Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, if she will take steps to promote the English folk music tradition in (a) England and (b) Romford constituency.

HM Government has a strong commitment to all forms of music, including folk traditions from around the UK and beyond. This Department’s support for folk music is delivered primarily through Arts Council England, which has engaged with the development of the English folk music scene over recent years.

The Arts Council’s primary investment in English folk music is via its National Portfolio. This programme supports organisations like Soundroots (£300,000 per annum) which runs the English Folk Expo (the annual showcase for folk, roots and acoustic music in England), and the English Folk Dance and Song Society (£96,748 per annum), which promotes English folk music and folk dance. In addition, one of Arts Council England’s new Investment Principle Support Organisations, Making Music, also supports a range of folk music ensembles.

Arts Council England has also invested £47,803 in music in Romford since 2018 through its National Lottery Project Grants. There have been no successful applications for Arts Council investment in Romford from organisations focused on English folk music, but there is an active folk scene including Haverfolk and the Romford Folk Club as well as the Romford and Brentford Folk Dance group. As these groups meet at public houses in Romford, the venues would be eligible, should they wish, to apply for funding via Arts Council England’s DCMS-supported ‘Supporting Grassroots Music’ programme. These groups could also apply for support via National Lottery Project Grants.

HM Government has also announced the intention to ratify the UNESCO 2003 Convention for Safeguarding of the Intangible Cultural Heritage, which could help promote folk music traditions across the UK. A public consultation on the first stage of implementation is running until 29 February.