Access Folk

Exploring ways to increase and diversify participation with folk singing in England.

08/10/2026

You might love singing but have never been to a singaround. You might have walked past one in a pub and wondered what was happening inside. You might know plenty of folk songs — or none at all.

The Singaround is a short film made to demystify this wonderful tradition and give newcomers a taste of what to expect. 🎶 Coming Autumn 2026.

02/10/2026

Esbjörn met up with Steve Byrne at the British-Irish Council symposium in Edinburgh this week to talk about the importance of community places for ICH. A great opportunity to bring some of Access Folk's findings to policy makers across the British Isles and Ireland.

19/09/2026

Fay and Rebecca are delighted to be presenting at the European Seminar on Ethnomusicology (ESEM) 2026 in Lithuania! 🇱🇹

01/09/2026

We are sorry to hear of the passing of Eithne Vallely, who was the Director of Music at the Armagh Pipers Club, with whom we’ve collaborated on several occasions. Eithne brought music into the lives of children for six decades and her enormous contribution to Irish traditional music was recognised nationally with many awards and honours - an incredible person who will be missed by all who met her.

26/08/2026

Access issues in English folk singing styles and techniques: A review of the roundtable discussion ‘Singing styles and techniques in English folk singing’

https://tradartsjournal.ncl.ac.uk/index.php/ijta/article/view/78

Jessie Thompson has written a reflective summary of one of the Access Folk 2023 Singposium’s roundtable discussion about folk song style and technique. In this piece singers and educators Frankie Armstrong, Kate Thompson and Paul Wilson share their thoughts and experiences prompted by Jessie’s questions and reflections.

21/07/2026

What Are People Singing in Folk Song Clubs?
Reflections on songs sung in two East Midlands folk clubs 2017-2023
https://tradartsjournal.ncl.ac.uk/index.php/ijta/article/view/74

Drawing on an extensive record of songs sung in two east midlands folk clubs from 2017-2023, Hugh Miller reflects on what people actually sing in folk clubs. He finds that counter to everyday perception of “folk” repertoire as grounded in traditional and century old songs, singers embraced an extraordinary variety of songs and styles. With this realisation he discusses what makes a song work in the folk club setting, regardless of its origin.

14/07/2026

In this reflective piece, Laura Midgley draws on her mixed heritage to explore the Irish traditional music scene in Athens, Greece. She discusses the establishment of Irish music festivals in Athens and the intermingling of Greek, Irish and British musical identities. Having learnt the saz as a child, the instrument becomes a point of focus in connecting with Irish music as an adult, and reflecting on issues such as authenticity, diaspora and cultural identity.
https://tradartsjournal.ncl.ac.uk/index.php/ijta/article/view/75

07/07/2026

Have you ever thought about how singers adapt their style and repertoire to different venues and events? In this article Paul Mansfield explores strategic choice by amateur folk singers performing in different live music settings in the East Midlands. He notes that the unclear boundaries of what constitutes folk music may provide positive opportunities for communities and performers to repurpose folk repertoire for their own objectives.

https://tradartsjournal.ncl.ac.uk/index.php/ijta/article/view/72/66

06/07/2026

Hear about the findings from the first phase of the Access Folk project. Where are we now? What issues are people facing accessing folk singing? This extended article covers several of our innovative methods to work with existing and potential folk singers to better understand their feelings and experiences. (Find the 🔗 in our story)

https://tradartsjournal.ncl.ac.uk/index.php/ijta/article/view/80/65

30/06/2026

We are delighted to announce the publication of a new review of The Access Folk Podcast (Season 2). The review by Angela Moran (BIMM Birmingham) is available in the open access journal, Ethnomusicology Ireland (Vol 11, 2026).

We’re especially delighted with Moran’s assessment that the podcast’s ‘homespun style affords a sense that the listener is part of an evolving conversation’. She also praises the podcast’s concluding discussion, which brings together representatives from folk arts organisations based across the UK’s regions and devolved nations. She points out that this is a first time gathering and exemplifies, ‘the podcast’s success in building bridges … the Access Folk Podcast highlights the shared issues and demonstrates that, broadly speaking, more unites than divides these distinct regions. A satisfying conclusion for the podcast but, for Wettermark, the mere start of a process.’

Many thanks to Moran for her frank appraisal. And congratulations to Esbjorn and the Folk Policy Network for their ongoing good work!

https://doi.org/10.64208/TWWY6455

Address

Jessop Building, 34 Leavygreave Road
Sheffield
S37RD

Website

http://accessfolk.sites.sheffield.ac.uk/

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