Last week's Folk Education Development Day: Adapting Folk Dance with Older People was great fun as well as highly informative. Look out for a report on the event on our website in due course, and see what aspects you can introduce to your own dancing projects.

We've spotted a copy of Zakia Sewell's new release in the library, and it looks like a fascinating read. Zakia was part of our inaugural Black British Folk Takeover last autumn, and we can't wait to welcome her back to @cecilsharphouse.bsky.social soon. More on Finding Albion: bit.ly/4dT31yy

how it started* / how it's going * ok it's actually the eighth edition but it's the oldest one in the @efdss.bsky.social library

@klofmag.com Really pleased to see this release from EFDSS Creative Bursary awardee, the British-Asian singer-songwriter & progressive folk artist Satnam Galsian. Her songs are deeply rooted in her personal experiences, drawing on her own journey of identity, belonging, & empowerment. bit.ly/4bN8nc1

'Britain is in a “folk frenzy”, according to Sewell, gesturing to a post-pandemic resurgence in folk culture evidenced by a new slate of pagan festivals as well as the growing popularity of folk music, dancing, films – and magazines like Weird Walk' bit.ly/3PuW50F

Elye Cuthbertson, one of our National Youth Folk Ensemble alum, is invited back to the Royal Albert Hall to lead another of his Folk for Kids sessions. Enjoy singing a folk song, different folk rhythms through body percussion, dancing a traditional dance! www.royalalberthall.com/tickets/even...

Join us for a special night of music created and performed by these rising stars and help us celebrate the 10th anniversary of the National Youth Folk Ensemble! Cecil Sharp House Thur 2 Apr, 7:30pm bit.ly/40kHLtX Image shows members of the Ensemble going up in the folk music scene and up in a lift.

This week's episode of Classic Folk includes tracks by: Danny Pedler & Greg Russell Bruce Cockburn Sean Cooney, @elizacarthy.bsky.social Sam Carter, @jenniferballads.bsky.social Afro Celt Sound System The Queensland Tiger Fairport Convention @debracowan.com and many more! www.efdss.org/listen

Have fun dancing at the morris class Tuesdays 6:30pm at Cecil Sharp House. This week's water break chat will be "Morris and Soundscapes". 24 March is the last class of term, starting again on 14 April. www.efdss.org/learning/adu... Image: Pilgrim Morris with Taborer George Guildford Summerpole

Out with @eynshammorris.bsky.social yesterday at the Pallant House Gallery when they were reunited with a painting by William Nicholson of "Feather" Russell currently on loan from the @efdss.bsky.social...

Thank you so much to everyone in #chichester including #pallantgallery and @efdss.bsky.social for your hospitality and enthusiasm, it was amazing. A big thanks also to Barry @pixelsonapage @themorrisfed.bsky.social for the photos. #art #morrisdancing #folktradition #folkdance #artgallery

In 2024, the UK joined other countries in supporting the 2003 UNESCO Convention for the Safeguarding of the Intangible Cultural Heritage. Communities across the UK are being invited to submit their traditions, customs & cultural practices as part of the Living Heritage Inventory: bit.ly/4cRMhrc

Lesser played traditional songs and unaccompanied favourites: this week's Classic Folk is here! efdss.org/listen

Get all the family together this Mother's Day for our Family Barn Dance Accompanied by live music and a 'dance caller' teaching you the simple and fun moves, these regular events inspire budding dancers to take their first steps. Sunday 15 March - 3pm Book tickets now: bit.ly/4rj9ki3

Join us for a special night of music created and performed by these rising stars and help us celebrate the 10th anniversary of the National Youth Folk Ensemble! Jo Freya will be awarded her prestigious EFDSS Gold Badge by Michael Morpurgo. Thursday 2 April, 7:30pm Book now: bit.ly/40kHLtX

Our friends at Music for Youth are recruiting for a new Programme Manager for Frequencies, their national programme supporting young music creators. Applications close: 30 March 2026 Job description & application: mfy.org.uk/about/vacanc...

This week's episode of Classic Folk includes songs by: Davy Graham Blozabella @magpielane-oxford.bsky.social Patakus Burd Ellen @pefkin.bsky.social The Fraser Sisters - Playing a Trad Night at Cecil Sharp House on Wed 1 April And many more! www.efdss.org/listen

Have fun dancing at the morris class Tuesdays 6:30pm at Cecil Sharp House. This week's breaktime chat will be "Beasts and Morris". www.efdss.org/learning/adu... Image: Belles and Betley at St John the Divine Merton Church Ale

EFDSS-funded Equinox Ball on Dartmoor! Crank Dance Folk - Devon were awarded one of our Dance Mini Grants at the end of last year. They are using the funds to throw a Spring Equinox Ball at Badger's Holt on 21 March. Find out more: dandelion.events/e/m0nlk #SpringEquinox

National Youth Folk Ensemble Open Days These free days are a brilliant way to play folk music as part of a band, meet the tutor team, and find out more about the Ensemble. Cecil Sharp House - 27 May Exeter Phoenix - 28 May Leeds Conservatoire - 30 May Find out more and Book now: bit.ly/3Pl1TcN

Do you teach Dance? Whether you teach people to dance formally or informally @artscouncilengland.bsky.social want to hear from you for their survey 'Understanding Dance Provision, Progression and Pathways in England' Complete the survey now (15-20 mins) www.beds.ac.uk/culture-and-...

Our friends at GlosFolk have launched a fundraising appeal to support their GlosTrad project, the one-stop website for songs and tunes collected in #Gloucestershire. Donate here if you can: glostrad.com

Resource of the Month Swords and Stars: Rapper Sword Dance for Primary Schools Introduction to Rapper sword dancing, including diagrams, and tune recordings, created for us by Bryony Griffith and Lucy Huzzard. bit.ly/4l4SjqE Image: St Godrics and St Marys Betty and rapper lock - Roswitha Chesher

We've signed Arts and Minds' letter to Bridget Phillipson, Secretary of State for Education and Lisa Nandy, Secretary of State for Culture to ask them to ensure all children can enjoy access to arts subjects throughout their school life. Will you do the same? actionnetwork.org/forms/puttin...

Photography Exhibition: Celebrating 10 Years of the National Youth Folk Ensemble Exhibition runs until Thursday 27 August Cecil Sharp House, London Free Find out more and view online: bit.ly/4rbnXEk During the exhibition on 2 April, The Ensemble will be playing a gig: bit.ly/40kHLtX

Our next online Library Lecture: Lucy Wright - Folk is a Feminist Issue! Artist and researcher, Lucy Wright has long been intrigued by—and kinda angry about—the underrepresentation of women in the British folk arts. Tue 10 Mar 7:30pm-9:00pm Online Book now: bit.ly/4rPW7yn

Announcing Hannah James as the next National Youth Folk Ensemble Artistic Director "As a folk musician who has had many fantastic mentors over the years it feels important to be able to carry on that tradition of passing on skills and ideas to the next generation." Read more: bit.ly/4siWHV7

Have fun dancing at the morris class Tuesdays 6:30pm at Cecil Sharp House. This week's break time chat will be "Country Gardens". www.efdss.org/learning/adu...

Hannah James and Sonia Sabri recently spent a week at @cecilsharphouse.bsky.social working on a a new project which focuses on women in percussive dance and examines what it is to be a folk artist whose art form has a connection to a particular place and culture, thanks to receiving an EFDSS Bursary

This week's Classic Folk features tracks by: @petecoevo.bsky.social Claire Vine @hollyclarkemusic.bsky.social Pete Seeger Damien O'Kane @damienandron.bsky.social Peggy Seeger @finncollinson.bsky.social @naomibedford.bsky.social & Paul Simmonds and many more www.efdss.org/listen

We're thrilled that our Dance Mini Grant award to Havering Changing is supporting this free Community Ceilidh on Saturday 28 Feb. Featuring live music from the Romford Ceilidh Band. www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/community-...

We've recently added more new and second hand stock to our Folk Shop - books and CDs relating to Folk music, dance and song. bit.ly/4rK6p3f

We're pleased to see the launch of this: Young Creatives Commission – a year‑long national inquiry into how to widen children and young people’s access to arts, culture and the creative industries: bit.ly/4aYidsr

Our new online course starts this Thursday - book now Exploring English Folk Dance with Mike Heaney and Chloe Middleton-Metcalfe Thursday evenings, 7.30pm 19 Feb - 9 Apr Online Book now: bit.ly/4oEyEhw Image: Maltby Phoenix Sword, U.Dance 2012, photo Brian Slater, courtesy Youth Dance England.

Merry Pancake Day! This week's Classic Folk includes tracks by: The Demon Barbers Cupola:Ward Nick Drake Vishtèn Dr Strangely Strange Sandy Denny Shirley Collins Blackbeard's Tea Party Alistair Anderson & Northlands Bottle Bank Band Megson Dave Burland and more! www.efdss.org/listen

Celebrating the 10th Anniversary of the National Youth Folk Ensemble! 🎉 Kicking off by winning 10th year by winning an ABO Impact Award. Still to come: An exhibition of photographs Performances at Cecil Sharp House, FolkEast and Purbeck Valley Folk Festival Open Days Find out more: bit.ly/3ZFUwPd

Huge congratulations to Suntou Susso on winning not one, but two Global Music Awards! Gold Medal Winner for composer / composition and for originality / creativity. Congrats Suntou! www.globalmusicawards.com

Congratulation to Zakia Sewell (part of our Black British Folk Takeover event last autumn) for her nomination for Women's Prize for Nonfiction. Her book, Finding Albion: Myth, Folklore and the Quest for a Hidden Britain, will be published in March: bit.ly/4rh3puP

For this month's Resource of the Month , these two choral arrangements of folk songs, both produced by Caroline Price as part of The Full English project The Factory Operatives Call on Humanity and The Trees They’re So High www.efdss.org/learning/res... www.efdss.org/learning/res...

Worth the wait! This week's Classic Folk episode includes: @rachaelmcshane.bsky.social & The Cartographers Nick Wyke & Becki Driscoll Sgoil Chiùil Na Gàidhealtachd @kaiakater.bsky.social Niamh Parsons Offa Rex @loreenamckennitt.bsky.social @bellowhead.bsky.social Plus more www.efdss.org/listen

National Youth Folk Ensemble performance in Liverpool Music Room, Royal Liverpool Philharmonic Wed 18 February 8pm The National Youth Folk Ensemble bring their distinctive and joyful sound to Liverpool, joined by the dynamic New-Folk band Tarren. Book now www.liverpoolphil.com/whats-on/con...

Merry neets, morris and more: social and display dancing in the Lake District and Cumbria @suecumbria.bsky.social historian, writer and folklorist who researches and publishes on Cumbrian customs, traditions and dialect. Tonight: 7:30pm-9pm Online Book now: bit.ly/4ri5k1S Image: Bewick Dancers

Have fun dancing at the morris class Tuesdays 6:30pm at Cecil Sharp House. This week's break time chat will be "Bucknell - Morris Mecca". Note: No class on 17th Feb (Half Term). www.efdss.org/learning/adu... Image: Travelling Morrice Trigger Pond, Bucknell Terry Carter Taborer Ollie Simons Jig

From the 19th century onwards, men and women on both sides of the Atlantic were fascinated by the folk tradition and set out to catalogue songs, first by collating lyrics and annotating tunes, and later via making recordings. In the UK, the major name in the field was Cecil Sharp: bit.ly/4ks0Xin

See @eynshammorris.bsky.social dance near our painting 'Chairing the Feathers; The Eynsham Morris at the Gates of Blenheim Palace' on loan to Pallant House Gallery, Chichester Come and join us! Saturday 14 March Eynsham Morris dancing at the gallery at 11.30am and 1.30pm

Great article about the Black British Folk Collective, founded in our very own basement! @thequietus.com @angelcakepie2.bsky.social thequietus.com/quietus-revi...

We’re delighted to announce the National Youth Folk Ensemble was a winner of the 2026 ABO Impact Award. The Ensemble has significantly increased Global Majority representation through projects such as its Bhangra Ceilidh collaboration with Kuljit Bhamra MBE www.efdss.org/about-us/wha...

We're pleased to be able to share with you a new recording ‘Banks of the Nile’ made by folk musician Thomas Bull, using one of the wax cylinder recordings from our Archive. www.youtube.com/watch?v=A4h7...

The Alan Surtees Trust is a grant giving organisation that supports young performers whose work is rooted in, or influenced by, folk or traditional music and arts of any culture. Deadline 30 April: bit.ly/4kd88e8

EFDSS-funded music video! Claire Vine used her Micro Grant from us to create this ‘mesmerising’ video to accompany the track ‘Let No Man Steal Your Thyme’ from her debut album ‘We Carve Our Path’. youtu.be/hPINZPFQlBM?...