Artistic Team
Sam Partridge, Artistic Director (2019–23)
Sam is an outstanding multi-instrumentalist and composer most often seen performing on timber flute, whistle and English concertina. Growing up in the High Peak, he studied classical bassoon at Junior RNCM and then chose to study on the Folk and Traditional Music Degree at Newcastle University. While in Newcastle Sam immersed himself in the strong woodwind traditions of Irish, Scottish and Breton traditional music. He spent time at the Irish World Academy of Music and Dance at the University of Limerick and subsequently embraced traditional English music through a Masters degree at Newcastle University. Sam is a member of Pons Aelius, The Rachel Hamer Band, Jordan Aikin and Bad Phantom, and plays in a duo with fiddle player and clog dancer Grace Smith. Sam is a highly skilled and committed educator who has experience teaching on the Folkworks programme at Sage Gateshead; tutoring at Newcastle University; working as a music teacher in a secondary school; and leading other youth and adult folk music learning projects across the north of England. In 2017 he was involved in a teaching and performance project at Xiamen University in China, and he has taught regularly on National Youth Folk Ensemble residential courses.
Jo Freya will become the third Artistic Director of the Ensemble in September 2023. Read the news story
Music Leaders
Since 2016 we have worked with leading folk artists and educators based in England, Scotland, Sweden and the USA to deliver National Youth Folk Ensemble residential courses. These include Kuljit Bhamra, Jenn Butterworth, Archie Churchill-Moss, Andy Cutting, Jo Freya, Dave Gray, Natalie Haas, Rob Harbron, Sarah Hayes, Nancy Kerr, Tom Kimber, Benji Kirkpatrick, Su-a Lee, Bevan Morris, Rachel Newton, Ben Nicholls, Becky Price, Rowan Rheingans, Emma Reid, Patsy Reid, Saul Rose, Jack Rutter, Miranda Rutter, Laura-Beth Salter, Grace Smith and Sam Sweeney (Inaugural Artistic Director, 2016-19). We have welcomed guest artists to deliver one-off workshops: musician and theatre-maker Tim Dalling, storyteller Hugh Lupton, morris dancer Alex Merry, and contemporary composer Peter Wiegold.
Pastoral Team
Jack Healy (Pastoral Lead)
Bryony Bainbridge
Lucy Duff
Clare Elton
Maisie Greenwood
Martha Lloyd
Natalie Reid
Louise Yeoman
English Folk Dance and Song Society Staff
Rachel Elliott, Education Director
Overview of the programme as part of the Education programme and national strategy of the English Folk Dance and Song Society.
Hannah Mears-Young, Programme Manager (National Youth Folk Ensemble) from 1 August 2023
Responsible for the development and delivery of the programme.
If you have any questions about the Ensemble, please contact
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