Our essential skills workshops are designed to offer invaluable insights and practical guidance for musicians and organisations working within traditional music in Scotland.
Whether you want to learn how to record and release your music, craft a successful funding application, improve your self-promotion, learn how how to book gigs, or take control of your finances – these workshops are designed with your professional development in mind.
“This was a brilliant workshop that really made me feel like I could achieve things that I previously thought were beyond my reach.”
(Participant feedback from 2025 workshop)
📅 Sat 19 Sept | 10.30am (3hrs)
📍 Scottish Storytelling Centre, Edinburgh
Join multi-instrumentalist and producer Tom Oakes for a practical workshop on recording and releasing your music, from initial concept to final release.
This workshop will guide you through each stage of the process, highlighting where you can save money, where it pays to invest, and how to avoid common pitfalls. Tom will share insightful and helpful tips, and examples of what works (and what doesn’t), helping you navigate your own recording project with greater confidence and clarity.
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📅 Fri 25 Sept | 10am (3hrs)
📍 UHI Broadford Learning Hub, Isle of Skye
Join us for a fundraising workshop for artists and organisations working in the traditional arts, led by Creative Scotland’s Siobhan Anderson and Catriona Hawksworth.
This workshop is aimed primarily at artists and organisations who work in the traditional arts and are interested in applying for future arts funding, or who have a great project idea but don’t know where to begin. Siobhan and Catriona will talk through what assessors look for in funding applications and how to plan out a project effectively in advance of applying for support.
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📅 Sun 4 Oct | 11am (2hrs)
📍 Scottish Storytelling Centre, Edinburgh
Join award-winning North-East folk singer Ellie Beaton for an engaging exploration of traditional Aberdeenshire ballads from the Greig–Duncan Folk Song Collection. Through these rich resources, participants will delve into the art of folk song collecting, while exploring the distinctive ornamentation and style of the region.
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📅 Sun 8 Nov | 10.30am (2hrs)
📍 Scottish Storytelling Centre, Edinburgh
Working in the traditional arts can be exceptionally rewarding, but it also comes with pressures that aren’t always easy to talk about: financial uncertainty, irregular work, time away from home, the blurred line between identity and output, and an industry that often expects you to keep going regardless.
This workshop with Jen Anderson is a space to step back and look at those realities honestly. We’ll consider some of the wellbeing challenges specific to working as a traditional artist, share experiences, and explore practical approaches to looking after yourself and each other within the sector.
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📅 Fri 13 Nov | 10am (3hrs)
📍 Scottish Music Centre, Glasgow
In this workshop with Scottish booking agent Rosie Munro, participants can expect to learn practical self-promotion strategies, how to create a strong Electronic Press Kit (EPK), how to pitch to promoters and bookers, and how to plan tours confidently.
The session will also explore branding, networking, and industry best practices to help artists stand out and secure performance opportunities. Participants should leave with actionable tools, real-world insights, and guidance they can immediately apply to their music careers.
📅 Wed 25 Nov | 10.30am (3hrs)
📍 Scottish Music Centre, Glasgow
This practical workshop with Hayley Preston, Digital Marketing and Communications Officer at TRACS (Traditional Arts and Culture Scotland), is designed for traditional musicians, storytellers, dancers, craftspeople, and other traditional artists. It explores how social media and digital tools can help participants grow their audience, promote their work, and connect with new opportunities while maintaining the authenticity of their practice and cultural heritage.
TMFS members enjoy discounted and free tickets for selected workshops – get in touch: email [email protected].
These workshops are supported by TRACS (Traditional Arts & Culture Scotland) through Creative Scotland Multi-Year Funding.
Become a member of the Traditional Music Forum of Scotland (TMFS).
TRACS (Traditional Arts & Culture Scotland SC043009) brings together the Traditional Music Forum (SC042867), the Scottish Storytelling Forum (SC020891) and the Traditional Dance Forum of Scotland (SC045085). TRACS is based at the Scottish Storytelling Centre, which is a partnership project between the Storytelling Forum and The Church of Scotland (SC011353).
