11.00am - 5.30pm (with registration and networking from 10.30am)
This workshop and discussion day is for anyone who is interested in broadening the accessibility of folk dance teaching practice and performance, or anyone who is interested in finding out more about accessible and inclusive practice. Our focus will be on disability inclusion. There will be opportunities available for all to participate in dance and discussion.
This event is suitable for ages 18+.
Disabled people are entitled to a free personal assistant (disabled person's companion) ticket to any of our events.
Find out more about Access at Cecil Sharp House.
Please contact us at [email protected] if you have any questions about the accessibility of the day. Presentations will be live captioned on the day. If you would like a BSL Interpreter, please contact us by Friday 28 February.
We make our Folk Education Development Days events free or as low cost as possible to ensure accessibility for those with no or low incomes. If you feel you can buy a Supporter ticket, you will be helping us do exactly that. Thank you.
We are delighted to be able to put the lived experience of disabled people at the forefront of this day’s workshops and talks.
Programme for the day
11 - 11.15am Jen Cox she/her – Welcome
11.15 -11.35am Janet Bell she/her – Janet grew up in ceilidh tents, fostering a lifelong passion for folk dance. Over the years, she has honed her skills as a dancer on feet, wheels, and using electric wheelchairs. With nearly two decades of wheelchair dancing and teaching experience, Janet is a highly skilled and inspiring wheelchair dancer and a dedicated advocate for accessibility. Janet will be our keynote speaker.
5 minute Change over
11.40 - 12 noon Penny Lury she/her – Co-Leader, Milkmaid Molly and former SEN/D school teacher teacher and Founder, Mrs Gill Bosley she/her. Milkmaid Molly are a music and dance performance group for adults with learning disabilities and non-disabled dancers and musicians, based in Bury St Edmunds. Penny will present a Case Study and screen a short film of a performance by the group.
12 - 12.20pm 20-minute Break
12.20 - 1.15pm Lisa Heywood she/her and Poppy Price-Dowhan she/her – both experienced ceilidh* callers and folk dancers, Lisa and Poppy have been collaborating to research the experiences of Disabled ceilidh dancers. With funding from an EFDSS mini grant they have surveyed over 100 dancers, and will be presenting their findings. There will also be a practical opportunity to join in with an accessible ceilidh dance.
1.15 - 2.15pm Lunch - Cafe open - pre-ordering food advised
2.15 - 3.15pm Emmie Ward she/her – Lead tutor, and Roary Neat they/them - tutor, EFDSS’ Inclusive Folk programme for learning disabled young people will present their learning resource, Dancing Days: Using Folk Arts in Inclusive Settings. The session will include a short practical workshop based on the resource, with musician Seth Bye he/him - fiddle player and educator, facilitating accessible folk workshops across the UK.
5 minute Change over
3.20 - 3.40pm Louise Katerega and Laura Dajao
Louise Katerega she/her – Head of Professional Development, People Dancing and freelance performer, teacher, choreographer, dramaturg and consultant. Louise is especially acknowledged for her national and international development work in dance by, for and with disabled people. She will talk about People Dancing's work with disabled people and professional development programme accompanied by Laura Dajao who has a long relationship with the organisation. People Dancing: the Foundation for Community Dance is the development organisation for community and participatory dance, driving forward inclusion and excellence and supporting a UK-wide network of members - dance artists and organisations - who make great dance happen in all its diversity.
Laura Dajao she/her- aka LauraDDances is a Freelance Inclusive Dance Artist and aspiring producer influenced by Hip Hop and Contemporary and other styles such as Waacking, Lockin’, Dancehall, African and Krump. The three pillars of her work are Representation, Access and Inclusion where she looks to fuse movement from different styles to create her own vocabulary using her wheelchair to make cross collaborative art – inspired by Sign language, theatre, music, storytelling and spoken word through film and video technology as well as live performance with access at the core of her work.
3.40 - 4pm 20-minute Break
4 - 4.45pm Sara Marshall-Rose she/her – Co Director and dance artist, FOLK3D, and Dance Movement Psychotherapist in private practice. Sara will talk about her work, including Folk 3D’s mini grant from EFDSS in 2024 to develop an inclusive daytime ceilidh series aimed at older adults in the local community, and their families. Followed by a short practical workshop. FOLK3D creates exciting and innovative Folk Arts Programmes with schools and communities and were recently commissioned to work with the Morris Federation's successful Old Dances, New People, New Age project (aka Buzzing Britain project). Based in the East Midlands, they work with people of all ages and abilities across the UK to connect with local and national culture, tradition and heritage.
5 minute Change over
4.50 - 5.30pm Panel discussion and Round Up - facilitated by Jen Cox
* NB ‘Ceilidh’ is one form of social folk dance, pronounced ‘kay-lee’. It is has common repertoire across England, Scotland and Ireland, and in Wales is called ‘Twmpath’
Presented by the English Folk Dance and Song Society.
More information:
Photo: A Folk Unlimited session at Cecil Sharp House, cred. Roswitha Chesher.
