Micro Grants Awarded to Folk Artists
With a huge thanks to Conrad and Jennifer Bailey for their continuing donations, we are delighted to announce the awardees for the sixth year of Micro Grants for Professional Folk Artists who live and work in England.
The Micro Grants for Professional Folk Artists support artists in any way that will help develop their professional careers. Applications range from developing creative projects to support the production of new albums to instrument or equipment purchases.
Micro Grants have been awarded to:
The grant will support Holly to create a high-quality music video to support the PR of her upcoming debut album.
Holly Clarke, a singer who draws from the old ballads and stories, conjures a performance that immediately captivates any listener. She has performed with the likes of Nancy Kerr and James Fagan, Daoiri Farrell and Queer Folk.
Website: https://hollyclarkemusic.com/
The grant will support the costs of an additional musician and rehearsal space for the new trio line-up with percussion.
Good Habits are a dynamic Indie-folk band with a knack for turning existential musings into bursts of relentless optimism. They carve out a sound that’s virtuosic, cinematic and unapologetically fun – a blend of folk-ish storytelling, groove-driven energy and existential optimism.
Website: www.goodhabitsband.com
Photo credit: Kate Griffin
The micro grant will support the creation of a film to accompany Claire’s new album, showcasing a move towards a “more traditional folk style”.
Unashamedly political and poignantly personal, Claire’s songs are inspired by protest movements, social injustice and her longing for a more sustainable world. Claire has recently recorded her debut solo album with producer Sid Goldsmith, to be released in Spring 2026.
Website: https://claire-vine.co.uk/
The grant will contribute to the costs of Sam’s debut album of flute folk pieces, marking his first opportunity to lead a project.
A leading exponent of traditional English flute playing, Sam Partridge is highly regarded as a musician, composer, and music educator. Alongside performances in his own right, most notably premiering his Wind Quintet in 2023, Sam is also a member of Pons Aelius, Cri du Canard, and the Grace Smith Trio.
Website: sampartridgemusic.com
Photo credit: Tom Kimber
The grant will cover the cost of equipment to help with performing in noisy surroundings
Ben is an ambient/folk/experimental musician residing in Nottingham. He combines acoustic instruments with computer processing to create folk-inspired soundscapes. His album ‘How I Learnt To Disengage From The Pack’ received folk album of the month in The Guardian in January 2022.
Website: www.benmcelroy.co.uk
The grant will support Lucy Farrell from (The Furrow Collective) to create live hand-operated visual crankies to use in performance to expand visual dimensions.
The Furrow Collective consists of four talented and individually acclaimed performers: Lucy Farrell (viola, voice, tenor guitar, saw), Rachel Newton (harp, fiddle, voice), Emily Portman (banjo, concertina, voice) and Alasdair Roberts (guitars, voice). Drawn together by a shared love of the traditional song and balladry of England, Scotland and beyond.
Alongside The Furrow Collective, Lucy’s spent over 15 years as a professional musician, performing and recording solo and with a wide range of artists, including Jonny Kearney, Eliza Carthy, and the Emily Portman Trio.
Website: http://www.thefurrowcollective.co.uk/
The micro grant will support the creation of a “Cheshire Souling Horse (puppet)”, the documentation will be used as a powerful promotional tool for his show, and for the knowledge of the custom.
Tom Kitching is an author and musician whose work explores the everyday connections between people and place. He is a dedicated member of the Alderley Mummers play and a founder member of Pilgrims’ Way. His breakthrough work, ‘Seasons of Change’ (2020), was a book and album charting 18 months of busking around England.
Website: www.tomkitching.co.uk
The micro grant will be match-funding for time to focus on craft and research for a re-telling of the Middle English romance tale 'Sir Gawain and the Green Knight'.
Oliver Cross is a dynamic folk musician who sings and performs on hurdy-gurdy, harmonicas, whistles and synths. His work bridges the gap between traditional and contemporary sound worlds. Oliver is a member of The Patterers, with repertoire focused on traditional folk tunes, songs and historical stories.
Website: https://olivercross.smugmug.com/
FROM LAST YEAR
Costs towards time for creative project development. The research will include three vocal music traditions: Scottish Puirt à beul, Indian classical singing and Guadeloupe Bouladjèl to extend vocal practice.
Contribution to co-production and mixing with Jim Moray for Frankie’s debut album. The album will include mostly traditional English music framed with digitally manipulated sounds.
Purchase of a new microphone for a live recording project, starting in 2025, to help elevate the sound. The project will involve Janice and Jon recording and filming traditional songs in scenic or historic locations.
Support the costs of a research and development trip to Lafayette, Louisiana and Houston, Texas, for three weeks in May 2025 to study Cajun and Zydeco music.
This funding will support travel costs for Georgie and Alana’s 2025 Spring Tour in England and Scotland. This will include six gigs and three workshops in venues across the UK.
Cost of filming and editing a music video for Re-vulva’s debut single ‘Girls And Their Toys’, an uplifting feminist folk anthem.
Contribution towards dedicated pre-production time to finalise the material for the second album.
Contribution towards purchasing a new, professional standard, custom-made djembe, made by Wooden Roots. Suntou’s djembe supports Suntou's income as a performing artist and a teacher.
Support for the recording and filming of a new EP in Newcastle, with new compositions inspired by his family’s diaspora to Tyneside.
These Micro Grants are just one of many ways in which the English Folk Dance and Song Society supports professional folk artists.
