Press Release from The EFDSS -
July 13, 2017



EFDSS launches Musicians in Museums scheme

Applications are open for first artist residency

A new project to explore and celebrate the collections at three national museums and bring them to life through traditional music has been unveiled by the English Folk Dance and Song Society (EFDSS).

EFDSS, the national development agency for the folk arts, has opened applications for the first in the series of its Connections project that will place musicians in the National Coal Mining Museum for England near Wakefield in West Yorkshire, the National Maritime Museum in Greenwich, London, and the Museum of English Rural Life in Reading, Berkshire, for 12-month residencies.

Artists will receive a £5,000 bursary to develop new music inspired by the museum's collections and deliver outreach activities to engage people with the museums and folk music. The scheme will run for two years and is being funded by Help Musicians UK.

The first residency with the National Coal Mining Museum will start in autumn 2017 and applications are open at www.efdss.org/efdss-artists-development/musicians-in-museums.

Residencies with the National Maritime Museum and the Museum of English Rural Life will be advertised in September for a January 2018 start.

Katy Spicer, EFDSS Chief Executive and Artistic Director, said: "This is an exciting creative and learning opportunity for six musicians over the next two years. We are inviting applications from musicians who are currently working in the traditional folk sector and have a strong knowledge of traditional English songs and tunes.

"They will explore the creative links between the tangible culture and history of their museum's collections and artefacts and the intangible culture and history of folk songs and tunes.

"We are looking for imaginative musicians with excellent creative and teaching skills who can demonstrate a passion for the project and innovative ways to engage new audiences."

More information and how to apply:

One artist will be appointed per museum per year and offered a bursary of £5,000 to provide funding for:

·       research and creative time over a year including an agreed number of contact days with the host museum

·       devising and delivering 10 days of learning programme

·       devising and writing learning resources to accompany the learning programme to be used be used by EFDSS and the host museum

·       creating 15 to 20 minutes of new music (song and/or instrumental)

·       one public performance at the end of the residency at the host museum. A further performance at EFDSS' performance and music venue, Cecil Sharp House in London, may also be arranged.

There is also a travel and accommodation allowance of £500. The museum may arrange with the artist, and pay for directly, additional teaching days within reason.

Applications are now open for the residency with the National Coal Mining Museum in Wakefield. The closing date is July 31. Interviews will be held at the museum on September 12 and 13.

For more information on the Connections - Musicians in Museums programme and to apply go to: www.efdss.org/efdss-artists-development/musicians-in-museums.

ENDS

CAPTION: English Folk Dance and Song Society logo

For further press information please contact: Jo Cunningham (Press Manager, part time) press@efdss.org or 07815 913887

NOTES TO EDITORS

1. The English Folk Dance and Song Society (EFDSS) was established in 1932 by the merger of the Folk-Song Society, founded in 1898, and the English Folk Dance Society, founded by Cecil Sharp in 1911. As the national development agency for the folk arts, EFDSS aims to place the traditional arts of England at the heart of our cultural life - preserving, protecting, disseminating and promoting English traditional folk arts. A member based organisation, EFDSS delivers a dynamic education programme, providing a national and local education programme, enabling and increasing access to the folk arts, celebrating diversity and promoting equality - as well as supporting folk artists through a flourishing artists development programme. EFDSS' library, the Vaughan Williams Memorial Library – the national folk music library and archive – which contains a vast collection of books, manuscripts, films and audio-visual materials, serving as a touchstone for anybody working in the folk arts. www.efdss.org

2. EFDSS is supported by Arts Council England. Arts Council England champions, develops and invests in artistic and cultural experiences that enrich people's lives. We support a range of activities across the arts, museums and libraries – from theatre to digital art, reading to dance, music to literature, and crafts to collections. Great art and culture inspires us, brings us together and teaches us about ourselves and the world around us. In short, it makes life better. Between 2015 and 2018, we plan to invest £1.1 billion of public money from government and an estimated £700 million from the National Lottery to help create these experiences for as many people as possible across the country. www.artscouncil.org.uk

3. Help Musicians UK is the leading independent music charity. Since 1921, Help Musicians UK (HMUK) has provided help, support and opportunities to empower musicians at all stages of their lives. HMUK's mission is to create a sustainable future for all musicians and the industry. The charity works in partnership to transform the music industry through advocacy, campaigning, solutions and targeted investment for all those within it. Find out more at: helpmusicians.org.uk

4.The Museum of English Rural Life, in Redlands Road, Reading, was founded by the University of Reading in 1951 to reflect and record the changing face of farming and the countryside. It houses designated collections of national importance that span the full range of objects, archives, photographs, film and books. Today, it forms part of the University's Museums and Special Collections Service. The Museum operates as a major resource and research centre for the history of food, farming and the countryside with links to many academic departments at the University. For more information visit www.reading.ac.uk/merl

5. The National Coal Mining Museum for England is the museum of the English coalfield. Set in a reclaimed coal mining landscape including two historic pits, Caphouse Colliery and Hope Pit, the Museum brings to life the history of one of the country's oldest industries. With a former miner as their personal guide, visitors can ride the cage 140 metres underground in a shaft dating back to 1791, to discover first-hand what life was like at the coal-face. Original colliery building and interactive galleries also explore life underground and tell the stories of the communities that grew around the industry. The Museum's nature trail and mine water treatment plant with reed beds show how, even today, coal mining leaves its mark on the landscape. For more information please visit the website www.ncm.org.uk/learning

6. National Maritime Museum holds the world's largest maritime collection, housed in historic buildings forming part of the Maritime Greenwich World Heritage Site. The National Maritime Museum is part of Royal Museums Greenwich, which also incorporates the Royal Observatory Greenwich, the 17th-century Queen's House and Cutty Sark. Royal Museums Greenwich works to illustrate for everyone the importance of the sea, ships, time and the stars and their relationship with people. This unique collection of museums and heritage buildings, which form a key part of the Maritime Greenwich UNESCO World Heritage Site, welcomes over two and a half million British and international visitors a year and is also a major centre of education and research.

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Jo Cunningham
Press Manager (part time)
English Folk Dance and Song Society
Cecil Sharp House, 2 Regent's Park Road, London NW1 7AY