ABOUT ME
In my own words.
I've been releasing music in Welsh and in English for over 20 years. These have been on small labels or self-releases, each time leaning towards either folk, pop or Americana or a blend of all. And in between and alongside music-making, I've dabbled and delved into many strands of life as a musician to earn a living doing things I love: Community arts, festival work, newspaper columns, schools, workshops, events and labels, projects and developing ideas. I've been a TV researcher, short film maker, translator. I've also made coffee, folded clothes and fried some chips before going fully freelance in 2012. Gigs and tours, Six solo albums, several EPs and a couple of collaborative releases later (Tapestri and 'Eve Goodman + SERA) and here I am. As I get older, I love collaboration more and more. For so long I worked alone, so fixed on the idea of communicating and expressing my deep emotions and ideas. But collaboration has opened me up to new and exciting ways of working. I'm also falling in love more and more with Welsh folk songs, reimagining them, and this will become more central to my work as I move forward. A major shift happened in 2020 for me, due to lockdown and becoming a mother. Nothing was the same after that. As a working mum with responsibilities I don't have the time I once had to song write. You learn to prioritise though, and schedule in time for working on a project. Everything takes longer. But the reward is so much more. From 2023 I also began a journey of grief and fertility problems that has also reshaped the way I work. But life and music go together, and so career aims and productivity will also rise and fall. I appreciate you taking the time to connect with me and my music and following my journey. Thank you!
Songwriter/Performer Bio.
SERA is the stage name of North Wales singer-songwriter Sarah Zyborska, originally from Caernarfon and now based in Llanfairpwll. A bilingual artist, she writes and performs in Welsh and English, creating original music that draws from folk, Americana and acoustic traditions, with a contemporary edge.
SERA has an established career as a professional performing and recording artist, releasing music since the mid-2010s under the name SERA, previously Sarah Louise. Her music has been released through Welsh labels Sain, Folkstock and CEG, with a catalogue spanning eight albums and four EPs. Alongside her solo work, she performs and records with Tapestri, the Americana and roots project she formed with fellow Welsh singer-songwriter Lowri Evans, as well as function band Suspects.
Collaboration is an important part of SERA's musical practice. Her work with Eve Goodman has included the Welsh-language album Natur, exploring connections between nature, folklore and the natural world. The album was shortlisted for Best Welsh Language Album in 2026, and the duo have performed in support of acclaimed Scottish folk singer Julie Fowlis. In 2023, Eve & SERA reached the final of the Welsh television songwriting competition Cân i Gymru with their song Tangnefedd. SERA has appeared on Cân i Gymru three times in total.
Her live performances have taken her to some of the UK's best-known festivals and music events, including Cambridge Folk Festival (Main Stage), Green Man, Festival No.6, Focus Wales, the North American Festival of Wales and HowTheLightGetsIn. In 2018 and 2019 she curated music content for S4C/BBC coverage of the Festival Interceltique de Lorient, and more recently performed at the official showcase at Your Roots Are Showing in Belfast.
SERA's music has received national radio and television exposure, including airplay on BBC Radio 2, BBC 6 Music, BBC Radio Wales and BBC Radio Cymru, with her music also featured on television, including Sky's Stella. In 2019 she was selected as a BBC Horizons artist, a programme supporting emerging Welsh talent, which included a live recording session at the BBC's renowned Maida Vale Studios. She is a recipient of the BBC New Talent Award and the PRS for Music Foundation's Lynsey de Paul Prize, and has also received support from the PRS Foundation International Showcase Fund.
Alongside her recording and performing career, SERA is an experienced creative practitioner, songwriter, music tutor and producer, developing participatory projects across Wales and internationally. Her work with children and young people, Welsh learners, adults with additional needs, mental health groups and culturally diverse communities has included songwriting, singing, music-making and creative learning.
Her practice is particularly rooted in Welsh-language music and cultural exchange. Recent projects have explored connections between Welsh, Cornish and Irish music, Welsh and Arab musical traditions, and Welsh and Polish culture, while her songwriting and community work continues to explore themes of identity, place, heritage and belonging.
With almost two decades of experience spanning performance, songwriting, recording, creative learning, community music and cultural production, SERA brings together a professional artist's perspective with an extensive background in participation and facilitation. Her work is rooted firmly in Wales while continuing to build connections with audiences, artists and communities internationally.
Creative Practitioner Experience.
SERA is a Welsh creative practitioner, musician, songwriter and creative producer with almost two decades of experience developing and delivering participatory arts projects across Wales and beyond. Her practice is rooted in music, storytelling, creativity and connection, with particular interests in Welsh-language work, cultural identity, community participation and creating opportunities for people to find their own creative voice.
Alongside her work as a practitioner,
As a creative practitioner, SERA works with a wide range of communities, including children and young people, Welsh learners, adults with additional needs, women’s mental health groups and culturally diverse communities. Her practice spans songwriting, singing, music-making, creative learning and interdisciplinary collaboration, often developing bespoke approaches in response to the people and places she works with.
Current projects include Clwb Alawon, funded through the Tŷ Cerdd Tradd Fund, supporting Welsh learners and musicians to engage with Welsh folk song; the Creative Scotland-funded Four Nations Fund project, exploring connections between Welsh, Cornish and Irish-language music; Composing Belongings at Tŷ Pawb, exploring connections between Welsh and Arab musical traditions; and Experiment with the Arts Council of Wales, developing creative learning practices within schools. She also works regularly as a music tutor with Canolfan Gerdd William Mathias and Community Music Wales.
Her recent practitioner work includes Synwyriwm, a creative commission developed with the National Trust, Galeri and Time to Talk for mental health groups; Si Llwi Hei at Storiel Bangor, a multilingual lullaby project connecting cultural stories; Canfas, a site-specific community music project in Caernarfon; and PolskErdd, a Welsh-Polish music and cultural development programme delivered in partnership with Tŷ Cerdd, Aberystwyth Arts Centre and Penparcau. She has also led music projects with women's mental health groups and young people through Brighter Futures in Rhyl, delivered creative education work through the Creative Schools programme, and facilitated bespoke songwriting sessions for mothers and babies as part of Ucheldre Centre's Lullaby Project.
SERA has extensive experience working across the Welsh arts and cultural sector, collaborating with organisations including the Arts Council of Wales, Tŷ Cerdd, Creative Scotland, National Trust, RSPB, Galeri, Storiel, Community Music Wales, Canolfan Gerdd William Mathias, S4C, BBC and Menter Iaith. Her work has encompassed community music, creative education, cultural development, film and television, events and music industry projects.
Alongside her artistic and practitioner work, SERA has significant experience as a creative producer and project manager. As Director of CEG Music CIC, she supported independent artists, developed community music projects and produced events, working with partners including Focus Wales, PRS for Music, Gwynedd County Council, Broadwick Live and Always Aim High. She has also worked across television and radio development, researching and developing projects from initial concept through to pitch and commission for S4C and BBC, as well as working in directing, scriptwriting, production and voiceover.
Her academic background includes a First Class BA (Hons) in Creative Studies from Bangor University, where she received the Top Graduating Student Award and won the Ffresh film festival, followed by an MA in Feature Film Screenwriting from Royal Holloway, University of London, funded by a full AHRC Scholarship and nominated for the David Lean Award.
SERA's practice brings together professional musicianship, creative facilitation and cultural production. She is particularly interested in collaborative, inclusive and place-responsive work, using music as a way to bring people together, explore identity and heritage, and create meaningful opportunities for participation. Her work is rooted in Wales while remaining open to international cultural exchange, with her artistic and community projects exploring connections between Welsh, Arab, Polish, Cornish and Irish musical traditions.