National Youth Folk Ensemble

The National Youth Folk Ensemble celebrates excellence in youth folk music, bringing together talented young folk musicians from across England to create and perform inspiring new arrangements of folk music and work with leading folk artists.

Everyone in the ensemble will experience:

• four weeks of intensive residential courses in different parts of England
• expert, dedicated tuition and guidance from leading folk musicians
• focused development of skills in performance, arrangement and leadership
• high-profile performances at major festivals and venues around England

Membership is a one-year commitment from October to August. The residential courses take place during the school holidays: October, February, Easter and summer.

How do I get involved?

The first stage is to attend a Sampler Day, where you will take part in activities such as:

• Play by ear and develop your creativity
  Be inspired by top musicians
  Explore folk music
  Find out about the National Youth Folk Ensemble

Each Sampler Day of creative music-making features:

• workshops with superb musicians who are also highly experienced educators
  Q&A with Ensemble staff
  an optional short audition, if you are aged 14+ and want to apply for the National Youth Folk Ensemble