Inclusive folk session becomes 'safe environment'

Alex Garden wants to make the folk sessions inclusive of everyone

A folk music session that has become popular for being inclusive of all genders and disabilities recently received funding.

The sessions at the Greenbank Pub in Easton, Bristol, meets twice a month to play folk songs together and host ceilidh dances.

The group has grown in attendance and recently received funding from Arts Council England to expand and offer workshops and gig nights.

Alex Garden from Bristol started the sessions and said the music scene was in "massive trouble", which makes the funding "even more valuable".

Mr Hickman said the sessions were a "safe environment"

Mx Garden, who uses "they" and "them" as pronouns, added that venues were closing down in Bristol due to rising costs.

"Grassroots music in the UK is in massive trouble," they said.

They added it was one of the reasons they felt it was important to offer a place for folk musicians to meet and play music together.

"I’ve helped to grow the Greenbank Session into one of the best attended and most inclusive folk sessions in Bristol," Mx Garden said.

They wanted the sessions to be "inclusive of everyone, regardless of gender, sexuality or disability".

"It's mostly about signposting people and creating an environment they feel welcome in," they said.

"We want to be a place for people who might feel left out from other folk music environments."

Mr Hickman makes his own ocarinas

During the ceilidhs the caller will use gender neutral terms and it is accessible for anyone with access needs.

Robert Hickman attends the sessions, he plays the Italian ocarina, which he made himself.

"The sessions feel like a safe environment," Mr Hickman said.

"The ocarina is an unusual instrument and I've been asked in other sessions to stop playing.

"But the Greenbank Session is inclusive of all music types and I've never seen anyone be judged for how they chose to present themselves or the nature of who they are."

With the Arts Council funding, Mr Hickman hopes to give workshops teaching others to make and play the Italian ocarina.

"The reaction to getting the funding was really lovely," Mx Garden said.

"Bristol is the perfect place to grow something like this - we have a strong music heritage and loads of active folk musicians."