The 🇮🇪 Ireland Ukulele Expedition 2026 🪕🚐 is a project dedicated to research, musical heritage collection, educational resource creation, and audiovisual production, led by Elisa (musician) and Arnaud (filmmaker). 💚
🗺️ Our ambition is to travel across Ireland to document part of its rich musical heritage, meet the people who keep these traditions alive today, and transform this fieldwork into resources accessible to everyone: a special Ireland Song Book 📖, video tutorials 🎥, play-along performances 🎶, weekly expedition episodes 🚐, and a feature documentary 🎬.
📝 Our mission
Over several weeks, we will carry out genuine field research to:
🪕 Meet Irish ukulele clubs and musicians, exchange ideas about their musical practices, and build lasting connections between our communities.
🎶 Collect traditional and popular Irish songs that carry stories, memories, and cultural identity.
📚 Research the origins, historical background, and meaning of every song in order to better understand the heritage it represents.
📹 Film and record these songs in iconic locations connected to their history, giving each performance greater depth and authenticity.
📒 Create a collection of 15 Irish songs arranged for ukulele, accompanied by video tutorials and play-along performances, providing a complete learning resource for ukulele players.
🎥 Document the entire expedition through weekly video episodes and, ultimately, a documentary exploring our encounters, research, and cultural exchanges centred around the ukulele.
💚 Through this project, we hope to show that the ukulele is far more than just a musical instrument—it is a wonderful way to preserve cultural heritage, bring people together, and build connections between communities.
🗺️ Our ambition is to travel across Ireland to document part of its rich musical heritage, meet the people who keep these traditions alive today, and transform this fieldwork into resources accessible to everyone: a special Ireland Song Book 📖, video tutorials 🎥, play-along performances 🎶, weekly expedition episodes 🚐, and a feature documentary 🎬.
📝 Our mission
Over several weeks, we will carry out genuine field research to:
🪕 Meet Irish ukulele clubs and musicians, exchange ideas about their musical practices, and build lasting connections between our communities.
🎶 Collect traditional and popular Irish songs that carry stories, memories, and cultural identity.
📚 Research the origins, historical background, and meaning of every song in order to better understand the heritage it represents.
📹 Film and record these songs in iconic locations connected to their history, giving each performance greater depth and authenticity.
📒 Create a collection of 15 Irish songs arranged for ukulele, accompanied by video tutorials and play-along performances, providing a complete learning resource for ukulele players.
🎥 Document the entire expedition through weekly video episodes and, ultimately, a documentary exploring our encounters, research, and cultural exchanges centred around the ukulele.
💚 Through this project, we hope to show that the ukulele is far more than just a musical instrument—it is a wonderful way to preserve cultural heritage, bring people together, and build connections between communities.
👥 In partnership with the YouTube channel Les tutos ukulélé de Dyan, the association La Cage d'Air has been creating Song Books for several years. They have become a valuable resource for many ukulele players and are widely used during ukulele meetups, festivals and musical gatherings.
📒 The Ireland Song Book 🍀 will feature 15 traditional and popular Irish songs, specially arranged for the ukulele. Each song will include:
- lyrics, chords, strumming pattern and tablature;
- a QR code linking to a step-by-step video tutorial;
- a QR code linking to a play-along performance, making it easy to practise and enjoy the song with others.
Designed as a complete learning resource, the Song Book will make it easier to learn, play together and discover the richness of Ireland's musical heritage.
🦾 Like our previous editions, it will be printed on durable water-resistant card, spiral-bound, and illustrated by a ukulele artist, making it both practical, long-lasting and enjoyable to use.
📒 The Ireland Song Book 🍀 will feature 15 traditional and popular Irish songs, specially arranged for the ukulele. Each song will include:
- lyrics, chords, strumming pattern and tablature;
- a QR code linking to a step-by-step video tutorial;
- a QR code linking to a play-along performance, making it easy to practise and enjoy the song with others.
Designed as a complete learning resource, the Song Book will make it easier to learn, play together and discover the richness of Ireland's musical heritage.
🦾 Like our previous editions, it will be printed on durable water-resistant card, spiral-bound, and illustrated by a ukulele artist, making it both practical, long-lasting and enjoyable to use.
Arnaud will direct a documentary built around the question that inspires our entire expedition:
🪕 How can the ukulele help preserve and pass on cultural heritage?
🎶 Through encounters with musicians, ukulele clubs, local people and iconic places across Ireland, the documentary will explore how music acts as a powerful vehicle for memory, identity and cultural exchange.
👀 Combining observation, interviews and breathtaking landscapes, it will highlight the connections between Ireland's musical traditions, today's ukulele communities and the cultural bonds they help create.
🎬 Alongside our weekly expedition episodes, this feature documentary will offer a deeper insight into how the ukulele—now enjoyed by people all over the world—can contribute to keeping Irish musical heritage alive.
💚 Created for a wide audience, the documentary aims to be both educational and deeply human. It will complement the Ireland Song Book by providing the historical, cultural and personal stories behind the songs.
🎬 We'd love to invite you to watch the documentary Arnaud created during the 🪨 Rocher Branlant Ukulele Gathering 2025 🧚. It reflects his documentary style and his passion for telling authentic human stories. 👇
🪕 How can the ukulele help preserve and pass on cultural heritage?
🎶 Through encounters with musicians, ukulele clubs, local people and iconic places across Ireland, the documentary will explore how music acts as a powerful vehicle for memory, identity and cultural exchange.
👀 Combining observation, interviews and breathtaking landscapes, it will highlight the connections between Ireland's musical traditions, today's ukulele communities and the cultural bonds they help create.
🎬 Alongside our weekly expedition episodes, this feature documentary will offer a deeper insight into how the ukulele—now enjoyed by people all over the world—can contribute to keeping Irish musical heritage alive.
💚 Created for a wide audience, the documentary aims to be both educational and deeply human. It will complement the Ireland Song Book by providing the historical, cultural and personal stories behind the songs.
🎬 We'd love to invite you to watch the documentary Arnaud created during the 🪨 Rocher Branlant Ukulele Gathering 2025 🧚. It reflects his documentary style and his passion for telling authentic human stories. 👇
🎤 Elisa Dyan is a singer-songwriter, performer, actress, craft artist and passionate music educator. She has dedicated much of her career to sharing music and creating projects that bring people together.
🎼 She is the founder and director of La Cage d'Air, a music school based in La Rochelle, France, specialising in ukulele and singing. Throughout the year, she leads regular classes, workshops and a wide range of musical events, including monthly ukulele meetups, festivals and community gatherings.
▶️ Alongside her teaching, Elisa shares her knowledge with more than 13,000 subscribers through her YouTube channel Les tutos ukulélé de Dyan, where she publishes tutorials and educational resources designed to make the ukulele accessible to everyone.
🎶 As a performing artist, Elisa also writes and performs her own English-language pop-folk songs.
💚 Above all, she loves creating opportunities for people to connect through music. Her work is driven by a desire to share knowledge with simplicity, kindness and good humour, while encouraging meaningful human connections.
🌐 La Cage d'Air: www.lacagedair.com
🌐 Les tutos ukulélé de Dyan: www.ukulele-chant.com
🌐 Artistic project: www.dyan.eu.com
🎥 Take a behind-the-scenes look at Elisa's daily life in this short documentary:
🎥 Filmmaker, photographer and documentary director, Arnaud Proust uses his creative vision to tell authentic human, cultural and artistic stories.
🧭 Trained in cinema, he has developed a documentary approach based on observation, immersion and a deep understanding of his subjects. Every project begins with thorough research and fieldwork, allowing him to create films that are both faithful to reality and emotionally engaging.
🌿 His work seeks to reveal the beauty of real life: a meaningful encounter, a glance, a moment of silence, a landscape or a shared experience. Through a discreet and immersive style of filmmaking, he captures the spontaneous moments that give every story its emotional strength.
🎬 As part of La Cage d'Air, Arnaud has spent several years producing documentaries, live recordings, reports and audiovisual content centred around music, performing arts and cultural initiatives. He is involved in every stage of production, from the initial concept through filming and editing, with particular attention to storytelling and visual quality.
🇮🇪 For the Ireland Ukulele Expedition 2026, Arnaud will direct the expedition's video series as well as the feature documentary exploring Ireland's musical heritage and the inspiring people we will meet throughout the journey.
📄 Discover 👉 here 👈 Arnaud's presentation booklet, where he shares his background, his documentary approach and his vision of audiovisual storytelling.
🧭 Trained in cinema, he has developed a documentary approach based on observation, immersion and a deep understanding of his subjects. Every project begins with thorough research and fieldwork, allowing him to create films that are both faithful to reality and emotionally engaging.
🌿 His work seeks to reveal the beauty of real life: a meaningful encounter, a glance, a moment of silence, a landscape or a shared experience. Through a discreet and immersive style of filmmaking, he captures the spontaneous moments that give every story its emotional strength.
🎬 As part of La Cage d'Air, Arnaud has spent several years producing documentaries, live recordings, reports and audiovisual content centred around music, performing arts and cultural initiatives. He is involved in every stage of production, from the initial concept through filming and editing, with particular attention to storytelling and visual quality.
🇮🇪 For the Ireland Ukulele Expedition 2026, Arnaud will direct the expedition's video series as well as the feature documentary exploring Ireland's musical heritage and the inspiring people we will meet throughout the journey.
📄 Discover 👉 here 👈 Arnaud's presentation booklet, where he shares his background, his documentary approach and his vision of audiovisual storytelling.
🇮🇪 The Ireland Ukulele Expedition 2026 is an independent project led by the La Cage d'Air association and the YouTube channel Les tutos ukulélé de Dyan. 🪕
💵 We have chosen to finance this adventure ourselves, with the support of crowdfunding, because we believe in projects made possible by the people who truly want to see them come to life.
🚐 Every contribution is a part of the journey. Together, they will take us further! 💚
📒 By supporting the expedition, you're not just following our adventure—you are helping us create unique rewards, including the Ireland Song Book, which will be researched, written and produced during our journey across Ireland.
✨ By joining us, you become part of an independent cultural project and receive exclusive creations that you have helped make possible.
📝 We truly believe that the greatest adventures are the ones we build together. If you share that vision, we'd be delighted to have you with us. 💚
👉 Support the Ireland Ukulele Expedition 2026:
https://www.helloasso.com/associations/la-cage-d-air/collectes/ireland-ukulele-roadtrip-2026
💵 We have chosen to finance this adventure ourselves, with the support of crowdfunding, because we believe in projects made possible by the people who truly want to see them come to life.
🚐 Every contribution is a part of the journey. Together, they will take us further! 💚
📒 By supporting the expedition, you're not just following our adventure—you are helping us create unique rewards, including the Ireland Song Book, which will be researched, written and produced during our journey across Ireland.
✨ By joining us, you become part of an independent cultural project and receive exclusive creations that you have helped make possible.
📝 We truly believe that the greatest adventures are the ones we build together. If you share that vision, we'd be delighted to have you with us. 💚
👉 Support the Ireland Ukulele Expedition 2026:
https://www.helloasso.com/associations/la-cage-d-air/collectes/ireland-ukulele-roadtrip-2026
💭 Even before setting off on our journey to Ireland 🇮🇪, one idea was already on our minds… organising a second "Rencontre Ukulélé au Rocher Branlant" (Ukulele Gathering at the Wobbling Rock) 🪨🧚!
✨ Summer 2025 gave us a truly magical… or rather, enchanting experience. The location 🌳, the atmosphere 🎶, the wonderful people 🪕, the friendships 🤝, the legends surrounding the "Rocher Branlant" 📖, and this timeless setting all came together to create something unforgettable. 💚
😊 And it seems we're not the only ones dreaming about it! Many of you have been asking us, "So... when's the next one?" Even Anthony, who manages the site, has already suggested dates for another gathering! 🎉
📅 So, although nothing has been officially announced yet, you might want to keep these dates free in your diary: 23rd–25th July 2027. We may well find ourselves gathering once again in the heart of this enchanted forest 🌲🧚 to share music 🎵, friendship 💚 and ukulele 🪕.
🎬 In the meantime, enjoy the beautiful film Arnaud created during the very first gathering. It's a wonderful way to relive the magic—or to discover it if you couldn't join us!
📧 Any ideas to help us ? Contact us: contact@lacagedair.com
🇫🇷 🪕 We make ukulele straps & other accessories! 😃
👉 Our online shop is here: www.ukuza.fr