Ffern Folk Foundation
Supporting the new generation of British Folk Arts and Traditions
The Ffern Folk Foundation envisions a future in which folk is a thriving, diverse and widely enjoyed part of contemporary British life.
Our mission is to illuminate British Folk and support its practitioners. The central pillar of the Foundation is our annual grant of £50,000, which will fund one or more practitioners to progress their work and bring it to a wider audience.
At Ffern, we have always sought to connect people with nature. We’re thrilled to launch our Folk Foundation within this quest – believing that folk arts and traditions can help us all explore and enrich our relationship with the environment.
Our vision
British Folk Arts and Traditions play a central role in our cultural landscape. However, despite a renewed sense of momentum within the movement, opportunities to participate are often limited to small pockets of society.
We see a future where that could be different. In a time of ecological crisis and social dislocation, we believe that Britain’s Folk Arts and Traditions are fundamental to the strengthening of our bonds with the environment and each other.
Through our advocacy, we aim to grow and connect folk communities across the country. In turn, we hope that this will give more people the chance to get involved in this dynamic cultural space.
What we support
We believe British Folk Arts and Traditions are not static or dormant. Our focus is on supporting those who are engaging with British Folk in new and vibrant ways. While we are open to working with a wide range of practitioners, we will use the following constellations to plot our course.
Storytelling
Oral histories, sound, song
Ritual
Ceremony, dance, performance art
Gathering
Rambling, community, seasonality
Tradition and the past
We believe that the rituals and stories of the past can be woven into our future in positive and inclusive ways. We do not accept, and actively seek to challenge, the use of British Folk Traditions as a means of supporting nationalist and racially charged agendas.
We hope that through the illumination of Britain’s Folk Traditions, we can foster a holistic engagement with the past, as well as an exciting vision of a communal, more magical future.
Folk traditions have always been reinvented to reflect the societies we live in. They are not trapped in amber.
Folk Foundation Grant 2026
After a wealth of exceptional applications, and careful deliberation, we are delighted to announce four recipients of the Ffern Folk Foundation Grant 2026.
The Black British Folk Collective
The Black British Folk Collective (BBFC) is a new collective founded by musicians and artists Angeline Morrison, Bianca Wilson, and Marcus MacDonald. Together, they seek to centre Black narratives in British folk, and to nurture folk’s existing Black community.
With the support of the Ffern Folk Foundation, the BBFC will lead and organise the UK’s first in-person folk club for Black, B-POC and Global Majority participants. Marking the equinoxes and solstices, these quarterly events will provide spaces for the diaspora to share in the joy of folk.
Flossy and Boo
Founded in 2014, Flossy and Boo are an early years theatre company created by Welsh duo Anja Conti and Laura Jeffs. They create interactive, bilingual Welsh and English storytelling experiences aimed at children under five, along with their families.
With the support of the Ffern Folk Foundation, Anja and Laura will develop a new open-air theatre production Dwrgi (‘Otter’), which follows the story of a young otter travelling through the Welsh countryside, meeting all manner of mythical creatures along the way.
Manchester Urban Diggers
Founded in 2019, Manchester Urban Diggers (M.U.D) is an agri-cultural Community Interest Company based in Manchester. Creating gardens in urban spaces, they encourage people to explore food and nature together.
With the support of the Ffern Folk Foundation, M.U.D will develop a series of community-led workshops and seasonal events oriented around the spring equinox and harvest festival. These events will be held at M.U.D’s Platt Fields Market Garden, where people from all demographics can learn about ecology, community, and food sovereignty.
Lost Giants
Founded in 2023, the Lost Giants (Amy Webb, Ruth Webb and Lisa Schneidau) are West Country designers and creators of giants, processions, and beasts of disguise. Through the forgotten British art of community-based giant making, they re-imagine folktales and magical characters to reflect the imagination embedded in local places around the UK.
With the support of the Ffern Folk Foundation, The Lost Giants will work with an environmental community group to co-create a new processional giant shaped by local landscapes, ecologies and folklore.
The Guild
The Ffern Folk Foundation is guided by a guild of five leading voices who are driving British Folk forward today. As established practitioners and commentators in their own right, they will lead the application review and decision-making process for our yearly Ffern Folk Foundation Grant.
Zakia Sewell
Zakia is a DJ, producer and writer whose groundbreaking radio documentary My Albion (2020) explored the songs, stories and symbols of British Folk Culture. Her forthcoming book, Finding Albion (2026), continues her search for stories that can help us imagine a more inclusive national identity.
Charlie Cooper
Charlie is an actor and writer best known for his BAFTA-winning turn in This Country. Pursuing his enduring affection for the people and folklore of the British countryside, Charlie is now presenting Charlie Cooper’s Myth Country (2024), a documentary series exploring the stranger side of British Folk.
Sam Lee
Sam creates spellbinding reimaginings of traditional songs, with four critically acclaimed albums to his name. As a song collector he’s preserved music and tales from Gypsy Traveller communities across Britain and Ireland. Sam also devotes his energy to environmental activism and is the author of The Nightingale (2021).
Alex Merry
Alex is an illustrator and founding member of Boss Morris who will bring her experience as recipient of a Folk Foundation Grant to the Guild. With Boss, Alex has made a lasting contribution to the modernisation of Morris. As an illustrator, Alex creates folk-inflected work for Gucci, Harper’s Bazaar and Sam Lee, among others.
Ben Edge
Ben’s art blends forensic depictions of folk traditions with personal narrative and touches of magical realism. His book Folklore Rising (2024) follows his film Frontline Folklore (2021) in documenting folk traditions around the UK. His exhibition, Children of Albion, opened at Fitzrovia Chapel in November 2025.
Folk Foundation Grant 2025
The Ffern Folk Foundation Grant 2025 was awarded to the Cotswolds Morris Dancing side, Boss Morris.
Founded in 2015, Boss Morris has quickly become a prominent feature in the British Folk landscape. Showcasing a fusion of traditional and contemporary styles, Boss Morris has played a key role in reviving interest in this historic art form.
With the support of the Ffern Folk Foundation, Boss Morris has expanded their outstanding work across multiple initiatives. These range from the creation of new costumes and performances, to the curation of an exciting new educational programme called Boss Folk Arts.
Folk Foundation Grant 2027
We’ll share information about our 2027 grant soon. For more information on the application process, read our FAQ.