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National Youth Folk Ensemble

Ensemble of young people holding instruments and looking at camera

Our vision is young people throughout England discovering, playing and loving folk music.

We wish to encourage progression from earliest grassroots activity in schools and community settings on to lifelong engagement with folk music – as participants and professionals.

The National Youth Folk Ensemble celebrates excellence in youth folk music, bringing together talented young folk musicians from across England to create and perform inspiring new arrangements of folk music.

With young musicians at the heart of the programme, the National Youth Folk Ensemble aims to nurture their talents, aspirations and creativity, enabling them to develop into the folk performers, educators and leaders of the future.

These talented musicians receive expert tuition and guidance from a team of leading folk artist-educators, working with the Ensemble’s Artistic Director (2019–2023), Sam Partridge.


2023 confirmed gigs 

Wednesday 5 April 2023 at Cecil Sharp House, London

Friday 11 August at Saltburn Folk Festival

Sunday 13 August at King's Cross Summer Sounds 


The wider National Youth Folk Ensemble programme aims to raise the profile of folk music and develop practice in folk education in England through high quality learning and performance experiences.

The National Youth Folk Ensemble is an English Folk Dance and Song Society programme, funded by Arts Council England. The Ensemble is a National Youth Music Organisation, and part of its agreed funding comes from the Department for Education. 

logo: Department for Education / Arts Council England


 

Instagram NationalYouthFolk
 


The National Youth Folk Ensemble:

  • takes talented young folk musicians from across England
  • has up to 25 players
  • is open to young people aged 14–18
  • is open to any instrument
  • focuses mainly on instrumental music, with song and dance included as elements of the programme
  • has a significant focus on traditional folk music from England, reflecting its regional variety, complemented by folk music from from the rest of the UK and beyond
  • includes newly devised and composed music drawing from the tradition
  • offers membership on an annual basis via audition
  • meets for residential courses, rehearsals and performances at various locations across England
  • aims to complement, build on and help link existing youth folk music provision
  • seeks positive relationships with similar youth folk music ensembles in the other nations of the UK and beyond
  • provides extension opportunities for 19–25 year olds who are alumni of the programme
  • runs an Engagement Programme that helps foster the growth of local and regional youth folk music provision, particularly where there is currently little provision

The standard was excellent – their musicianship, stage presence, performance skills and enthusiasm made it an evening to remember for a long time

Songlines

Live at Shrewsbury Folk Festival
Live at Shrewsbury Folk Festival
Support us
Support the National Youth Folk Ensemble

Job vacancy: Programme Manager, National Youth Folk Ensemble

Hours: Full Time, 35 hours per week
Salary: £33,103 to £34,758 per annum
Closing date: Tuesday 25 April 2023 at 9am

Find out more and apply

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Jo Freya to be Ensemble Artistic Director
Jo Freya to be Artistic Director of National Youth Folk Ensemble


logo: Department for Education / Arts Council England

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Support us, and support the folk arts

We champion folk music and dance at the heart of cultural life, all across England.

Donations provide immediate support. But even more than that, they prove that so many people value what we do – helping us to secure funding from partner organisations.

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English Folk Dance and Song Society, Cecil Sharp House, 2 Regent’s Park Road, London NW1 7AY, UK.
Tel: 020 7485 2206 | Email: [email protected] | Registered charity number 305999
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Supported by Arts Council England