Investigating the health of the UK folk club – Stephen Henderson (2011)
Author(s): Stephen Henderson
Organisation / Affiliation: Leeds Metropolitan University
Date: 2011
This research addresses the conflicting views of the health of folk music by way of interviewing artists, agents, and folk club organisers/promoters. Exploring the more homogenous formats of performance observed as singarounds (including sessions), ‘open mic’ and concert clubs, it is concluded that the concert club is struggling to survive whilst the other formats are still offering opportunities to folk artists. However, the latter are finding both the formal venues such as arts centres and the emergence of young promoters provides compensatory opportunities for performance.
Contents:
Aims
Methodology
Understanding the ‘folk club’ in its various guises
Observations on the changes in folk clubs over the last few years
The motivations of organisers and musicians
Conclusions