Workshop: Ogham-chraobh
with Susannah Stark | Edinburgh Tradfest 2026
(Sat 2 & Sat 9 May: 2pm)
Explore an ancient link between trees and language; learning Gaelic names for trees and looking at the beith-luis-nin, a form of the early medieval Ogham alphabet as a prompt for creating improvised music.
During this two-part workshop with musician Susannah Stark, participants will get to know the variety of Ogham inscriptions in Scotland, learn the names of different trees in the surrounding area in Gaelic and Ogham, and work with field recordings, acoustic and electronic instruments and your voices, responding to improvisation prompts and creating visual scores for improvising together. Open to musicians of any background and level of experience who are willing to improvise, try vocal practices, and open to group working.
~~~~~
Susannah Stark’s longstanding interest in the art of song and multi-lingual expression inspires a songwriting process by which she aims to give voice to intangible moments of everyday life & creative inspiration in their raw form.
Susannah first presented her work with song through collaboration with MC Don Hayden in surround sound audio for Art Basel Miami 2016, before going on to release a debut solo album of experimental pop music, Time Together Hues and Intensities with Belgian label Stroom that featured in Mojo magazine’s 2020 best of year charts and more. Joining forces with trumpet player Phil Cardwell, drummer Laurie Pitt, and accordionist Caroline Hussey they created Mion-phuingean (Minor Gestures), an extended folk session in locations around the Govan stones, river Clyde and underground waters featuring new Gaelic songwriting. They have played live in Scotland, the UK and Europe and had music shared on Late Junction, BBC 6 Music and NTS among others. Susannah is also a part of Scottish drone-folk love song project, stravsky & pelè, also released on Stroom.
A booking fee of £1.50 is charged per transaction. This workshop takes place across two sessions on Sat 2 and Sat 9 May. Bookers should be able to attend both sessions. Purchase of a ticket for Sat 2 May covers both sessions. If you have any questions please contact Reception on 0131 556 9579.
-
Workshop
-
£40.00 -
2-9 May 2026 -
180 minutes -
Scottish Storytelling Centre -
Training Venue -
16+
