Broadstairs Folk Week 2008

Folk Week 2009

A fantastic festival in one of the loveliest seaside towns in England – what more could you want?

There really is a special vibe in the town – nobody who arrives in Broadstairs during Folk Week wonders whether there is an event taking place – it’s inescapable – in the best possible way.
Every nook and cranny of Broadstairs is crammed full of music and dance and there’s a chance you’ll see a real star of the future performing in one of the many pubs in the town.
Picturesque Pierremont Park in the centre of town hosts the Concert Marquee and with the best sound system anywhere in the country – you’ll enjoy the bands even more.

Dance your socks off at the Pavilion on the Sands until late – the line-up this year includes Glorystrokes ( high-energy is an understatement ), Arthur Kay and the Originals, Sarah Savoy and the Francadians, Warblefly and ceilidhs with Random, Florida and Asha amongst others.

Don’t forget the workshops - in 2009, we will have workshops in recorders, flutes, whistles, melodeons, accordions, concertinas, ukuleles, fiddles, banjos, guitars, Northumbrian pipes, Hurdy Gurdy, African percussion and even jug band instruments.

You can make new friends while dancing Old Time, African, English Clog, Morris, Rapper Sword, Appalachian Clog and traditional May Pole – (and yes, we know it’s August!)

The Folk Week campsite is at the top of the town – and a ten minute walk will take you to the Concert Marquee and five minutes further – you’ll be looking at the sea.

There are generations of children who got their first taste of Folk at the free Hobby Horse Club at the Bandstand – and they come back year after year to see Clarence the Dragon and those Hooden Horses. It’s great when they bring their own children or enjoy the workshops and concerts and immerse themselves – this is our Audience Development programme! Some of the youngsters then move on to the wonderful Shooting Roots and start to learn all manner of instruments, singing, theatre – and then show off their skills.

The torchlight procession on the opening Saturday will hold a few surprises this year – but maybe not as many as our March of the 100 Ukuleles on the last Friday – get your update on the News page later in the year!

So – with an incredibly diverse line-up full of familiar and unexpected treats – we’re sure you’ll enjoy Broadstairs Folk Week 2009!

Broadstairs Folk Week is an independent organization – a registered charity and a company limited by guarantee that depends on a combination of ticket income, public grants, commercial sponsorship and individual donations from the Friends of Folk Week and other fund-raising such as collections on the street to exist and to stay in the town and not become a green-field site festival outside of Broadstairs.

Some Folk Week History

Broadstairs Folk Week began in 1965 as a happy collaboration between people with a passion - the late Jack Hamilton, along with Bert Cleaver decided that the lovely seaside town of Broadstairs was the perfect location for a folk festival. Together, they worked on the Folk Show in Pierremont Park, bringing in many others who helped out and played key roles in the organization, marketing and administration of Folk Week.

Broadstairs Folk Week has grown organically – Pierremont Park in the middle of the town became a focal point for the Folk Shows and many other elements of the festival that are still in place today began in the late sixties and early seventies. The festival has had time to grow and develop in its own time and soon turned into the annual invasion of folkies which has become a highlight of the year – both for local people and visitors.

Folk Week has evolved into a highly successful event that has retained as many of the features so loved by loyal Season Ticket buyers as well as broadening out the artistic programme to attract and develop new audiences.

The key to all the years of organizing, cajoling, fund-raising, rabble-rousing and sweet-talking that has kept Broadstairs Folk Week going for over forty years is quite simple – people love it.