Never seen an elitist folk-club or festival, everyone seems welcome and is politely (at least) listened to. There are groups and sessions who only want to hear a particular genre, so it pays to wait until you know what is going on before strutting your stuff. I have been told "this is a guitar-free zone" by anoraks. Fair enough, and we had a quiet and memorable session of ballads ranging from sweet to risque. Diversification rules OK. Wassail.