.com/troubadourfolkclub/umina which is updated as information becomes available..

The festival is presented by the Central Coast Bush Dance and Music Association Inc and its Troubadour Folk Club.

Anyone wishing to perform, become involved or requiring additional information should contact frussell@fastlink.com.au or call 4341 4060.

Cec Bucello, May 26