Young Sidmouth

The Family and Young Sidmouth Programme is now available. Click here to download it.

The Young Sidmouth programme offers a wide range of stimulating and enjoyable activities for children and young people. From craft workshops to music sessions, whether your child is six months or 16 years old there is something to interest everyone!

Young Sidmouth is based in Blackmore Gardens, in the centre of the town – a charming and safe environment for children and young people to run around in or hang out with their friends – everyone is welcome! There are outdoor entertainments and storytelling plus an open-air stage where dance teams and musicians perform.

The Little Folk Tent caters for under 7s with music and craft sessions to take part in (with a little help from Mums, Dads, Grannies and Grandads) and have lots of fun and make new friends in a supportive environment.

There are workshops for 7-10 and 11-15 year olds, including, for each age group: Join the band – all acoustic instruments welcome, from fiddles to French horns; Singing workshops to stretch the vocal chords; Percussion – great fun learning to bash some percussion and making a piece of music to show all the family; Art and Craft sessions – learn new skills and make something to take home; and Dance workshops to let off steam!

For teenagers there are daily music and song sessions led by artists appearing at the Festival, and theatre workshops in which they can devise their own pieces of theatre. There is also a choir for teenagers, singing songs from around the world, from Sudan to Sidmouth! All projects where young people can make friends and have a laugh!

And for the whole family to join in, there are music and craft workshops, and Family Ceilidhs where children and their parents can learn some new fun dances together. We also run daily Family Concerts, featuring artists from around the Festival entertaining with songs, tunes and stories that will delight the whole family.

"We've been going to Sidmouth since we were about two … you'd go home from that week in August and think, I want to play folk all year round" - Hazel Askew

"What really did it for me was going to the children's band and ceilidh workshops at Sidmouth; you'd spend the whole week working up to it and then actually play for a ceilidh" - Emily Askew

Young Sidmouth events are supported by a grant from Sidmouth Town Council