Arts Council England’s support of folk

Friday 4th of November 2022

Today we were informed by Arts Council England that their annual funding for our activities will be reduced from £439,996 to £300,000 for 2023-26. ACE funding has allowed us to deliver vital work all across England – enabling the grass-roots, professional and educational activities that are crucial to supporting our shared cultural heritage – and we are grateful that ACE continues to recognise this. However, the significant cut to our funding is concerning for our future activities, and represents the equivalent of the Arts Council’s contribution towards running the National Youth Folk Ensemble.

Arts Council England say: ‘As a 2018-22 National Portfolio Organisation, English Folk Dance and Song Society (EFDSS) promotes and supports English folk music and dance reaching a range of audiences that include young people and their families, as well as supporting artists at all stages of their careers. We recognise the contribution EFDSS makes to creating a vibrant Music ecology in England and are pleased that the organisation will be part of our 2023-26 portfolio. While EFDSS’s application outlined a broad programme that would make a good contribution to Let’s Create, we decided to make a reduced offer that has given us the opportunity to invest in a broader, more balanced range of organisations delivering exciting arts, culture, and creative opportunities for more people, in more place across London. We look forward to continuing to support the National Youth Music Folk ensemble and other elements of EFDSS’s work over the coming years.’

The English Folk Dance and Song Society is physically located in London, but it has always been and continues to be a national organisation, working all across England. We are the only national organisation which champions folk music and dance at the heart of England’s cultural life.

We will be engaging with ACE to understand their decision to reduce their support for the folk arts.

At the English Folk Dance and Song Society, we champion the folk arts at the heart of England’s rich and diverse cultural landscape.

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The situation in brief

  • We are seeking answers from Arts Council England about their decision to cut support for folk arts.
  • By our reckoning, Arts Council England funding dedicated to folk music and dance was already tiny at £1 out of every £760; next year it will be £1 in £1116.
  • None of Friday’s new funding awards were made to organisations dedicated to England’s folk arts.
  • The only dedicated support for folk music and dance is
    1. £300K English Folk Dance and Song Society (reduced by 32%), and
    2. £100K (standstill) for English Folk Expo, which is focused on career support for professional musicians.
  • We are the *only* national organisation championing folk music and dance for all – grass-roots, community, professional, educators, youth, researchers and more. 
  • Our HQ is in London but we work all across England, championing folk music and dance at the heart of England’s cultural life.
  • We will be urgently reviewing our current business model. We hope to fill some of the gap by increasing our commercial hires and other new development strategies. But right now, we need immediate as well as long-term financial assistance. Can you help us to stand up for folk by donating now?

 
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