Applications open for Folkworks Summer Schools and Summer Sessions 2025
Musicians and singers of all ages are invited to immerse themselves in the world of folk music at the 2025 Folkworks Summer Schools and Folkworks Summer Sessions.
Whether you’re a young player looking for an unforgettable week of music-making or an adult ready to play, create and perform, there’s a place for you in the Folkworks community.
Applications open Monday 3 February 2025, with bursaries available for those who need support.
As The Glasshouse celebrates 20 years as an international centre for music rooted in the North East, it’s looking ahead to the next generation – helping young musicians get started and experienced players grow. Folkworks Summer Schools and Sessions are part of that mission, creating spaces where folk music thrives across generations.
For musicians aged 9 to 18, the Folkworks Youth and Junior Summer Schools, running from Monday 4 to Friday 8 August at Durham School, offer an immersive week of folk music, song and dance. Whether folk is already a passion or something completely new, this residential course is all about learning, collaboration and new friendships.
Course Leader Grace Smith says, “The Summer School is a brilliant opportunity for young people to learn about folk music, song, and they can explore creative ideas with a fantastic team of tutors. As well as playing lots of music, we have plenty of social time – dancing, quizzes, games, and concerts. It’s a fantastic week to try new musical ideas and make lifelong friends.”
Guided by expert tutors, including Archie Churchill-Moss, Bevan Morris, Sarah Hayes, Rosie Hodgson, Dave Malkin and Grace Smith, young musicians will explore folk through ensemble workshops, instrumental sessions and dance. The week finishes with an informal performance for friends and family.
Frankie Archer, Artist in Residence at The Glasshouse, reflects on her experience at the Folkworks Summer Schools: “It gave me somewhere to belong. At summer school, I was surrounded by young people from all over, connecting through the universal language of folk music.”
Frankie’s journey from Folkworks participant to professional artist shows what happens when organisations invest in musicians. Now, The Glasshouse is doing the same for the next generation.
Looking for a festival-style folk experience? New for 2025, the Folkworks Summer Sessions, running from Wednesday 16 to Friday 18 July at The Glasshouse, are for adults who want to play, learn and explore folk music in an inspiring, flexible setting.
Dave Gray, Course Leader for Summer Sessions, explains, “Folk is all about collaboration and creativity, and the Summer Sessions reflect that. It’s a space for self-care and reflection – an opportunity to learn and explore folk music in an inspiring and supportive setting.”
Led by a stellar tutor lineup including Jack Rutter, Sarah Hayes, David Gray, Karen Tweed, Nancy Kerr and Jock Tyldesley, participants can join mixed-instrument ensembles, vocal workshops and informal evening events.
The Folkworks Summer Schools and Sessions are part of The Glasshouse’s wider commitment to keeping music education open to everyone. With bursaries available and a focus on inclusivity, the aim is to ensure that anyone – regardless of background – can experience the joy of folk music.
Applications for all courses open on Monday 3 February 2025, with a bursary deadline of Thursday 1 May 2025. The final deadline to apply is Wednesday 16 June 2025 for Summer Sessions and Monday 7 July 2025 for Youth & Junior Summer Schools. For more information and to apply, visit Folkworks Summer Schools & Sessions
-ENDS-
For press enquiries please contact:
Beverley Knight: beverley.knight@theglasshouseicm.org
0191 443 4583
Susie Gray, susie.gray@premiercomms.com
07834 073795
Image Links
Youth and Junior schools:
Summer Sessions:
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Listings:
Folkworks Youth & Junior Summer Schools
Ages 9-18
Monday 4 – Friday 8 August 2025
Venue: Durham School
Residential & non-residential options available
Prices from £240 – £550 (bursaries available)
Folkworks | The Glasshouse
Folkworks Summer Sessions
Ages 18+
Wednesday 16 – Friday 18 July 2025
Venue: The Glasshouse International Centre for Music
£300 for three days (bursaries available)
10% discount for ages 30 and under
Folkworks | The Glasshouse
About The Glasshouse International Centre for Music
The Glasshouse International Centre for Music is a home for live music lovers.
It’s a place where you can hear rock legends or pop icons on the same night as folk trios or string quartets. Where new musicians are nurtured and showcased on the same stages as platinum-selling performers. And where youth choirs and tambourine-shaking toddlers practise in the same spaces as its acclaimed orchestra, Royal Northern Sinfonia.
Because as an international centre for music they’re focused on creating and celebrating outstanding music – whether that’s unearthing or growing talent from the region or bringing the world’s best artists to their stages. And as a charity they’re focused on making sure all of that is available to anyone – no matter where you’re from, how old you are, how much money you have, or what challenges you face.
Which is why every year more than 2 million people are able to join for top-notch gigs, concerts, and classes – in their venue at Gateshead Quays, out in communities across the North East, and through livestreamed performances and digital lessons.
Whether you’re making it up or taking it in, you’ll find music lives and grows there.
More about The Glasshouse International Centre for Music
- Since opening in 2004, The Glasshouse has hosted over 10,000 performances, welcoming nearly 5 million audience members. It would take more than 27 years to see every show if you attended one every day.
- Over two decades, the charity has delivered around 230,000 music lessons, reaching young people and adults 2.7 million times across its education programmes.
- As its resident orchestra, Royal Northern Sinfonia has toured globally, performing across four continents and livestreaming to audiences across five.
- The Glasshouse has supported the careers of thousands of artists like Ward Thomas who have worked their way from free stages to headline shows in its main hall, achieving national and global recognition.
- Since 2004, The Glasshouse has welcomed over 400,000 delegates for conferences and events, hosting organisations such as Greggs, NHS, and British Engines.
- Over the past two decades, The Glasshouse has generated £500 million in economic impact for the North East.
- The iconic building, designed by Foster + Partners, has 630 panes of glass and stands 40 metres tall. In its opening year, it was exhibited at the Venice Biennale and won the RIBA Inclusive Design Award in 2005.
- Celebrating 20 years – In December 2024, The Glasshouse marked its 20th birthday. Over the next year, the charity will reflect on two decades of achievements and look ahead to its third decade, with major initiatives like the Music Academy and Music Pass for newborns, making music accessible to all.