Shovel Dance Collective // Radical Polish Ansambl

Two ensembles united in their passion for traditional music as communal activity rather than historical artifact come together in a double-bill that explores the living edges of tradition, experimentation and collective music-making.

Radical Polish Ansambl offer an encounter between the old ethos of village musicians and the most avant-garde ideas of contemporary music, making space for improvisation, exploration and experimentation alongside a solid foundation of village performance techniques passed down through oral tradition.

Following their acclaimed performance at hcmf// 2024, Shovel Dance Collective return with a new piece weaving together their arrangements of traditional material unaccompanied song and improvisation. Known for their expansive, emotionally charged live performances, the collective has become one of the most distinctive voices in contemporary folk and experimental music in the UK. Crafted with attention to their technique of weaving sonic fragments, layers and bridges between different discrete layers of traditional material, their latest offering will be a natural response to the piece they crafted for hcmf// and their Café OTO residency in 2024

Produced by hcmf// as part of Music Traditions in a Contemporary Context; supported by Culture Ireland and Hinrichsen Foundation

Radical Polish Ansambl are presented at hcmf// as part of Across the North Sea in collaboration with Sacrum Profanum festival; supported by the Polish Cultural Institute