2. John Kelly - Music, disability and access as creativity
Folk singers and musicians Joanie Bones and Oliver Cross discuss some of the themes that emerged from the Access Folk research project about participation and inclusion in folk singing in England. Drawing on findings from the research report Accessing Folk Singing in England they interview singers, musicians and educators as well as drawing on their own lived experience to discuss issues around disability, gender, ethnicity and much more.
In this episode Oliver interviews musician and disability activist John Kelly about his music, growing up with singing in a London-Irish family, getting involved with the folk scene and access. Drawing on the interview and their own lived experience Joanie and Oliver discuss how disability and neurodiversity is experienced within the folk scene in England.
John and Oliver both talked about the Social Model of Disability. You can learn more about John’s work and music on his website and through social media @JK_Musician.
Music in the episode: “Nobody Sings about My Heroes” from John Kelly’s album Better Late Than Never (2022)
Credits
The Access Folk Podcast is a co-production between Joanie Bones, Oliver Cross and Access Folk, a research project run by Fay Hield and based at the University of Sheffield.
The podcast was produced in 2023 by Esbjörn Wettermark and Rowan Piggott and funded by Access Folk and The University of Sheffield’s Public Engagement Development Fund.
Our theme tune is “Old Adam (Reprise)” from Fay Hield’s album Old Adam (2016, Soundpost Records).
All the music in the Podcast series is used with permission from the artists and copyright holders.
