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Exciting new era for our project!

Five years after it was first formed, CVFolk has become an integral part of Coventry’s Albany Theatre and plays an important part in the venue’s aim to reach out to the community through performing arts.

Established initially in response to Coventry’s successful City of Culture bid, CVFolk staged its first public event at the Theatre in June 2018. This was a consultation with local folk event organisers, musicians and educators, followed by a music session – the first step of its mission to promote, support and celebrate folk music and dance across Coventry and Warwickshire.

The Albany Theatre Trust has now agreed to include CVFolk folk events as part of the Theatre’s own programme and incorporate the CVFolk ‘brand’ as part of its own identity.

This means that CVFolk will continue to stage its monthly events, showcasing and providing public performance space to the wide range of talented folk acts based in the CV postcode area, and will continue to run this website as a source of news and information for the local folk scene.

But in addition, CVFolk will be making use of the new studio spaces to be opened later this year by staging music and song workshop events and masterclasses. There will also be a more flexible programme of folk events, from afternoon family concerts in one of the Studios to big name shows in the Main House.

Says CVFolk founder and co-ordinator, Pete Willow, ‘This is excellent news for the CVFolk project and for folk music across the region. Our relationship with the Albany Theatre has proved very fruitful, enabling us to stage some wonderful home-grown music, including the spectacular fundraiser event for Ukraine last year.

‘Now as part of the Albany Theatre, we’re confident of making a further impact on Coventry and Warwickshire by encouraging new talent and greater interest in all aspects of folk music – from traditional music-makers to contemporary singer-songwriters,from unaccompanied singing to folk-rock.’

CVFolk will continue its activities with Warwick Folk Festival and Coventry MotoFest and has also launched a new partnership event with Leamington’s acclaimed Temperance Café. The Temperance hosted a successful afternoon and evening event last February when organisers of nearly all local folk clubs met to share ideas on promoting their venues and then provided a well-received concert with club residents in the cellar venue.

Thursday 10th August sees CVFolk presenting the Leamington Folk Club with nine superb, home-grown acts performing. See here for further details.

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CVFolk at Warwick Folk Festival 2023

We were proud to be part of this year’s highly successful Warwick Folk Festival when CVFolk took over one of the Main Site stages to present a taste of the superb music to be heard on the local circuit.

This year we featured Mick Bisiker with Debs Bisiker and Jen Martin, plus Katherine Abbott, Paul Gibson, and Urban Fox who provided a fabulous afternoon of music from the Jester Stage in Warwick’s Castle Park on Friday 28th July.

CVFolk Concert at WFF 2023 – photos by Pete Willow

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Last year’s CVFolk’s Ukraine appeal raised £2100 following an all-star day of music at the Albany Theatre, Coventry

If you enjoy the music, remember all performances were given for free to support CVFolk’s Ukraine appeal. So please click here to donate directly to the #HELPUKRAINE Emergency Appeal.

Funds raised from CVFolk4Ukraine and its aftermath are donated to this appeal organised by the Association of Ukrainians in Great Britain. With low overheads and direct first-hand knowledge of where help is needed, the AUGB is supported by a wide range of community groups and accredited charities in Ukraine to provide food, shelter, medicines and support to the vulnerable.

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