At the English Folk Dance and Song Society we dedicate ourselves to engaging all people, of all backgrounds, in the rich, diverse and constantly evolving English folk arts (The origin of morris dancers blacking up is irrelevant – it simply needs to stop, theguardian.com, 12 August). Although there is not a consensus on how “blacking-up” began in folk arts, a growing body of academic research points to racist origins. Some years ago we decided not to engage “blackface” morris sides for any of our performances, education projects or other activities. We are happy to encourage the increasing numbers of morris dancers who now use colourful face paint as an alternative form of performance makeup and “disguise”. Folk dancing does not take place in a vacuum, and anyone who ignores today’s cultural context can cause justified offence.
Katy Spicer
Chief executive and artistic director, English Folk Dance and Song Society
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