COMMUNITY ARTIST

 

SING FOLK

On 20th May 2025 Anna will lead the first gathering of the Sing Folk, a joyful evening of folk and shanty singing. Whether you are a first-timer or a seasoned pro, you are invited to lead a song, sing along or simply listen at this informal, acoustic session. Come and share your favourite traditional song from anywhere in the world or bring an original folk song. We look forward to meeting you at the first session of what we hope will become a regular community event.

Venue: Music Workshop, 1B Town Walk, Folkestone CT20 2AD
Timings: Doors open at 6.30pm for a 7pm start. Music finishes at around 9pm with a break halfway. 11pm close.
Free entry with cash donations welcomed.

If you have any questions about access or anything else please contact: thesingfolk@gmail.com

Come join the throng!

COMMUNITY MUSICAL DIRECTOR FOR THE RSC

Anna often runs music and performance workshops as part of larger performance projects. She has also run music workshops for: Creative Folkestone, Touchbase Care, Sound and Music, Canterbury Christ Church University, Elevate festival and Take Up Space.

Most recently she took the role of local Musical Director for the RSC production of Julius Caesar on their tour to the Marlowe Theatre (Canterbury). She ran workshops and rehearsals for the community chorus.

The Marlowe has decided to extend this work and she now runs a community chorus for the theatre.

Soundtracks for film and animation workshops

Anna has run family soundtrack workshops with collaborator Helen Lindon for both Block 67 (Folkestone) and Electric Medway Festival (with the Mess Room). They involve participants creating a small ‘set’ in a box which is filmed and then creating a live soundtrack to that film using household objects, their voice and a looper pedal. Ages 3yrs - 78yrs have enjoyed these fast and flowing workshops, discovering new ways to express their creativity and acquiring skills in set building and composition along the way.

During 2024 Anna was visiting composition tutor for ‘sound for animation’ workshops run by both Screen South and Young Animators Club. The young people learnt how to apply music and sound effects to their animations over the course of a day.

THE INTERTIDAL CHOIR

The Intertidal Choir’* was a project created by sound artist Jane Pitt, open to all voices, the choir met in various riverside locations between Chatham and Borstal, Kent on outgoing and low evening tides before sunset during Sept. 2023.

Anna worked as vocal coach supporting participants to develop their vocal sounds, working in response to the riverside environment to create a unique vocal piece that reflected the experience of being there.

* project supported by the Rochester Riverside Community Fund

DIY PUNK BAND

For International Womens' Day 2017, Anna facilitated a ‘DIY Punk Band’ workshop as part of the ‘Older Women Rock’ festival with fellow musician Gemma Storr. To listen to the results click HERE (please be aware this recording contains swearing).

"You and Gemma helped me realise a lifelong ambition, i.e. to play the drums. I had the most wonderful time. You will never know how good the experience made me feel. I was like a child when I got home, too excited to sleep! I want to do it all again, tonight!" Workshop participant

 

COMMUNITY WORKSHOPS

As part of her collaborative projects Hulked and Green Woman 2024 Anna ran many workshops including:

  • Sessions for primary school children in field recording and editing on a DAW, creative writing and morris dancing.

  • Song writing for adults including facilitation of sessions in a professional recording studio.

  • How to build a sound walk in a day - a workshop for adult beginners.

  • Community theatre devising workshops for adults.

  • Family workshops in making a hooden horse.

  • Adult workshops in folk dance and song.

To find out more, go to the project websites: Hulked.co.uk and greenwoman.co.uk

image by: Nathan Eaton Baudains

On Saturday 27th January 2018 Anna and fellow MCC member Phil Self, invited the families of Folkestone to try something new and compose music, with the Montrose Composers’ Club at local arts hub ‘Block 67’.

Participants created their own sounds in Phil's ‘mini studio’ using a granular processing app, samples and live instruments. Elsewhere Anna helped people create and record their own tape cassette loops, whilst regular MCC collaborators Helen Lindon and Stewart Hughes encouraged children, OAPs and everyone in-between to create a large scale graphic score. At intervals the whole group would get together to form an improvised orchestra which Anna conducted as they played the graphic score 'live'. 

 

Anna, members of the Montrose Composers’ Club and artist Helen Lindon ran a four hour drop-in workshop for families exploring graphic scores and improvisation on January 26th 2019. The participants were encouraged to draw what they could hear and then create their own graphic scores to be played by members of the MCC or a small orchestra of participants on simple instruments.

FREE WOMEN

Anna co-runs Free Women with musician and researcher Maureen Wolloshin. The group consists of improvising performers based in East Kent who create work which incorporates spoken word, movement, music, puppetry and costume. They run occasional workshops in improvisation from Canterbury Christ Church University.

FREE RANGE ORCHESTRA

Anna co-ran the Free Range Orchestra for two years with lecturer and musician Dr. Sean Williams. The twenty-strong improvisors orchestra performs regularly at Free Range (Canterbury) and has performed and recorded with improvisation legends Evan Parker and Maggie Nicols.