The Arts Council of England music panel is reputed to have six or seven members devoted to white western classical music and one with a brief for 'the rest of the world' of which presumably includes English folk music.

Whether or not this has any resemblance to the truth I know not but it's plain that Don Quixote type tilts at these particular types of windmills will be a waste of effort.

What isn't a waste of effort is combining the small and manageable efforts of lots of people into a common purpose which then becomes so big as an entity that it can't be ignored. Isn't that what Crow Sister is getting at in this thread?

When this grass roots stuff happens in bulk, it gives organisations like Folk Arts England and EFDSS levers to use in higher places than individuals can access. Then higher level funding can start to become a reality, although I'd then question carefully what level and type of funding was good for folk music - sometimes it can be the kiss of death.

In the meantime I'm all for activism and often shout the activist's battle cry - JFDI (Just Do It!)