New spaces, new music, new ideas, new connections….

Our 2025 programme is all about exploring our relationship to creativity and music through listening, creating, performing, and participating. 

Our Story:

Folkestone New Music was launched in May 2019 by composer and artistic director John Woolrich. Our aim is to platform new music, artists, composers, ideas, and spaces in our interesting seaside town and the surrounding areas.

People:

Musicians, artists & composers who’ve come to Folkestone and shared their work include Thomas Adès, Tansy Davies, Eleesha Drennan, Michel Faber, Nicholas Kenyon, Noriko Okaku, Mark Simpson, Howard Skempton, Rolf  Wallin, Mark-Anthony Turnage, Huw Watkins, Freya Waley-Cohen, Colin  Matthews, and many more.

We are keen on supporting emerging performers and composers and have supported: Ensemble Renard, Junyan Chen, the Kirkman, Echéa, and Salomé string quartets, the Mazzolini Trio, and musicians from the London Sinfonietta Academy, Royal Academy of Music, and the University of Kent.

Spaces:

We’ve held events in a range of interesting places such as The Customs House on Folkestone Harbour Arm, The Green Room at The Grand, Folkestone, St Eanswythe’s Church, Strange Cargo Gallery in Cheriton, and outdoors in Payers Park, Folkestone.

Ideas and Collaborations:

We like to bring people together and have facilitated a number of collaborations - bringing together theatre directors, actors, musicians, composers, film producers, choreographers and more, to explore music and creativity.

Honorary Patron:

Betsy Jolas

Our Team:

John Woolrich, Artistic Director 
Emily Wrigley, Producer & Artist Liasion

Olivia Franklin, Producer 
Liz Coomb, Producer

Advisory Committee:

Philip Cashian, Liz Coomb, Tansy Davies, Morgan Hayes, Mark Simpson, Terry Smith, Andrew Ward.

Funding and Support

Folkestone New Music has received funding from Arts Council England and Creative Folkestone.