Applications for Alan James Creative Bursaries are now closed for this year.
The English Folk Dance and Song Society’s (EFDSS) Creative Bursary and Residency Programme aims to support artists exploring new creative ideas inspired by and sourced from traditional folk music relating to England. This programme provides artists with an opportunity to undertake creative exploration without the pressure of a final product.
We will be awarding three bursaries and this year we are delighted to be partnering again with the Glasshouse International Centre for Music to offer residency space for one project in Glasshouse International Centre for Music (Gateshead).
The award offers
● a bursary of up to £2,000
● research facilities at the Vaughan Williams Memorial Library (online and in person)
● up to five days of rehearsal space at Cecil Sharp House, London or the Glasshouse International, Gateshead. Applicants that wish to work elsewhere will be considered but no additional funding for space hire will be available.
● additional funding for Access needs.
Alan James was a former Chair of EFDSS who died suddenly in April 2019. In the spirit of Alan’s eclectic musical tastes and his ability to foster exciting artistic collaborations, we are particularly interested in receiving applications which explore folk music in the context of cross-genre or cross-art form collaborations.
The award is aimed at artists with a track-record as professional creative artists. An application can be from one artist or a group of artists, and from existing groups/bands or new collaborations. While applications can be for cross-genre or cross-art form projects, the primary art form must be music and the project should be taking its inspiration from folk music.
Previous bursary awardees have gone on to develop their R & D work further to produce material for recording and performance. Recent examples are albums from You Are Wolf ‘Hare//Hunter//Moth//Ghost’; Tamsin Elliott and Tarek Elazhary ‘So Far We Have Come’; and Angeline Morrisons ‘The Sorrow Songs: Folk Songs of Black British Experience’.
Access
Additional funding will be available for Disabled artists with additional access needs.
Audio: Creative Bursary Application Form
Audio: Creative Bursary Guidelines
Closing Date: Sunday 15 June, midnight - Passed
Applicants will be informed of the outcome by Tuesday 29 July 2025.
All projects must be completed by 31 March 2026.
Closing Date: Sunday 15 June, midnight - Passed
Applicants will be informed of the outcome by Tuesday 29 July 2025.
All projects must be completed by 31 March 2026.
Please contact Zoe Nicol ([email protected]) or Katy Spicer ([email protected]) with any questions.
Please see the News Page for more information.
Some stories about recent bursaries
All these bursaries are funded by individual donations, and grants from PRS for Music Foundation Talent Development Partner scheme and Arts Council England. They come under the umbrella of EFDSS’ Artists’ Development Programme, which provides professional development support, both creative and business, to artists at all levels of their career.
Each bursary is worth up to £2,000, and supports artists’ creative research and development together with use of rehearsal space at Cecil Sharp House and access to the Vaughan Williams Memorial Library.
We are a founder signatory to Sound and Music’s Fair Access Principles – a code of best practice for running successful, open and inclusive artist development programmes, competitions and awards.
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EFDSS is a member of the PRS Foundation Talent Development Network, supported by PPL.
