Building Cultural Heritage through Artistic Research

<p dir="ltr">From my very first floor spots as a teenager I remember it being important to me that I was an English folk singer. Not Irish, not Scottish, not European, not Yorkshire - English. Quite what that meant though was more of a mystery. This poster looks back over my repertoires, projects and attitudes towards folk music over the past thirty years, teasing out where Englishness plays a part, either consciously or subconsciously. I acknowledge where it is contentious, embarrassing even, in retrospect, where I feel pride, and how I have come to a deeper understanding of myself and my relationship to cultural heritage, indeed how I have built my own cultural heritage, through the musical choices I have made.</p><p dir="ltr">Fay Hield is Professor of Music at the University of Sheffield. She is the lead researcher on the Access Folk project and combines audience research, ethnomusicology and artistic research as a practising performer. She is also founding director of Soundpost, a community music organisation based in Sheffield.</p><p dir="ltr">This project received ethical approval by University of Sheffield: 45607</p>