Now entering its third year, HOME is a two-day festival focussing on acoustic music, voices and song from around the world in the magnificent setting of Dartington Hall's 14th century courtyard. The festival's artistic advisor Thomas Brooman, co-founder of WOMAD, shares what makes HOME special

Why come to HOME?

For one thing, because this is a great line-up of artists, really varied and of individual excellence. Artists this year include Show of Hands, The Dhol Foundation, Andrew Cronshaw and Sans, Tashi Lhunpo Monks and The Krar Collective, as well as a number of outstanding up-and-coming talents from the South West.

The majority of the main stage artists will also be appearing in the completely acoustic setting of The Great Hall and you won't see these acoustic performances anywhere else! These will be unrepeatable sets, some devised especially for the festival.

Dartington is also a fantastic venue with its own unique atmosphere. There is a palpable sense of heritage everywhere on the Estate and the Gardens must be one of the most beautiful places anywhere in the South West.

We are still working on further artists for the line-up but this year I'm already looking forward in particular to seeing Andrew Cronshaw and his wonderful group Sans, which features the Armenian Duduk player Tigran Aleksanyan and Finland's acclaimed singer Sanna Kurki-Suonio.

HOME itself is an event with a real sense of its own identity, albeit allusively; an occasion for voices and languages from many individual cultures, drawn together from all over the world; a place also where people can make friends and feel, well, at home!

Also, we hope that our visitors will see the whole estate as an adventure to undertake. There will be activities for children such as face painting, workshops and a treasure hunt. It's an event for everybody and anybody, from young families upwards, embracing all ages and tastes.

This year's festival will see Friday night performances taking place in both The Great Hall and within the Courtyard and with each year we are growing more confident with how to use the spaces available to us at the Estate.

But in some senses, it is harder organising HOME than it was with WOMAD. A good festival is always a response to location and environment, but with a large festival, it may not matter in a crucial way when something doesn't quite hit the spot. But in this environment, with just three stages, you have to be convinced that every single artist is exactly right for the context we are creating and so we really try our best to deliver a first class experience over the whole event.

Find out more about the line-up of artists click here

Event Review & Gallery: Shrewsbury Folk Festival @ West Midlands Showground (Shrewsbury; Friday 26th to Monday 29th August 2022)

Live music, mass gatherings and the unadulterated palate of the natural world combined have become the perfect antidote for many more people due to the effects of cabin fever since the Covid-19 global pandemic. Without a doubt, this year’s footfall far exceeded pre-lockdown levels, perhaps due to its late summer…

Artists: Black Umfolosi , Della Mae , Edward Ii , Judy Collins , Kanda Bongo Man , Show Of Hands , Skerryore , The Unthanks , Thea Gilmore , Tom Wilson

Event Review: Africa Express – The Circus @ The Big Top (London; Friday 29th March 2019)

 If you have attended any of the previous Africa Express shows, you know they never disappoint your thirst for music. For hours and hours, they stun you with a deluge of quality acts and unexpected collaborations, not only featuring the exceptional artistry of the musicians involved but also their welcoming…

Artists: Batida , Blur , Damon Albarn , Django Django , Dobet Gnahore , Ellie Rowsell , Georgia , Joan As Policewoman , Krar Collective , London Community Gospel Choir , Mounir Troudi , ONIPA , Rokia Traoré , The Turbans , Tony Allen

London Gig Guide (April 2019)

At times, we are the first to lose track of how many exciting music events happen in London each month, so we have decided to offer you some sort of “public musical service”, meant for all the locals and passers-by, with the aim of suggesting where to listen to some…

Artists: Awalé , Brother Culture , Calibro 35 , Gerald Toto , Hailu Mergia , Horseman , K.o.g And The Zongo Brigade , Kokoko! , Koral Society , Krar Collective , Lafawndah , Midori Takada , Oumou Sangare , Prince Fatty , Psychedelia , Que Vola? , Soom T , Steam Down , Terakaft , The Heliocentrics , The West African Blue Project , Yelfris Valdes

Review: Simo Lagnawi & the Gnawa Blues All-Stars + Krar Collective @ Rich Mix (London/ 4th April 2015)

You think you’ve finally become used to every face and sound of Africa when it amazes you yet again! On this occasion it was the Rich Mix stage hosting an event presented by two agencies, Focus Organisation and Kazum! to promote the finest sounds from the African continent. They brought…

Artists: Krar Collective , Simo Lagnawi And The Gnawa Blues All Stars