Digital Folk: Digital Media in Folk Arts Participation.
Lead Research Organisation:
University of Sheffield
Department Name: Music
Abstract
With the continual unfolding of new digital technologies and possibilities, digital resources are beginning to play a significant role in the activities and experiences of "grass-roots" musicians and dancers, singers and dancers in England's contemporary folk scene. There has been a considerable growth in the popularity and profile of folk arts in England over the last fifteen years; within this wave of new interest, internet-based resources have introduced new participants to repertory, skills and information. Simultaneously, developments in solid-state digital technology mean that musicians and dancers are now making recordings of themselves and others (for instance, in sessions, using portable digital recorders or smartphones). Far from being passive consumers of this digital media, musicians and dancers are actively developing new ways to assimilate and utilise the materials they find and generate. Amateur and professional musicians and dancers are engaging with a growing wealth of digital resources ranging from internet-based archives (e.g. The Full English) to self-generated recordings and transcriptions. The extent and nature of the impact of these digital/digitised materials to individuals, groups, amateurs, professionals and activists within England's folk scene are as yet somewhat assumed, largely unclear and under-examined, and the focus of the 'Digital Folk' project.
'Digital Folk' will look in detail at the uses, distributions and impacts of digital/digitised materials (e.g. recordings/transcriptions/manuscript reproductions) within English folk arts cultures. The research will involve observing musicians and dancers and dancers as they utilise or otherwise engage with various materials, and will move towards building a picture of the ways in which users interact with different types and formats of resource. It will look to understand how such materials impact on the ways in which folk musicians and dancers interact with each other, and will consider the online networks and relationships that emerge between the practitioners, in order to discover how the sharing and exchange of such materials transform the social nature of folk culture. Finally, it will examine the ways in which, and extent to which, digitally-oriented activities intersect with face-to-face "real-world" interactions, and how the modernity of such activities is accommodated within new concepts of 'tradition'. The project will aim to develop a new understanding of the ramifications of digital resources for development and change in the content, concept and practice of folk arts in contemporary England.
To do this, the project will address the following questions:
1. How do traditional musicians and dancers in England use digital resources? What are the most common uses of such resources by folk musicians and dancers? What opportunities are folk musicians and dancers able to explore through those resources?
2. How do folk/traditional musicians and dancers in England conceptualise their engagements with digital resources? Do they consider the use of modern digital tools and media in relation to the "traditional" nature of the music they perform? If so, how?
3. What are the emerging impacts of digital resources on the artistic and cultural attributes of England's folk arts? What impacts can be observed, and what affects appear imminent?
'Digital Folk' will look in detail at the uses, distributions and impacts of digital/digitised materials (e.g. recordings/transcriptions/manuscript reproductions) within English folk arts cultures. The research will involve observing musicians and dancers and dancers as they utilise or otherwise engage with various materials, and will move towards building a picture of the ways in which users interact with different types and formats of resource. It will look to understand how such materials impact on the ways in which folk musicians and dancers interact with each other, and will consider the online networks and relationships that emerge between the practitioners, in order to discover how the sharing and exchange of such materials transform the social nature of folk culture. Finally, it will examine the ways in which, and extent to which, digitally-oriented activities intersect with face-to-face "real-world" interactions, and how the modernity of such activities is accommodated within new concepts of 'tradition'. The project will aim to develop a new understanding of the ramifications of digital resources for development and change in the content, concept and practice of folk arts in contemporary England.
To do this, the project will address the following questions:
1. How do traditional musicians and dancers in England use digital resources? What are the most common uses of such resources by folk musicians and dancers? What opportunities are folk musicians and dancers able to explore through those resources?
2. How do folk/traditional musicians and dancers in England conceptualise their engagements with digital resources? Do they consider the use of modern digital tools and media in relation to the "traditional" nature of the music they perform? If so, how?
3. What are the emerging impacts of digital resources on the artistic and cultural attributes of England's folk arts? What impacts can be observed, and what affects appear imminent?
Planned Impact
The research will directly and immediately benefit any organisation developing digital resources to facilitate participation in the folk arts: the detailed ethnography produced by the research will offer in-depth market research of the practices and attitudes of target end-users. The project's closing report will be explicitly aimed at addressing these research needs as they relate to the partner organisation - the EFDSS - by gathering information on the impact of their resources, but the nature and impact of resources produced by other similar organisations will also be assessed. Other organisations whose resources are likely to feature (and who will therefore benefit from the research) are: thesession.org; mudcatcafe.org; the Irish Traditional Music Archive; and Folkworks. However, since no such research currently exists in relation to any similar organisations worldwide, the findings of this research are likely to benefit any creators of digital resources relating to participation in "traditional" activities globally.
By providing targeted findings and proposals to EFDSS and the creators of digital folk resources, the research will indirectly benefit their end users: implementation of proposals and review of resource formats in view of the project's findings will result in resource construction that best meets the needs of participants.
In the medium term (1-2 years from completion), there is strong potential for the research to benefit the app design and computing industries through providing detailed market research on the availability, nature and limits of existing technologies (including applications and software) to cater for the increasingly popular activity of traditional folk arts participation (as well as for creative communities more generally).
In the longer term (c.5 years) there is also strong potential for the project to deliver findings that will be instrumental in the review of copyright policies and legislations as they relate to the distribution and licensing of "traditional" music. Historically, the concept of "the traditional" (particularly in relation to music) has been found to be at odds with commercially driven licensing controls and copyright law - the negotiation of an exemption for Morris Dancing in the Licensing Act 2003 shows that antagonisms of this kind continue, and the increased opportunities for the distribution of digitally recorded materials are accompanied by new ethical and commercial concerns relating to notions of artistic property and creative common-ownership within the folk arts. For these reasons, the research has strong potential to impact on the formulation of publication policies of folk music-related websites, and the licensing policies of the Mechanical Copyright Protection Society and Performing Rights Society.
By providing targeted findings and proposals to EFDSS and the creators of digital folk resources, the research will indirectly benefit their end users: implementation of proposals and review of resource formats in view of the project's findings will result in resource construction that best meets the needs of participants.
In the medium term (1-2 years from completion), there is strong potential for the research to benefit the app design and computing industries through providing detailed market research on the availability, nature and limits of existing technologies (including applications and software) to cater for the increasingly popular activity of traditional folk arts participation (as well as for creative communities more generally).
In the longer term (c.5 years) there is also strong potential for the project to deliver findings that will be instrumental in the review of copyright policies and legislations as they relate to the distribution and licensing of "traditional" music. Historically, the concept of "the traditional" (particularly in relation to music) has been found to be at odds with commercially driven licensing controls and copyright law - the negotiation of an exemption for Morris Dancing in the Licensing Act 2003 shows that antagonisms of this kind continue, and the increased opportunities for the distribution of digitally recorded materials are accompanied by new ethical and commercial concerns relating to notions of artistic property and creative common-ownership within the folk arts. For these reasons, the research has strong potential to impact on the formulation of publication policies of folk music-related websites, and the licensing policies of the Mechanical Copyright Protection Society and Performing Rights Society.
| Description | • Folk arts participants (musicians, dancers, etc.) in England draw widely and extensively on digital technologies and media in the course of their participation; despite the widely acknowledged and celebrated, historical rootedness of traditional music, dance and drama, the wide range of specialist folk-oriented websites, digital archives, applications and networks is indicative of a general acceptance that digital technology offers acceptable (often preferred) means for the transmission of traditional material among enthusiasts within the contemporary world. The longevity of many such sites and networks indicate that folk arts participants have been among the earliest individuals to go online and make use of the early internet to share and build networks around their activities. The range of materials now on offer also indicates that online resources are shaped differently to meet the needs of participants in different traditions. • Folk arts participation, however, remains a fundamentally "offline" (or unmediated) activity. Digital activity related to this genre is almost exclusively intended to directly support, facilitate or prepare individuals or groups for participating in an 'offline' event. Many online spaces take the form of learning environments, providing visitors with direct instruction or the indirect opportunity to develop their repertoire. The essential nature of face-to-face interactions as a definitive feature of the folk arts is felt particularly acutely by musicians, and demonstrated by what is considered socially unacceptable regarding the use of digital media (i.e. the general dislike of reliance on-or overt and extensive use of-mobile devices when taking part in music-making events such as pub sessions and folk clubs). • The apparent tensions between the continuity of tradition and the ready innovations of digital technology are reconciled by understanding digital media as the trappings of everyday life for normal people, and thereby fitting with the prevalent notion of folk arts as being 'of the people, by the people, for the people'. This is evidenced not only by a great deal of discourse from interviewees and survey respondents, but also by the popularity and significance of crowd-sourced online archives and discussion fora. Nonetheless, folk arts participants indicate an awareness of internal contradictions with (e.g.) the digital expansion of the commonly-evoked 'oral tradition' by sharing jokes online, and by their willingness to engage in large numbers in (sometimes heated) discussion on the topic, via platforms such as our Digital Folk Survey, which received many more responses than anticipated. • The interviews and observations carried out for the project generated a list of direct recommendations for those individuals and organisations involved in the creation, development and maintenance of online folk resources, which include (broadly): the need to anticipate the resource's audience(s); the need to plan for usage on mobile devices; the need for multimodal (i.e. visual, audio and video) content; and the importance of inviting crowd sourced links and content. |
| Exploitation Route | The Digital Folk Report is intended to make explicit connections between our research findings and their possible applications by developers of digital folk resources. This might include adding specific functions and affordances to websites (e.g. randomisation functions for facilitating 'discovery' of new repertoire). Alternatively, it is hoped that the report will be used as evidence (and/or we be called upon in a consultancy capacity) to support funding applications to enable such changes to be made. We are intending to follow up with potential stakeholders/beneficiaries of the research, to encourage and support changes that might be usefully made to public online resources in the light of our findings (see above). |
| Sectors | Creative Economy,Digital/Communication/Information Technologies (including Software),Education,Culture, Heritage, Museums and Collections |
| URL | https://www.digitalfolk.org/the-digital-folk-report-has-launched/ |
| Description | Participants in the research have reported that their taking part has had an appreciable affect on their attitudes and approaches to the use and impact of digital media in the course of their creative practice (see below) . While these statements have been reported as the impact of *participation* in Digital Folk's research (i.e. through engagement with websites, surveys and events), all such opportunities for participation have themselves been the result of initial research of the field, the findings of which have gone on to generate the specific research questions, targetted audiences, workshop activities, etc., with which new participants have then engaged. On that basis, these testimonials can be understood to be the impact of "findings". 1. The Digital Folk Survey and follow-up surveys for feedback on the public events have highlighted regular self-reporting by attendees that the research has caused them to review their broader thoughts and attitudes on the subject of digital activities in the folk milieu: [From the Digital Folk Launch (DFL) follow-up survey, in answer to Q5 "Has the day led you to do something new/different in your "digital folk" activities?"] * "It has made me think about how we use digital forums and tech and how digital forums and tech use and shape our own behaviour" * "Made me more aware of the digital folk world" * "I have considered the problems of preservation of formats more. I have been thinking about how we can keep up with changes in technology but still make sure things can be accessed in the future." * "It has made me more aware of the issues at play regarding digital technology and folk music and archives" * "It made me reconsider my attitudes towards archiving: yes archives are an important thing, but they are not the goal. It's really important that they are used by a wider audience." [From the Digital Folk Report Launch (DFRL), in answer to the question Q3 "Will the DF report/event encourage you to do something different with your digital activities?"] * "Yes. Embrace it" [From the Digital Folk Survey (DFS), in answer to Q33. "Has this survey caused you to think differently about the ways in which you use digital media/technology in relation to your folk activities?"] * "Yes, I hadn't thought about whether digital involvement in folk activities keeps it Traditional or not." * "I can find something on YouTube, say, but if it isn't the version I know I remain unsatisfied; whereas, hearing a person sing it is fine. Go figure." * "Yes; though I mainly use digital replacements in a way that they add little more than would the analytical methods, I appreciate that technology could be used more. I had never thought of the potential implications of that." * "it made me think about the importance of face to face interaction in music." * "It has made me question the idea of authenticity within performance and the value of types of music transmission (ear notation, ABC or digitally)." * "It made me aware just how relevant digital media is for spreading information about traditional music." * "It has made me reflect on it more and how I have benefited from it." * "A little, I did not consider the event management and promotion as part of the folk activity but without them they would not happen." * "I haven't changed my opinions, but I hadn't put much thought into how I feel about the use of digital media/technology in my folk communities. It was good to consider it and put it into words." * "I'll pay more attention to its use." * "I hadn't really considered how important social media is to my feeling of connection to the folk world. Facebook groups, following friends' bands and updates from folkies I know make up a large part of my folk socialising (I'm disabled and don't get out as much as I'd like.)" * "Not sure right now but will definitely go away & think about it." * "Yes, I suppose I hadn't considered what it was like before modern technology as I wasn't doing folk then." 2. Respondents to the DFS Q33 answered in ways that revealed a specific impact among respondents of self-discovery about the extent of their engagement with digital media in the course of folk arts participation: * "...it has led me to think a bit about how much I rely on it." * "I hadn't quite realised how much I do now use it!" * "yes, because I haven't considered how social media plays a role in the way that I connect with other young people who are into folk" * "It made me realise how important technology is to folk music." * "Yes, I honestly didn't realize how much I use the internet for folk research and to record things!" * "It has made me think about how much I rely on digital media/technology for music" * "Yes. I never realised I used it so much" * "Yes, I never realised how much I use social media as part of my art" * "I hadn't really thought that much about how much I use technology in relation to folk, because I use technology so much anyway that it's just second nature." * "It's made me realise the extent of my usage/reliance on digital media and technology!" 3. In the case of the public events, a benefit repeatedly reported by attendees was the opportunity that the events provided for networking, with a view to future collaborations, wider dissemination of knowledge and expertise, or online developments: * "Putting faces to names." [DFL, Q1 "What was the best bit about the event?"] * "Meeting others interested in this subject and sharing conversations with them." [DFL Q1] * "meeting others with similar interests" [DFL Q1] * "It has connected our work with others in the field, which is helpful" [DFL Q5] * "it has given me much food for thought for when I do need to set up a website. I also feel I have contacts now to ask for advice and support which is brilliant." [DFL Q5] * "It has helped to increase the reach of our work and to connect with this major project, adding social media outlets." [DFL Q5] A verbal comment made to SKP at the Report Launch event, in conversation with Joe Wass and Chris Walshaw, two significant digital folk web developers: "thanks - you managed to get us in the same room together!" 4. Surveys and feedback on events has also indicated where the research has instigated an intention to do, or create, something new or different. * "It rekindled my interest in writing a Sibelius plug-in that accepts abc and, possibly, creates abc from a simple score." [DFL Q5] * "Yes. I am pursuing the digitisation of certain collections held in East Midlands archives - perhaps for incorporation in The Full English. Also looking to digitise a large cassette tape archive of Tristan da Cunha folk music and song." [DFL Q5] * "Yes, [I will] think very carefully about how to frame any website I set up as there is so much out there and we don't need to duplicate but can link. Make sure there is space on any site for 'conversation' as well as information." [DFL Q5] * "Think more about utilising for quick teaching resources" [DFRL Q3] * "[Develop a] More interesting and engaging web presence - identify target audiences e.g. younger potential learners" [DFRL Q3] * "Yes. Develop a facebook page for tangible morris ephemera, e.g. pub signs, venues, kit, badges" [DFRL Q3] * "Need to increase my folk-music-specific presence on social media - right now, my personal page is serving as the clearinghouse for several artistic outlets." [DFS Q33] * "Maybe - i might highlight the resources I use more readily to beginners" [DFS Q33] * "yes pehaps using recordings of performances for feedback and thereby improving both practices and performances/ training and teaching of dances currently being displayed by own team or as training for newcomers/or other teams" [DFS Q33] * "I have been wanting to, and hopefully will, use a dictaphone to collect songs." [DFS Q33] * "Yes. I am considering becoming more active in the recording of my activities and of those in the various groups in which I belong." [DFS Q33] * "It has made me realise how much more we could be using digital media / technology!" [DFS Q33] * "I'm going to search for more!" [DFS Q33] * "yes, I think I consume much more than I share, so will aim to share more." [DFS Q33] * "I might consider sharing my typeset music or display medleys." [DFS Q33] These reports have occasionally cited a new or renewed intention to explore a specific digital folk resource: * "Consult Full English more" [DFL Q5] * "Found out about tunepal!" [DFS Q33] Most recently, as a result of connections made through the project, a further AHRC/IRC Networking Grant application has been submitted (March 2020) with a proposed network of academics, industry professionals and organisations, to support knowledge exchange and impact in this field. |
| First Year Of Impact | 2017 |
| Sector | Creative Economy,Culture, Heritage, Museums and Collections |
| Impact Types | Cultural |
| Description | Higher Education Innovation Funding |
| Amount | £6,494 (GBP) |
| Organisation | University of Sheffield |
| Sector | Academic/University |
| Country | United Kingdom |
| Start | 01/2018 |
| End | 03/2018 |
| Description | On CampUS Placement |
| Amount | £1,000 (GBP) |
| Organisation | University of Sheffield |
| Sector | Academic/University |
| Country | United Kingdom |
| Start | 04/2017 |
| End | 07/2017 |
| Description | Project Partnership with EFDSS |
| Organisation | English Folk Dance and Song Society (EFDSS) |
| Country | United Kingdom |
| Sector | Charity/Non Profit |
| PI Contribution | Provision of research designed to enhance understanding of audience participation in digital resources hosted/created by EFDSS. |
| Collaborator Contribution | Provision of staff time, meeting room facilities and output dissemination. |
| Impact | None yet - research is ongoing. |
| Start Year | 2014 |
| Description | Digital Folk - Blog Posts |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | Engagement focused website, blog or social media channel |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | International |
| Primary Audience | Public/other audiences |
| Results and Impact | Three blog posts titled "The study of digital media and creative culture: why the folk arts are a special case". These dealt with particular issues relating to the study of folk arts and digital technology, including transmission, community and innovation/tradition. Each received 30 views, with only partial overlap of viewers. |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2015,2016 |
| URL | https://simonkeeganphipps.wordpress.com |
| Description | Digital Folk @ Access Space #2 |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | Participation in an activity, workshop or similar |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | Regional |
| Primary Audience | Professional Practitioners |
| Results and Impact | A follow-up to the first Digital Folk event at Access Space, this workshop was a practical exploration of the musical possibilities of combining traditional music with live coding. Both groups of musicians developed a clearer understanding of the creative workings of the other genre, and further collaborations are anticipated as a result. |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2017 |
| Description | Digital Folk Event, Access Space Sheffield |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | A formal working group, expert panel or dialogue |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | Regional |
| Primary Audience | Professional Practitioners |
| Results and Impact | The first meeting of Digital Folk researchers with musicians and performance artists representing both the traditional folk music/dance scene and the digital arts laboratory, Access Space. This round-table meeting constituted an introduction to the project, a provocation for a discussion on how issues related to digital media in folk participation might be reframed in ways that are relevant to--and reveal connections with--practitioners in live coding and other digital art performance activities. The three-hour conversation explored the histories--real and imagined--of the two genres, and the underlying principles of organicism, improvisation, vernacularity and 'live-ness" that they share. |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2016 |
| Description | Digital Folk Launch Event (Westminster) |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | Participation in an activity, workshop or similar |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | National |
| Primary Audience | Professional Practitioners |
| Results and Impact | The research project was introduced to the audience by the research team; key academic and industry professionals (e.g. Library and Archives Director, English Folk Dance and Song Society; Lead Curator of World and Traditional Music, British Library) then presented their own thoughts and ideas in short provocations. Finally, a member of the project team led a participatory workshop in which speakers and attendees took part in a variety of thought experiments relating to the future of digital engagement with folk arts. Throughout the event, the speakers and workshop activities sparked questions and in-depth discussion about the nature of the folk arts in the digital milieu, as well as broader discussion on social media and digital interaction. Responses to a post-event survey indicated that the event had led many attendees to rethink the impacts of their digital engagements and folk activities: "It has made me think about how we use digital forums and tech and how digital forums and tech use and shape our own behaviour" "It made me reconsider my attitudes towards archiving: yes archives are an important thing, but they are not the goal. It's really important that they are used by a wider audience." "Simon's anecdote about the rights/wrongs of recording in sessions was an eye opener (but then I haven't been to sessions for many years). It did make me think about what 'aural transmission' means in a digital age." "It has made me more aware of the issues at play regarding digital technology and folk music and archives" "I have considered the problems of preservation of formats more. I have been thinking about how we can keep up with changes in technology but still make sure things can be accessed in the future." The survey also provided evidence of the event's impact as a networking opportunity for the industry professionals present: "It has connected our work with others in the field, which is helpful" The survey also provided evidence of the event's sparking of future innovative/creative practice: "It rekindled my interest in writing a Sibelius plug-in that accepts abc and, possibly, creates abc from a simple score." |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2015 |
| URL | http://www.digitalfolk.org/london-launch-is-looming/ |
| Description | Digital Folk Report Launch |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | Participation in an activity, workshop or similar |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | International |
| Primary Audience | Third sector organisations |
| Results and Impact | 30 people with shared interests in the creation and development of digital media and technologies for the enhancement of folk arts participation met for an event to launch the Digital Folk Report, an industry-facing report designed to draw attention to key findings and recommendations applicable to that audience. Attendees reported significant benefits from the networking opportunities offered by the event, and c.5 stakeholders (individuals and organisations) have since accepted invitations to discuss privately the contents of the report, and its implications for their development of online resources. (NB: The meeting took place less than a month before this return - more impact is expected in the coming months.) The event was also an opportunity to publicise the report beyond those who attended the event - a further 13 stakeholders have requested copies, and will be followed up for consultation on applying the findings in the coming months. |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2018 |
| Description | Digital Folk Survey - Social Media Campaign |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | Engagement focused website, blog or social media channel |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | International |
| Primary Audience | Study participants or study members |
| Results and Impact | Announcement of the launch of the Digital Folk online survey was made via the project's Wordpress site, dedicated Twitter feed and Facebook page. The onward dissemination of the link to the survey via Twitter (reach of approx 4,500) and Facebook (reach of approx 520) resulted in the submission of 320 survey returns in the first 18 hours, and a second round of announcements resulted in 80 more returns. (Returns are at 532 as of 25/11/15.) To date, an audience of over 5,000 have been made aware of the project through the initial social media campaign, of which at least 320 engaged directly through completing the survey within 18 hours of the first announcement. Further announcements have generated another 200 individual engagements with the project's data collection. At the end of the survey, respondents were asked to consider whether the survey had caused them to think differently about the ways in which they use digital media |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2015,2016 |
| URL | https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/digitalfolk |
| Description | Digital Folk Website |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | Engagement focused website, blog or social media channel |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | International |
| Primary Audience | Public/other audiences |
| Results and Impact | The website is the public-facing platform for the research, including information about the project, the personnel, the research questions/methods, blog posts, etc. The site has had a total of 3,828 views [as of 26/2/16]. There have been approx 300 click-throughs from the Home page to other pages, illustrating engaging traffic. The site has been a permanent host of the weblink to the Digital Folk Survey; this has so far received c. 550 responses from an international cohort, of which 35 click-throughs have originated from the Digital Folk website. |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2015,2016 |
| URL | http://www.digitalfolk.org |
| Description | Presentation as part of English Folk Dance and Song Society, Folk Educators Group training day (Digital Edition) |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | A talk or presentation |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | Yes |
| Geographic Reach | National |
| Primary Audience | Professional Practitioners |
| Results and Impact | The talk introduced a variety of folk arts educators to the research, and to the possibilities of digital interaction and methods within their teaching practices. Best practice was discussed, regarding the use of appropriate social media to engage with young people, as well as the potential of online resources. The event enabled important networking with potential participants and partners, both on the day, and also as a result of post-event online communications through the FEG Email Blasts. The precise nature of impact on practice will only be identifiable at a later point. |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2015 |
| URL | http://www.efdss.org/efdss-education/folk-educators-group |
| Description | Talk at Soundpost Full English Weekend |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | A talk or presentation |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | International |
| Primary Audience | Public/other audiences |
| Results and Impact | Talk given at a workshop and education weekend based around the EFDSS Full English archive, run by the third sector organisation Soundpost, based in Sheffield, and concerned with education in English folk music and song. The talk integrated information about the project's aims and methods with facilitated workshop-style group activities, which successfully sparked debate and discussion. This moved beyond the basic scope of the presentation to uncover new areas of investigation. Since the talk, one participant has approached me to investigate studying the topics further at postgraduate level. A report on the talk, and the weekend, was submitted to - and published by - Culture Vannin (Isle of Man Government), in their monthly newsletter *Kiaull Manninagh Jiu* (International email distribution list 650+, and further print distribution). Important participants for future fieldwork research were identified and recruited. The Digital Folk project in general - and survey in particular - was made known to a new audience via Soundpost's email lists and twitter interactions. |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2015 |
| URL | http://www.soundpost.org.uk/weekends/full-english-weekend/events/ |