Who We Are
Fay Hield
Fay is the lead researcher on the project. She has a history of folk music research in a range of settings from community groups to commercial CD audiences. Alongside research, Fay performs folk music internationally. She is also the Founding Director of Soundpost, a community music organisation in Sheffield.
Rebecca Draisey-Collishaw
Rebecca is a research associate working Stage 2 of the project. She is an ethnomusicologist with special interests in public service broadcasting and music-making in multicultural contexts, as well as folk music traditions of the North Atlantic. She has taught universities in Canada and, most recently, the University of Sheffield.
Esbjörn Wettermark
Esbjörn is a research associate on the project. He has a background in ethnomusicology and worked on issues relating to cultural sustainability and policy as well as music education. In addition to research, he has worked in arts management in England and Sweden. He is also a musician and occasional morris dancer.
Helen Grindley
Helen is the project manager for the project. She has extensive experience working on and supporting different types of projects within a University setting, including working with external suppliers and contractors. She has been a choral singer for many years and sings with two choirs in Sheffield, for whom she also acts as treasurer.
Kirsty Kay
Kirsty is a research associate focusing on survey methods for the project. She has a background in ethnomusicology, having researched national identity and cultural heritage in the Hungarian táncház revival, and has gained a wealth of methods experience whilst researching minority groups in Scotland for health related projects.
Rowan Piggott
Rowan is the communications officer and current designer on the project. He is involved in traditional music as a teacher, tunebook author, recording / mix engineer, and professional performer with The Wilderness Yet and Old Spot. He is currently studying for an MA in Traditional Music at the University of Sheffield.
Access Folk Board:
We have 13 Board Members. Members are updated annually and if you feel you have experience and ideas to contribute as a Folk Access Board member, please get in touch through the Contact page.
Katy Spicer - Chief Executive, English Folk Dance & Song Society
Liz Sheppard - Ethnomusicologist
Roger Wilson – Director of Operations, Black Lives in Music
Oliver Mantell - Director of Evidence & Insight, The Audience Agency
Hazel Marsh - Associate Professor, University of East Anglia
Laura Midgley
Tom Besford -
Chief Executive, English Folk Expo
Cat McGill – Head of Programme Development & Delivery, Drake Music
Jon Lewis – Producer at 7digital / BBC R2 Folk Show
Tony Phillips -
Musician and Rolling
On Project
Crispian Cook – Chief Executive, Halsway Manor
Rowan Gatherer
PRiM - Participatory Research in Music
Behind the scenes of Access Folk, Esbjörn has been working with five different organisations in the English folk scene to co-write a report on conducting participatory research in music. Participatory research is an approach to research that attempts to create equal relationships between everyone involved in the research project and avoid old division between researchers and the people being researched. The report aims to help both academics and people working in the music industry to find ways of working together and give examples on what to avoid and what to think about to develop new research together.
The people and organisations involved in the report are:
Sue Whitehead & Nygel Packett
The Goose Is Out
Tiffany Hore
Vaughan Williams Memorial Library
Amy Wilson
Wren Music
Fay Hield
Soundpost
Lucy Shields
Arts Marketing & Comms Consultant
Esbjörn Wettermark
University of Sheffield
Who are you?
As this is co-produced research there are LOTS of ways you can get involved - sign up to receive our newsletter below or contact us to find out more...