Music student secures £23k to bring traditional music and dance festival to Cornwall
09 November 2026
Third-year BA(Hons) Creative Music Technology student Tom Trant is about to see a module assignment become a real festival. Backed by £23,000 from Arts Council England, Gool Gwerin Aberfal (Cornish for ‘Falmouth Folk Festival’) runs from 27 to 29 November at The Cornish Bank and King Charles the Martyr church in Falmouth.
The weekend of live traditional music and dance is headlined by piper Malin Lewis on Friday, Dublin-based sean-nós singer Eoghan Ó Ceannabháin on Saturday and Thomas McCarthy on Sunday.
Tom wrote the funding application as part of a module last year.
“I wrote the hypothetical application for my Enterprise: Innovative Music Business Practice module. I decided to submit it and was pretty surprised when it was successful!” said Tom.
Tom heard in April that his funding had been approved, leaving around seven months to organise the event. Much of the planning was already set out in the application itself. The funding supports grassroots music and pays for branding, advancing and a festival procession.
Tom regularly performs with his band Tealeaf, but this is his first time organising an event on this scale. He is enlisting the help of friends to make the weekend a success.
“Organising a weekend festival is something new to me. Connections with other creatives in the community have made it possible,” Tom added.
Artwork by Abbie Lynch.
Gool Gwerin Aberfal brings together acts from Cornwall, Ireland and Scotland. Alongside the headliners, the line-up includes Daisy Rickman, Mikey Kenney, Femmes de la Mer, Bagas Fellyon and Skillywidden, with Nos Lowen leading some dancing events.
The programme also includes sessions, talks, workshops, a procession, a feast and a jam session, with donations going to Palestine.
The procession takes place at 3pm on Saturday and will feature a giant goat made by Eve Diviney Clegg. Abbie Lynch designed the poster and branding.
“I’m looking forward to seeing some amazing music from people embedded in their traditions, for a feast to become a session and to spend time with a very long goat,” Tom shared.
BA(Hons) Creative Music Technology course leader Simon Waite said: “This is a fantastic example of our students using the course to access professional opportunities. Our modules are designed to enable students to actively engage with the vibrant creative community in Cornwall and support the development of their professional careers as part of their studies. Many congratulations to Tom - not just for the successful application but also for creating the opportunity for others to get involved.”
Tickets
Weekend tickets, which include access to The Cornish Bank and King Charles the Martyr church, are available on Fixr.
External links
Gool Gwerin on Instagram
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