A new mapping resource has gone live on soundLINCS’ website to help young people find folk groups and opportunities across the East Midlands and help put the Focus on Folk! With almost 100 entries and growing all the time, if you’ve ever wanted to play, learn about or even just listen to folk music, Focus on Folk can help you find what opportunities are available in your area.
The map grew out of soundLINCS’ East Midlands Talent and Potential programme (EMTaP) exploring progression routes available for young people in minority genres and unusual contexts. It also built on the recent outburst of several folk projects including soundLINCS’ own event B15 which saw over 300 people perform a new composition based on the traditional Lincolnshire Folk tune ‘Lost Lady Found’. From this soundLINCS began to research the provision to support and meet the needs of children and young people’s progression in Folk Music in the area.
The research which followed involved consultation with the East Midlands Music Education Hubs, music practitioners, organisations and individuals across the region to ascertain existing participatory opportunities, activities, events, digital resources and much more.
(soundLINCS folk mapping)
The results were diverse and wide-reaching, with opportunities emerging from Lincoln to Leicester and even London! This collated research is now available on the soundLINCS website at www.soundlincs.org/resources/folk-mapping. The map highlights folk singarounds, ceilidhs, clubs, concerts, festivals, organisations and collaboratives providing folk activities, workshops, courses and events for young people across the region, along with information of nationally available toolkits, digital resources and workforce development activities assisting in teaching and community engagement.
This is just the starting point! Our aim is for this resource to be a useful and inspirational progression tool for young people, their parents / carers and teachers across the region. We hope it will encourage and enable young people with a love of folk, or those who want to discover more about it, to easily find out how and where to go to join others who share their interest.
We want the map to keep growing so your contributions are welcome! If you know of any other opportunities or resources in your area not currently on this map, please get in touch with soundLINCS at info@soundlincs.org or by calling us on 01522 510073 and we will happily include them.
EMTaP is heavily subsidised by the National Foundation for Youth Music with additional support from each of the Music Education Hubs in the East Midlands region.
What is soundLINCS?
soundLINCS is a not-for-profit community music organisation operating across the East Midlands. Working in partnership with local, regional and national organisations, soundLINCS provides and develops high quality and innovative music-making opportunities and training for all ages and communities. Home of soundEMission the e-information service for people involved in music development and education within the East Midlands.
For more information, visit www.soundlincs.org
