1976 to 2020 - its been one heck of a musical roller coaster

Website Editor • February 12, 2020

Peace through Folk is a not for profit trust; a collective of like-minded folk who have been making meaningful things happen from 1976 to the present day.
Planning and delivering all sorts of events, most often but not always including music.

Folk from all walks of life acting together through songs, music and all genre and creative forms to celebrate and promote -
Peace, Friendship, Reconciliation, Social Justice
and a better, kinder, more sustainable Planet Earth for future generations.

It all began with the ‘Folk Fiasco’ events in the 70’s and 80’s.

The aim has always been to promote successful self-financing top line events with artists from a wide range of musical genre– not just traditional folk.

This has included great acts such as Jake Thackray, Mick Elliot, The McAlmans, Vin Garbutt, Sean Cannon, Neil Lewis, Bernard Wrigley,
Shep Wooley, Hunter, Grace, Johnny Waterhouse Blues Band, Stephane Grappelli, Diz Disley, Martin Taylor, Jack Sewing, The Wilsons, Bob Fox, The Young Uns, Coope Boyes & Simpson, Pete Morton, Piva, and so many others who have have graced the Peace through Folk stages at various venues .

Over 40 years and hundreds of events later we are still at it but now charting new territories with new challenges and many new faces.

1994 to 1997 – fund raising concerts for aid and cultural exchange convoys to the UN refugee camps of the Saharawi people of The Western Sahara who were bombed out of their homeland by Morocco.
1998 – Supported an aid convoy to Tindouf.
1999 – 2002 Further concerts, performances, and cultural exchange visits in aid of the Saharawi people.
2002 – 16 vehicles and 45 people aid convoy to Saharawi Camps at Rabouni and Dahkla.
2002 – 2005 folk sessions and cultural fusion work with disposed refugees living in Staffordshire.
2004 – ‘It’ll all be over by Christmas’ concert and film commemorating the 90th anniversary of the Christmas Truce.
2006 – Participated in, an international aid mission to Tifariti to mark the 30th anniversary of the invasion of the Western Sahara.
2011 – 2013 Developed and promoted various events, concerts films and a cd in commemoration of the centenary of the birth and demise of RMS Titanic (with a focus on Capt., EJ Smith who was born in Stoke on Trent).
1997 –onwards - organised annual Folk Gatherings which became public events from 2010.
14th – 16th September 2012 Manifold Valley Folk Gathering
20th – 21st September 2013 – Manifold Valley Folk Gathering,
            which included an International UN Peace Day concert and the launch of a five year programme of three day ‘Folk Gatherings’ commemorating the Great War and celebrating Peace Friendship and Reconciliation.
5th and 6th April 2014 - Peace Festival at Foxlowe Arts Centre
      which resulted in the formation of the Peace through Folk Choir.
7th May 2014 ‘Journeys’ a biopic live show by singer song writer Rick Ford.
19th to 21st September ‘The 2014 Folk Gathering’ - three days of live music.
23rd April 2015 ‘A Day’s Work’ - Folk Opera by Mick Ryan and cast,
24th April 2015 ‘Out of Darkness into Light’ Live documentary with music,
                 marking the centenary of The Armenian Genocide
25th April 2015 ‘Spring into Peace Festival’ commemorating Anzac Day
29th August 2015 Peace through Folk Concerts Shrewsbury Folk Festival
18th to 20th September ‘The 2015 Folk Gathering’ - three days of live music
27th February 2016 Free ‘Spring Sing’ day of music and song
16th to 18th September ‘The 2016 Folk Gathering’ - three days of live music
22nd October 2016 ‘Songsmiths’ day of singing and songwriters
11th December 2016 - ‘It’ll all be over by Christmas’ – Winter Peace Festival
11th May 2017 ‘ CODA’ – Coope, Boyes and Simpson Farewell Tour.
        Leek concert with The Peace Choir.
17th & 18th June ‘The Great Get Together’ day of music and great craic in honour of Jo Cox
15th to 17th September ‘The 2017 Folk Gathering’ - three days of live music
12th November 2017 ‘Standing in Line’ a personal commemoration of the life of Lance Corporal Albert Scrimshaw performed by his great nephew Lester Simpson & The Peace through Folk Choir.
24th June 2018 ‘The Great Get Together’ day of music and great craic in honour of Jo Cox
14th to 16th September ‘The 2018 Folk Gathering’ - three days of live music.
     The last of a five-year programme commemorating the Great War and celebrating Peace Friendship and Reconciliation.
11th November 2018 - Peace Concert –
       ‘1914, 1918, 2018 – the Great War that began all wars’
22nd June 2019 ‘The Great Get Together’ a day of music and great craic in    honour of Jo Cox
31st October 2019‘ What if’ The Climate Crisis Living Newspaper with Jim Woodland
        and Janet Russell
31st October & 1st November 2019– Two Day Zero Carbon Course by Paul Allen and the Centre for Alternative Technology.

< Older Post