A FORMER priest training college is holding its first ever folk festival next month.

Ushaw College, near Durham, will be hosting concerts, workshops, open sessions and a folk-themed service in its St Cuthbert’s Chapel during the festival, which is due to take place June 3 to June 5.

The college, which dates from 1808, opened to the public last year and is now a cultural centre and is holding exhibitions, concerts and events.

The folk festival is the first of two planned for this year, with a jazz festival planned for the August Bank Holiday weekend.

Organiser Peter Seed said: "We've been doing folk over the last 15 to 18 months but this is the first time we've done it as a festival. To get it all together on one weekend is really quite something and we hope people will look forward to it.

"We have some big names and it has a Northern flavour"

The festival will feature artists including Kathryn Tickell and her band Superfolkus, Windy Gyle, Rachael Dadd, Coast Road and North East folk legend Alistair Anderson and his new band Northlands.

There will also be workshops on both days, one featuring Northumbrian pipes with Alice Burn – the 2009 BBC Young Folk Musician of the Year. On Sunday there is a singing workshop with Kat Davidson, from Sage Gateshead.

Saturday will also see a contemporary folk mass in St Cuthbert’s Chapel, including a specially composed set of tunes, including a version of the Our Father to the music of the Waters of Tyne.

The cafe and bar will be open throughout the festival and tickets can be bought online by visiting www.ushaw.org.