Esperance has collaborated with a group of performers, comperes and organisers to prepare new guidance for compering at folk events. Esperance wants to celebrate positive, professional compering and this guidance aims to encourage introductions at events to be inclusive, appropriate and welcoming.
Since forming in 2020, Esperance has received reports from artists and audience members about comperes using inappropriate and discriminatory language, which has been off-putting and unsettling for both performer and audience. In order to avoid this happening in the future, we want to support positive change in the folk scene.
We have created this guidance for comperes, performers and event organisers to download and freely use. It includes suggested language for event introductions, a checklist of information to find out from performers in advance, and tips for event organisers when briefing comperes. For performers, there is a template to send to event organisers plus examples of access riders created by members of English Folk Expo’s Folk Talk Together: Access All Areas group.
The guidance has been prepared in collaboration and wide consultation with artists, comperes and organisers working in folk music. Our process has included hosting a public meeting about compering in early 2021; gathering compere notes from festivals and venues; establishing a focus group; and sharing drafts with the Esperance community and key folk music organisations. We welcome feedback and if you have any suggestions relating to the guidance, please email esperancefolk@gmail.com.
Explore and download the resource here: www.esperancefolk.com/compering
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