Sidmouth Folk Festival: Grab the chance to sing with The Fisherman's Friends

Exciting plans are shaping up for a diverse and memorable online Sidmouth Folk Festival, which will harness the spirit of the annual seaside music and dance party, in the absence of the real thing.

Meanwhile, the event's Crowdfunder appeal is going from strength to strength. It smashed its initial target of £30,000, hit its £70,000 extension and is currently aiming to raise £90,000 to ensure the future of the festival in 2021 and beyond.

Many exciting rewards are still available to supporters, with new offerings added frequently. At 9am tomorrow (Friday) a special opportunity goes live on the site – the chance to sing with Cornish shanty stars and festival favourites The Fisherman's Friends on their next album. The group, who were booked to play a pre-festival special concert this year, and will return in 2021, are also donating signed CDs and DVDs of the Fisherman's Friends movie.

The heart of the virtual festival will be shows from a secret location in Sidmouth on Saturday, August 1 and Sunday, August 2 from 5-9pm. Hosted by Matthew Crampton and Kitty Macfarlane, the concerts will feature live appearances by Steve Knightley and Jim Causley, as well as unique recorded performances from Martin Simpson, Brighde Chaimbeul, Jez Lowe, Ewan McLennan, Jackie Oates and John Spiers, Hannah Sanders and Ben Savage, Cohen Braithwaite- Kilcoyne and many more.

Look out for special contributions from Nancy Kerr and James Fagan, Blowzabella, Rachel Hair and Jon Boden. And, true to Sidmouth's "something for everyone" tradition, expect virtual versions of the ever-popular John Gasson Jig Competition, the legendary Sidmouth Folk Festival Horse Trials, Folk on Foot, as well as storytelling, folk dance, poetry and mummers plays.

There will be fun-filled activities for children, alongside Shooting Roots and Stream of Sound, and a strong youth programme.

Zoom workshops will run throughout the festival week with favourites like Kerry Fletcher, Sandra Kerr, Paul Sartin, Nick and Mary Barber's Big Band, John Dipper, and Bob Ellis.

There will also be lots of footage from many of this year's booked artists, and plenty of archive material to bring back happy memories of time spent in Sidmouth. The full programme will be announced soon.

Visit www.crowdfunder.co.uk/the-sidmouth-folk-festival and sidmouthfolkfestival.co.uk for more information.