We are introducing a new event to the ceilidh programme at The Sidmouth Folk Festival, a new caller’s showcase evening. This will be taking place in the Blackmore Gardens Dance Marquee from 7.30pm on Tuesday 6 August.

This is to provide festival-goers the chance to dance to some new faces that have never called at the festival before, bringing some new voices and dances to the scene.

They will be joined by festival-favourites The Gloworm, who bring infectious dance rhythms to the ceilidh sets.  It is sure to be an irresistible night of dancing at the cutting edge of emerging talent.

The evening is being organised and hosted by long-term festival MC, Michael Catovsky.

In January 2019, we launched an online application form for suitable callers to be included in the showcase, and closed the entries in March 2019.  We received forms from around 20 applicants, all of whom seemed clearly good enough to be included.  Everyone had a good history of calling around the country and with different bands.

Unfortunately, due to time-constraints, we were only able to shortlist 8 candidates, so that during the evening they can each call around 2 dances.  Further details about them will be included in the festival newsletter, so look out for that on your arrival at Sidmouth.

The callers that are being included all have a really strong pedigree of experience, and will bring a refreshing approach for dancers.  As we gather together over the first few days of the festival before this event, we will be arrange a meet-up between all the new callers and the band to arrange a dance-program that will work for everyone, including callers’ favourite dances, variety of figures and formations, and utilising the band’s best tunes.

Please come along and support this event; it’s going to be a great evening of dancing, as well as being an opportunity to support new faces to the festival.