We’ll be focusing on folk education initiatives in the Greater Manchester area and will be presenting the day in partnership with our friends at English Folk Expo who are based in Rochdale, as well as other friends and partners in the North West and Yorkshire.

The action-packed day will include presentations, practical sessions and discussions. It will be thought provoking, informative and enjoyable, encouraging knowledge-sharing, discussion and networking.

Theme, presenters and topics for the day:

Celebrating folk education in the North West

• Tom Besford, Chief Executive, English Folk Expo
  A presentation about EFEx, covering their response during COVID 19, an overview of their Artist Development Programme and their Promoter Training Programme, including Rochdale Folk Festival.
• Rachel Elliott, Education Director and Sarah Jones, Programme Manager, National Youth Folk Ensemble
  An update from the EFDSS Education Department on current work and future plans.
• Georgia Woodhead, clog dance teacher with Oakenhoof Folk Arts
  An overview of their work, including a practical session.
• Kath Becker and Sorrel Harty, Bolton Music Service
  Setting up and running the Greater Northern Folk Ensemble, and more widely about Bolton Music Service and the Greater Manchester Music Hub.
• Rebecca Denniff, Flash Company Arts
  A presentation of their Plough Stots project in Yorkshire, including a practical session.
• Bella Hardy, Learning Programme Manager, Band on the Wall
  An overview of their work, including a practical session.

Having been enthused by the speakers’ presentations, there will be the opportunity for discussion and sharing of ideas in breakout rooms.

The day is FREE to attend. Book now and nearer the time you will be sent a link by email to join the day which will be hosted as an online meeting on Zoom. Please note: this meeting will be recorded and all or some of it broadcast publicly at a later date via the EFDSS YouTube channel.  By booking a place to attend you agree to be recorded. Please make sure that you do not share any personal details, other than your name, on your Zoom sign up.

What do I need?

For the best possible experience you will need a computer with a webcam, microphone and ear/headphones. You will also need a stable home Internet connection or 4G-mobile connection (Note that using a mobile internet connection can be costly, check your mobile phone tariffs before choosing this option). The Folk Education Development Day will be delivered via Zoom, with some additional material distributed via sound and video files. You do not need a Zoom account to participate – you will be able access the sessions via your browser and our web links. A free basic Zoom account will, however, get you access to additional sound settings, which could be helpful, though not essential. You can also use the Zoom app on a tablet or even a mobile phone; however, a larger screen will give you a better overall experience of the event.

Who is it for?

Anyone interested in the folk arts (music, song, dance, craft, visual art, storytelling), education, heritage and participation – working across generations, both formally and informally in community, school, museum or other settings.

Still got questions?

Please contact Kerry Fletcher via [email protected]