Learn to rap and yodel at festival of fun

Pygmy yodelling, flags of hope, or hand-made pots – this year’s Hebden Bridge Arts Festival offers a chance to try an eclectic mix of music and crafts.

The sessions include Baba’s Rap Workshop at the Little Theatre in Holme Street on Sunday, July 16. Baba will be sharing the basic techniques that rap artists use to express themselves and tell stories.

Drawing from examples of well-known rap songs, Baba will break the composition down into simple steps and lead the workshop in creating their own rap verses.

Baba began his career freestyling and writing songs in his hometown of Vancouver in Canada. He now tours the world and has released four albums. His rap re-creation of Chaucer’s Canterbury Tales plays at the Little Theatre on the same evening.

Musical invention is also the theme of Mal Webb’s Beat Box workshop at the Trades Club on Sunday, July 9. Mal is a vocal adventurer, multi-instrumentalist and song-writer, who uses everything from pygmy yodelling to a recording pedal called Derek. His workshop is a chance to learn the techniques and then put them into practice during his performance.

For budding artists, Dream Flags at the Holme Street Arts Centre on July 1 and 8 is a free drop-in workshop for all ages. People taking part will be able to design and make flags that illustrate their hopes, prayers and dreams.

Sarah McDade’s Garden Pots workshop, at Artsmill on July 6 and 12, is all about making hand-built clay pots and planters and is open to anyone aged over 14.

The workshops are part of the 13th Hebden Bridge Arts Festival, which runs from July 1 to 16 with a packed programme of the best in theatre, music, dance, film and art.


Programmes and booking forms are available from the festival office on Albert Street, Hebden Bridge or by calling 01422 842684. Details and regular news bulletins can also of course be found here at www.hebdenbridge.co.uk/festival.