To me, folk music is all about diversity not only in style and performance but also in delivery. We have a diverse set of clubs, at least here in NW England. Long may it continue.

Equally with festivals. At Alison Arms Folk in Soppull, Lancashire we run what can only be called a DIY festival. There used to be a proper one until it had a bad year and sadly, several individuals suffered financially and dropped out of the folk scene completely. We enjoy our little festival, which this year is 9-11 June ( alisonarmsfolk.co.uk ). We contribute all year and have managed to get a bit of local sponsorship this year so we have Keiran Halpin on Friday night and some excellent local acts throughout the weekend including Wenchall and Jon Brindley. Of course there are plenty of singarounds as well.

I'd love to hear from other Free Festival organisers (bit of a strong word for what we do) on what works for them in terms of funding and marketing the event.