We've just sent out the June Members' newsletter. Not a Member? You're missing out on a monthly round up of news and opportunities from the folk scene. Join now for as little as £2 a month for Starter Membership. Become a Group Member for £92 and get public liability insurance to cover your whole club / side. Join now: https://bit.ly/4lxpN0o

It's #MakeMusicDay next week, Saturday 21 June. The Cecil Sharp House Choir invite you to join them at @cecilsharphouse, along with @bellowfellows, to listen to some gorgeous harmony singing and get involved singing some songs! This event is Free as part of Make Music Day's aim to remove barriers to people playing and enjoying live performance. Book your free place now. Link in bio - Cecil Sharp House Spring Summer Gigs 2025

@walthamstow_folk_club are hosting 'as many as can fit on stage' of our Cecil Sharp House Choir for a special gig on 22 June. At Ye Olde Rose & Crown Theatre Pub in E17 from 7:30pm

Resource of the Month: Beginners’ Guide to English Instrumental Folk Music Written by Hazel Askew. A guide to the rich array of instrumental music that is currently understood as English folk music. It is part of a global family of musics that are shared from person to person over generations, often referred to using terms such as ‘folk’, ‘traditional’, ‘roots’, ‘heritage’ and ‘old music’. Read more via the link in bio - click on 'Resource Bank'

Where to catch our latest folk projects, musical groups and youth ensembles this season. We hope you can join us out and about this season at some of the performances by our National Youth Folk Ensemble @nationalyouthfolk, London Youth Folk Ensemble, Bhangra Ceilidh, Cecil Sharp House Choir and EFDSS Ceilidh Workshop Band who are appearing up and down the country. Catch us at King’s Cross Summer Sounds, @shrewsburyfolkfestival, Greenwich Park Family Folk Day, @folkbytheoak , @walthamstow_folk_club or @sidmouthfolkfestival For the current list of dates, check the Latest News section in the link in bio. @royal_greenwich @kingscrossn1c

Audition for the National Youth Folk Ensemble @nationalyouthfolk by video by midnight on Sunday 15 June To apply for a place in the Ensemble you will need to: • be aged 14–18 on 1 September of the year you apply • live in England • be able to play confidently on your chosen instrument • be available to attend a final audition in London Submit a film of you playing your main instrument. Your film should include the following: • Introduce yourself – say your name and what you plan to play. • Play one set of tunes, or two separate pieces, adding up to 6 minutes in total. Find out more and apply. Link in bio - click 'Audition for the National Youth Folk Ensemble'

On Saturday 28 June, London Youth Folk Ensemble will take over @cecilsharphouse at our annual showcase for young musicians. This year we are delighted to welcome two guest bands. The @folkactivecic Youth Ensemble from Southampton, with their leader Chris Nichols, educator and founder of folk band Threepenny Bit. Edit: Bridging Sounds Orchestra Newham Music’s flagship ensemble which brings together the vibrant and diverse communities of Newham and celebrates their musical traditions in a brilliant fusion of sounds. @newhammusic Not E20 Groove as pictured Book your ticket. Link in bio - What's on at the House

Autumn Term Classes and Courses are now on sale! Learn Morris or English Country Dancing; join our folk Choirs, online or in person; or learn a folky instrument. Book now for courses starting in September. Link in bio - Classes and Course for Adults

The deadline for applications for the £2,000 Alan James Creative Bursaries is approaching fast! The bursary and residency Programme supports artists exploring new creative ideas inspired by and sourced from traditional folk music relating to England. The award offers ● a bursary of up to £2,000 ● research facilities at the Vaughan Williams Memorial Library ● up to five days of rehearsal space at @cecilsharphouse, London or the @theglasshouseicm, Gateshead. ● additional funding for Access needs. If you are a professional creative artist or group taking inspiration from folk music, apply before 15 June. Link in bio - Latest News Image shows previous awardees Lucy and Hazel

Join the Team We are recruiting for a new Education Manager to join the busy and thriving Education team. This diverse role is responsible for adult, family and youth learning at Cecil Sharp House and other locations in London – this includes London Youth Folk Ensemble and our Inclusive Folk programme for learning disabled young people. The deadline to apply is 30 June. Find out more and apply. Link in bio - Vacancies

Would you like to join London Youth Folk Ensemble? Come to our free Sampler Session at Cecil Sharp House. All instruments welcome! you will need to: be aged 11 to 19 years old (up to 24 years old for D/deaf and disabled young people) be able to play confidently on your own chosen instrument bring your own instrument Book your free place now. Link in bio - Latest News

We're marking the start of Pride Month with a look back at Sophie Crawford and George Sansome of Queer Folk singing folk songs from our Vaughan Williams Memorial Library to explore the queer experience throughout history. The words of Banks of the Nile come from Harriet Verrall of Sussex, collected by Vaughan Williams. The tune comes, via Dolores Keane, from Tom Pháidín Tom of Spiddal. Listen to more of Queer Folk's music www.queerfolk.co.uk Come to our first Queer Folk Festival on Saturday 7 June. @queerfolkuk @sophie.u.crawford @georgesansomefolk

Join The Team! Freelance Trainee Music Leader (Inclusive Folk) 2025 – 2026 Academic Year We are looking to appoint a trainee music leader to work with our Inclusive Folk project for learning disabled young people and young adults. Closing date for completed applications is 9am, Monday 30 June Find out more and apply. Link in bio - Vacancies

Call for papers: Traditional Tunes and Popular Airs A two-day conference to be held on Saturday 8 – Sunday 9 November 2025 At @cecilsharphouse, London NW1 Proposals are invited for presentations (20 minutes + 10 minutes for discussion) on any aspect of the topic. The conference aims to bring together researchers working on ‘traditional’ and ‘popular’ tunes as transmitted and transformed in all manner of musical styles and genres, performance contexts, levels of society, historical periods, and geographical locations. We welcome a broad range of approaches, including historical research and ethnographic studies to illuminate melodic interrelationships. Relevant areas include music for performative dance (such as morris, sword, clog and other forms of step and percussive dance, Scottish, Irish and Welsh dance) and participatory dance (social, country, ceilidh/ceili), instrumental music, ballad operas and theatrical works, religious music, broadside balladry, minstrelsy, music hall, the pleasure gardens, domestic music-making, national and folk music, and children’s songs. Deadline for submission: 30 June 2025. Find out more. Link in bio - Latest News

Calling all Callers! Online Folk Education Development evening - Focus on Calling, with @lisah.dance Lisa Heywood’s Callers’ Chat project. This event is aimed at dance callers, from any genre and of any level of experience, and working in any context, from weddings to schools to community events and festivals. Wednesday 25 June, 7:30pm. Online. Free, but book your place. Link in bio - Latest News

Happy last May Bank Holiday of the year! We're taking a look at the charming photos @roswithachesher took of the maypole dancing at our Family Barn Dance earlier this month. Our next Family Barn Dance will be on 12 October, hope to see you there.

It's national #TapDanceDay, so a perfect opportunity to take another look at our Clog Workshop for Beginners resource filmed by the BBC. Link in bio - Resource Bank: free educational materials

The Kids are Alright! And will be taking over @cecilsharphouse on Saturday 28 June, when London Youth Folk Ensemble curates an evening of folk music by young musicians. We'll be announcing the full line-up soon, so watch this space. Book now - link in bio #LondonYouthFolkEnsemble

Celebrate #MakeMusicDay on Saturday 21 June, with Cecil Sharp House Choir and Bellow Fellows in this joyful afternoon of folk song for free! Listen to some gorgeous harmonies and get involved singing some songs Book your free place now - link in bio

It's Creativity and Wellbeing Week. Social Dancing is great for wellbeing; not just good exercise for your body, but also an opportunity to connect with others which is good for your mind and mood. Our English Country Dancing classes welcome beginners and experienced dancers alike. Every Thursday at @cecilsharphouse Book your place for #creativityandwellbeingweek Link in bio - Classes and Courses for Adults

Join the National Youth Folk Ensemble! Are you aged between 12 and 18? Do you already play an instrument? Come to an Open Day this May to find out more about the National Youth Folk Ensemble @nationalyouthfolk Each Open Day will be: CREATIVE – music workshops with highly skilled professional folk musicians INFORMATIVE – Q&A about the National Youth Folk Ensemble FUN – opportunity to meet and play music with other young musicians FREE to attend Open Days are at @cecilsharphouse London, @exeterphoenix and @leedsmusicdrama Book your free place now. Link in bio - 'National Youth Folk Ensemble' #FolkMusic #FolkOrchestra #YouthMusic #MusicEducation

Applications for the £2,000 Alan James Creative Bursaries are now open! The bursary and residency Programme supports artists exploring new creative ideas inspired by and sourced from traditional folk music relating to England. The award offers ● a bursary of up to £2,000 ● research facilities at the Vaughan Williams Memorial Library @thevwml ● up to five days of rehearsal space at Cecil Sharp House, London @cecilsharphouse or the Glasshouse International, Gateshead. @theglasshouseicm ● additional funding for Access needs. If you are a professional creative artist or group taking inspiration from folk music, apply now. Link in bio - click on 'Latest News' Image shows previous awardees @lucyandhazel_

Happy Star Wars Day! May the 4th be with you Thanks to David Owen @davidowenartist for this artwork from 2010. We have a framed print of it in our staff kitchen which we look at while washing up the tea cups. #StarWarsDay #MayThe4thBeWithYou #FolkCustomCalendarDay

See our Associate Company Folk Dance Remixed perform at Camden at 60: The Big Street Party on Monday 5 May. The team will demonstrate their unique fusion of traditional folk and contemporary street dance alongside others celebrating 60 years since the creation of the borough of Camden and its influence on the UK's music scene. @folkdance_remixed @love.camden #FolkDance #CamdenMusicScene

STATEMENT FROM ENGLISH FOLK DANCE AND SONG SOCIETY Everyone is welcome at Cecil Sharp House and to participate in the activities of the English Folk Dance and Song Society. In light of the recent UK Supreme Court ruling on the legal definition of sex and gender, we want to express our support of and solidarity with our trans and non-binary communities. We believe that everyone is deserving of dignity and the power to identify as they wish to. We continue to welcome everyone to use the facilities that they are comfortable using, and we continue to offer a range of choices. Inclusivity is an important part of the mission of the English Folk Dance and Song Society. With a culture of belonging, we value and celebrate diverse voices, promote equality in everything we do and actively welcome everyone to be involved in folk music and dance. We are proud to work with artists, practitioners and educators who represent and celebrate the LGBTQ+ community. To all of our trans, non-binary and gender non-conforming visitors, staff, artists, practitioners, audiences and participants: you are welcome here; you are safe, respected and represented. Folk is for Everyone.