Back to the Quarry

Folk Arts Oxford aims to promote folk and traditional dance, music and song in the Oxfordshire region. In particular we are interested in improving access for those who might face barriers to participation in the arts.

Through our funded project work: children in Headington have learned about local lad William Kimber, and the musical legacy he has left; a new band called Iris has been formed, who accompany all their songs with Makaton signing; children from mainstream and special schools in Oxfordshire have the chance to create music together, and perform on the main stage at Folk Weekend: Oxford.

Alongside our own projects and events, FAO works collaboratively with other local organisations, forging links and creating opportunities for folk artists to work in education and community projects, as well as showcase their talent in local events.

Back to the Quarry

Back to the Quarry is an exciting new project exploring the musical history of the Kimber family from Headington Quarry, Oxfordshire - from the great concertina player William Kimber, who has inspired generations of musicians and dancers, to his granddaughter Julie Kimber-Nickelson and her family who still live in the village today. The Kimber family have had a significant impact on the folk and Morris traditions of Oxfordshire, and are still making a contribution to the living and evolving musical traditions of the area.

The BTTQ project aims to share Kimber's story with the local community - and wider afield - by creating an interactive website which gives visitors the chance to explore different parts of the story. We'll also be doing workshops with two local primary schools, where the children will get the chance to explore the heritage materials and find their own way of telling Kimber's story.

Come back to this page for updates from our project blog, or visit us on Facebook or Twitter.

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BTTQ is well and truly launched!

Thank you so much to everyone who came along to the launch - especially those who brought items for our archive! We've now set up a special project email address so if you have any queries or anything you'd like to send us please contact This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.. You can also follow us on Facebook or Twitter.

Windmill Morris band

Windmill Morris - coming on dance

Windmill Morris dance Beansetting

Jack Worth and Dave Townsend from Headington Quarry Morris

Workshops Day 3

I've got a bit of catching up to do on this blog, as we got a bit busy with the launch and with Folk Weekend! Day 3 went exceptionally well, with a new coming on dance as well as mastering the hey!

Workshops Day 2

The kids worked really hard today - we're learning Beansetting so they've got a tricky time change to contend with but they did really well! We had a go at a hey today but I'm not convinced that we'll put it in the final dance, with only one more day to get it all together. They're performing at the launch on Friday, and they're very excited!