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| Cecil Sharp House | |
|---|---|
| Name | Cecil Sharp House |
| Location | Camden, London |
| Built | 1930–1932 |
| Style | Neo-Georgian |
| Owner | English Folk Dance and Song Society |
| Designation | Grade II* |
Cecil Sharp House Cecil Sharp House is the headquarters of the English Folk Dance and Song Society (EFDSS) in Camden, London, serving as a centre for folk music, folk dance and related folk revival activities since the early 20th century. The building functions as an archive, performance venue, education hub and administrative centre, linking figures from the folk revival to contemporary practitioners across Britain and internationally. It houses significant collections assembled by key collectors and hosts programmes that intersect with ensembles, festivals and academic research.
The site was developed as a dedicated home for the EFDSS after the merger of the Folk-Song Society and the English Folk Dance Society following efforts by collectors such as Cecil Sharp and Ralph Vaughan Williams who collaborated with collectors including Lucy Broadwood, Sabine Baring-Gould, Francis J. Child, and Maud Karpeles. The foundation stone was laid in the interwar period, amid activities involving figures from the British folk revival (20th century), such as Vaughan Williams and Percy Grainger supporters, alongside administrators from institutions like the British Council and the Folklore Society. Early governance involved trustees drawn from cultural organisations including the Royal College of Music and the English Folk Dance Society leadership. During the Second World War the building continued to host classes and archive work even as wartime policies and events shaped cultural preservation; postwar decades saw collaboration with the Arts Council of Great Britain and engagement with folk festivals like the Sidmouth Festival and the Cambridge Folk Festival.
The house was designed in a restrained Neo-Georgian manner aligned with institutional commissions of the late 1920s and early 1930s, reflecting aesthetics comparable to civic projects by architects working for bodies such as the London County Council. Facilities include multiple dance studios, a concert hall, meeting rooms and climate-controlled archive strongrooms specified to meet standards used by the British Library and museum conservation departments like those at the Victoria and Albert Museum. The main concert space has hosted performances staged with technical support typical of venues managed by organisations such as Barbican Centre and Southbank Centre. Accessibility projects have been undertaken with partners including local authorities in Camden and disability organisations akin to Arts Council England guidance.
The archive holds manuscripts, field recordings, songbooks, notations and correspondence assembled by collectors associated with figures such as Cecil Sharp, Maud Karpeles, Lucy Broadwood, Ralph Vaughan Williams, Sabine Baring-Gould, Frank Kidson, Alfred Bestall and later collectors including James Madison Carpenter and Alan Lomax. Holdings include wax cylinders, acetate discs, early reel-to-reel tapes and digital transfers, catalogued using standards shared with the British Library Sound Archive and collaborating repositories such as the Folklore Society and university departments at University of Leeds, University of Sheffield and Goldsmiths, University of London. The library comprises printed collections linking to publishers like Oxford University Press and periodicals such as the Journal of the English Folk Dance and Song Society. Conservation and digitisation initiatives have been pursued in partnership with funders including the Heritage Lottery Fund and research councils such as the Arts and Humanities Research Council.
Programming ranges from traditional morris dance and country dance classes to workshops in singing traditions including sea shanties, ballads and regional repertoires collected by Ewan MacColl and A. L. Lloyd. Ensembles and tutors connected to the house have included revivalists influenced by Pete Seeger-linked outreach, practitioners from the British folk rock scene and musicians collaborating with academic units like School of Oriental and African Studies for cross-cultural projects. Seasonal courses coordinate with festivals such as Sidmouth Festival and the Witnness Festival-style folk gatherings, and the house hosts choirs, instrumental groups and dance teams that feed into networks including the English Country Dance Society and regional organisations around Yorkshire, Cumbria and the West Country.
The institution provides teacher training, curriculum resources and school programmes interacting with local education authorities in Camden and national frameworks similar to initiatives run by Music Education Hubs and the National Youth Choirs of Great Britain. Outreach extends to community partnerships with groups representing diaspora traditions from Ireland, Scotland, Wales, India and Caribbean communities, collaborating with centres such as the Horniman Museum and universities including University College London on research placements and apprenticeships. Workshops for intergenerational exchange draw on models used by the National Trust and community arts organisations funded by bodies like Arts Council England.
The venue has hosted premieres, recitals and dance performances featuring personalities and ensembles from the folk world and beyond, including interpreters connected historically to Martin Carthy, June Tabor, The Watersons, Shirley Collins, Nic Jones, Fairport Convention, Pentangle and guest appearances aligned with artists linked to festivals such as Cambridge Folk Festival and venues such as Royal Albert Hall for cross-promotional events. It has also staged academic conferences attended by scholars associated with University of Sheffield, University of Oxford and the Folklore Society, and served as a presentation site for projects involving collectors like Alan Lomax and archivists from the British Library.
Governance is undertaken by a board of trustees and executive officers of the English Folk Dance and Song Society, working alongside patrons drawn from cultural institutions including the Arts Council England, the Heritage Lottery Fund, philanthropic trusts and corporate sponsors similar to those supporting other heritage organisations such as the National Trust and English Heritage. Funding streams have combined membership subscriptions, ticket revenues, grant awards from bodies like the Esmee Fairbairn Foundation and partnerships with academic funders including the Arts and Humanities Research Council and the University of London for research projects. Financial stewardship and strategic planning conform to charity regulation overseen by entities akin to the Charity Commission for England and Wales.
Category:Folk music venues in England Category:Archives in London Category:Music organisations based in the United Kingdom