FRIDAY, March 3 and Saturday, March 4 sees Sage Gateshead celebrate the local heritage and tradition of the North-East in the only way it can, by introducing Folkworks: Pass it On Festival.

The event is a celebration of local heritage through singing, music, dance and storytelling passed down from one generation to the next. Alongside performances in Sage One and Sage Two, expect a range of free activities to accompany the event, from heritage walks to rapper dance workshops.

Friday and Saturday will see a collection of the region and country’s top folk performers. In a momentous coup for the festival, folk legend Shirley Collins will perform for the first time in 35 years. She is joined by singer-songwriter and multi-instrumentalist Emily Portman, the incredible vocals of The Wilson Family, Instrumentalist of the Year Rachel Newton, Alasdair Roberts, Anglo-American folk duo Cath and Phil Tyler and Bottle Bank Band throughout the weekend.

The festival is rooted in the local community with six local primary schools performing on Sage Gateshead’s Concourse on the Friday while the results of a six-week heritage project for Gateshead Key Stage One and Two students will be presented on the Saturday together with performances from an ensemble of dance teams and folk collaborators, plus stalls from local craftspeople and artists.

A drop-in storytelling lounge will be open on the Saturday, where story seekers of all ages can pop in to hear tales from First Storyteller Laureate Taffy Thomas and Young Storyteller of the Year 2014 Jake Evans. Free workshops will invite participants to raid the folk archives with award-winning musicians and singers Emily Portman and Rachel Newton.

Festivities continue outside of the building too as traditional singers Rachel Hamer and Johnny Handle provide entertainment and inspiration with a walk along Newcastle/Gateshead quayside to discover the songs that have been sung and inspired by the beautiful surroundings.

To book tickets please go to sagegateshead.com or visit Sage Gateshead Ticket Office either in person (open from noon) or by calling 0191-443-4661.