Entry tickets
From £0.00 / person
The Wooden Roots Experience
About The Wooden Roots Experience
Join in this summer at The Wooden Roots Experience, situated at DANCEEAST on the stunning waterfront in Ipswich, UK.
Enjoy three FULL days of workshops and immerse yourself in a unique learning experience with high quality & authentic Djembe, Dunun, and Dance from West Africa and the wider Diaspora.
On Saturday evening they ramp things up with a 60 minute dance symposium in the DanceEAST theatre where you can enjoy a drum & dance demonstration with live drumming from the teachers & students and an interactive Q&A. Next up, get refreshed for a traditional Dununba Celebration. This celebration is where all participating artists come together and showcase their talents and invite you to join in the fun. These two events are complimentary for all ticket holders, however priority will be given to full weekend participants if they reach capacity. There will be authentic food from the African diaspora available to purchase at the Dununba Celebration.
Whether your interest lies in drumming, dancing, or both, you'll benefit from five hours of daily instruction from a distinguished lineup of world-class instructors and with a flexible programme you can get a taster of it all!
The Wooden Roots Experience prides itself on an exceptional faculty, this year featuring Monette Marino, Harouna Dembele, Sidiki Dembele, Aida Diop, and newcomers for 2025, Melissa Hie (first time in the UK) and Mohamed Gueye. With even more names to be announced in all genres later in the year. Additionally, they will have a diverse group of skilled supporting teachers and artists that will be on hand to guide and inspire you throughout your experience.
The Wooden Roots Experience is open to individuals of all backgrounds and skill levels, from complete novices to advanced practitioners. Their goal is to empower you to navigate workshops at your own pace, explore varying levels within the genres and challenge your boundaries.
Take advantage of this opportunity to gain a profound understanding of the synergy between dance and drumming. Discover the fundamental aspects of this captivating culture from its roots, under the guidance of experts in their field. The Wooden Roots Experience is a truly unique event and they are dedicated to ensuring that all artists are treated with the highest respect and compensated fairly.
Secure your spot at this extraordinary event by booking your tickets now. Don’t miss your chance to be part of this unforgettable experience!
TICKET INFORMATION:
For the WRE25, they have a NEW Under 30 ticket (8-29yrs) AND they have also introduced a family ticket. This means that with every full price ticket you buy, whether it's an UNDER 30 or an ADULT you can add up to 3 child tickets (8-15yrs) for just £40 each making it a family package. All this can be done in the ADD ON section when purchasing your tickets where you will also see the complimentary Dance Symposium & Dununba Celebration tickets or be able to rent a drum from us to complete your experience! Enjoy savings by opting for a full weekend ticket or choose to attend for just one day.
PAYMENT PLANS:
Explore our payment plans to help you manage costs more effectively. The earlier you begin, the smaller your instalments will be. In challenging times like these, we all appreciate a little extra support.
The Wooden Roots Experience
The Wooden Roots Experience Tickets
The Wooden Roots Experience Reviews
Music
Location
Value
Atmosphere
5
/
5
Christina James
Verified Review5 August 2024
22,999 users rate Skiddle
4.41 out of 5
Tickets posted to you
Genuine face value tickets
Secure Checkout
At Skiddle we aim to provide outstanding levels of customer service at every stage of the ticket buying experience. Have your voice heard and leave a review at reviews.io
The Wooden Roots Experience Location & Travel
The Wooden Roots Experience Location & Travel
Get to The Wooden Roots Experience by
The Wooden Roots Experience FAQs
When is The Wooden Roots Experience 2025?
Wooden Roots Experience takes place Friday 8th - Sunday 10th August 2025.
Where is The Wooden Roots Experience?
Wooden Roots Experience is held at DANCEEAST, JERWOOD DANCEHOUSE, FOUNDRY LANE, IPSWICH, IP4 1DW.
What is The Wooden Roots Experience?
It is an opportunity for you to be completely engulfed in a one of kind learning experience with high quality & authentic instruction where you will connect with your rhythmic sensitivity & further explore your love of music and dance rooted in the African diaspora. We will provide you with an unforgettable experience!
What instruments can I use at the workshops?
Traditional West African djembes or dundun drums i.e. djembes or dunun from West African that have been hand carved and headed with a goat or a cow skin and that are properly tuned so that they sound tonally correct. Non authentic or non traditional “look alike” drums wil NOT be allowed in to workshops like Remo, LP, Meinl, Toca to name a few. If you do not have an authentic djembe you can rent one.
What are the levels of playing at Wooden Roots Experience?
DANCE WORKSHOPS - These workshops are inclusively designed to cater to individuals of all skill levels. The Wooden Roots experienced instructors excel in teaching multi-level classes, ensuring that every participant has a valuable learning experience, regardless of their starting point. Each workshop will commence with a warm-up session and conclude with a stretching routine. The West African dance workshops will be enhanced by live drumming, while the Afrobeats dance workshops will feature amplified recorded music.
DRUM WORKSHOP BEGINNER - Start here if you are completely new to this culture i.e. traditional West African drumming, dance and the wider dance of the African diaspora.
DRUM WORKSHOP IMPROVER/INTERMEDIATE - You can identify calls, breaks and pick up extended breaks relatively quickly. You are happy to play dunduns in class once you are familiar with the rhythm. You may know a couple of passport accompaniments and you are happy to have a go at solo phrases if asked.
DRUM WORKSHOP INTERMEDIATE/ADVANCED - You are confident with a number of different accompaniment patterns and are used to playing solo phrases. You can play and understand the breaks and play these competently within a group. You would be expected to play dunduns without much direction during a class workshop and have a wide knowledge of the different types of rhythms. Your instruments are authentic, properly maintained and tuned to the ensemble. You do not need to use music notes while playing live and can fully engage with the other drummers to make sure that the music is tonally correct.
Will there be a timetable?
Yes - it will be posted on big posters around the venue and emailed out to participants prior to the event.
How many will be in a workshop?
Wooden Roots ethos is that we all learn better when in smaller focussed groups. The Wooden Roots Experience will strive to maintain that each workshop will have a capacity of approx 15 to 60 students per level and depending on the room size. Every class will have qualified dundun support .
Where can I eat at The Wooden Roots Experience?
The Wooden Roots Experience are in the heart of Ipswich and surrounded by many cafes, pubs, restaurants and take-aways, many of them in walking distance of the venue. There is also an in-house cafe on the ground floor that serves snacks, sandwiches and hot beverages. The Wooden Roots Experience hope to have authentic food from the African diaspora available for purchase on Saturday night, this will be confirmed closer to the event.
What about Photography and Filming at The Wooden Roots Experience??
You are allowed to video and record whilst at the event.
DISCLAIMER: Wooden Roots will have filming and photography happening throughout the event which will be used publicly on their social media platforms. Anyone under the age of 18 will be asked to sign a disclaimer allowing us to do this at the event. If you are an adult and don’t wish to be on film or photos please speak to a member of Wooden Roots staff who will be located in the box office throughout the weekend. You will be asked to wear an identifying lanyard so that our photographer's don't capture you.
Gigs ● Clubs ● Festivals ● Things to do
“On your side since 2001, because we believe true fans deserve a fairer and smarter way to discover events they love.”
why use Skiddle?
© 2001 - 2025 Skiddle Ltd | Skiddle is a registered trademark | ALL RIGHTS RESERVED