Cecil Sharp House

Cecil Sharp House is a cultural institute and concert hall in Primrose Hill, London NW1, and serves as the headquarters of the English Folk Dance and Song Society (EFDSS). Named after the folk-song collector Cecil Sharp, the building functions as a year-round venue for folk music, dance, and related arts, hosting gigs, dances, classes, courses, conferences, talks, and exhibitions. It is also home to the Vaughan Williams Memorial Library, the EFDSS's specialist folk-arts library and archive. The House is a central hub for England's folk arts community. Its programme includes the Cecil Sharp House Choir, Sunday folk music workshops, Monday folk singers sessions, dance classes, family barn dances, and the National Youth Folk Ensemble. The venue also supports artist development through showcases, commissions, bursaries, and micro grants, and works with schools and colleges via Artsmark and other education initiatives. As the public face of the EFDSS, Cecil Sharp House champions folk music and dance at the heart of cultural life across England. The organisation describes itself as the national organisation for the development of the folk arts, and the House is the main physical venue through which that mission is delivered, offering a regular calendar of events, learning opportunities, and resources for practitioners and researchers. The building is located in Primrose Hill, London NW1, and is accessible by public transport, with travel and access information provided by the EFDSS. It also hosts the EFDSS's '20% Sharper Discount' for gigs and touring projects such as 'Rooted and Rising on Tour'. Through its concerts, library, and educational work, Cecil Sharp House remains a key institution for the preservation and promotion of English folk traditions.

Cecil Sharp House is the headquarters of the English Folk Dance and Song Society (EFDSS), an organisation formed to promote and develop folk music and dance in England. The building is named after Cecil Sharp, a key figure in the early twentieth-century folk revival who collected and published English folk songs and dances. The EFDSS itself was created through the merger of the Folk-Song Society and the English Folk Dance Society, and Cecil Sharp House has served as its London home and principal venue. Over the decades, the House has become a focal point for folk arts activity in the capital and beyond. It houses the Vaughan Williams Memorial Library, named after the composer Ralph Vaughan Williams, which holds extensive collections of books, manuscripts, sound recordings, and other materials relating to folk traditions. The library supports researchers, practitioners, and the general public. The venue's programme has expanded to include regular gigs, dances, classes, courses, conferences, talks, and exhibitions. It has also developed youth-focused initiatives such as the National Youth Folk Ensemble and the London Youth Folk Ensemble, alongside programmes for disabled young people and adults. The EFDSS has run projects such as 'Rooted and Rising on Tour' and offers a '20% Sharper Discount' for gigs, reflecting its ongoing efforts to engage audiences and support artists. Cecil Sharp House continues to operate as a cultural institute and concert hall in Primrose Hill, London NW1, and remains the national organisation for the development of the folk arts, championing folk music and dance at the heart of cultural life across England.

A central venue and headquarters for English folk arts, combining performance, education, and archival resources under the English Folk Dance and Song Society.

• Cecil Sharp House Choir

  A choir based at Cecil Sharp House, open to participants.

• Vaughan Williams Memorial Library

  The folk arts library and archive of the English Folk Dance and Song Society, housed at Cecil Sharp House.

• National Youth Folk Ensemble

  A national youth ensemble for folk music, run by the EFDSS.

• London Youth Folk Ensemble

  A youth folk ensemble based in London.

• Family Barn Dances

  Family-friendly folk dance events held at Cecil Sharp House.

1. 1English Folk Dance and Song Society - Homeefdss.org
2. 2English Folk Dance and Song Society - Our historyefdss.org
3. 3English Folk Dance and Song Society - Local Heroesefdss.org
4. 4English Folk Dance and Song Society - Past projectsefdss.org
5. 5Wikidata - Cecil Sharp Housewikidata.org