Who are we?
Common Folk is an arts collective exploring local folk culture, alternative histories, and community arts on the Wirral peninsula and surrounding areas - run by Rachel Collett and Richard Wyn-Williams.
We are part of a wider folk revival movement which aims to recover, reimagine, reclaim, and re-politicise folk for both old and new audiences. Our practice strives to celebrate and respect tradition, while embracing modernity and creativity to keep folk relevant and radical.
What we do:
We perform live at community events, festivals, fairs, ritual celebrations and more. Inspired by a deep understanding of traditional folk histories, customs, and cultures, we create our own inclusive and experimental performances. These include morris dancing, folk singing, poetry, and mummers plays.
We also produce community events, exhibitions, and arts workshops, drawing on our own research, writing, curating, and contemporary arts practices. We love to work collaboratively with other organisations, artists, and spaces, and engage with local history, archive material, and museum collections.
Our values:
Inspired by radical thinkers like William Morris, we believe that art, history and culture belongs to everyone. Folk sits at the heart of this ideal, as a form of culture that is made and enjoyed by ordinary people. It is not limited to the privileged few or the elite spaces of the art world, but happens all around us every day.
Folk places value on ordinary people's skills, knowledge and creativity, emphasising alternative collective values and ways of working based on collaboration, skill-sharing, and mutual aid. It encourages us to live by the seasons, appreciate the landscape, and reclaim our sense of space, community and 'Englishness'.
We therefore believe in the radical power of folk to empower and reconnect communities and act as a vital force for change, particularly in the fight against fascism, capitalism, and climate change. At the centre of our practice is a goal to improve community cohesion, make arts and culture accessible, and encourage a sense of ownership over our shared heritage and environment.
Why we need your help:
Working on all of this requires time and resources - that's where you come in! If you've enjoyed one of our performances, want to support our project, or fancy buying some struggling artists a pint, then please donate!
Thank you!
Rachel + Dick
Neueste Supporter