Support us!
Help us keep up the good work!
From Volunteering to donating, collaborating and fundraising, little actions make a huge difference to us. The more you keep showing up, the more we can keep growing!
Since October 2024 we have:
Been open 5 days a week
Built up our research library to contain over 1000 items that can be read or studied for free in our space
Worked with over 60 artists in our little shop area and sent out over £20,000 to them
Delivered 10 in house workshops and been asked to create 12 workshops out and about across the reigion
Delivered 19 in house events, working with over 50 different artists, tellers and creatives to entertain folks both in person and online
Created 6 of our seasonal MARDLER zines, showcasing the work of over 70 contributors. Our 7th bumper edition is in the works
Collaborated with local artist Lucy Hook-Child to deliver our popular Straw Club. So far we have had 12 fully booked workshops, putting this heritage craft in the hands of over 140 participants and we are now booking workshops into 2027.
Been invited to deliver 7 talks/lectures, and to tell stories or build rituals for 10 seasonal events across the region.
We have been lucky enough to work with some of the following wonderful people, projects and places
The Minories (Colchester), Colchester Castle, Firstsite, Tate Britain, The University of Essex, Norfolk Folklore Society, Lincolshire Folk Tales Project, The Folk Union, The Black Shuck Festival, Essex Wildlife Trust (at Bottengoms), Walton Arts Festival, Essex Cultural Diversity Project, Creative Tendring, Drink Draw Write (Manningtree), Manningtree Arts, The Nose (Walton on the Naze), Mugwort & Mistletoe (Ipswich), Norfolk Museums (Gressenhall), Suffolk Archives, Museum of Cambridge…
and been making plans for future collaborations with
Royal Museums Greenwich, Suffolk Archives, First Light Festival (Lowestoft)
and of course
Harwich Arts & Heritage Centre, where we currently reside.
So far this journey has been unfunded. Gemma used up the little savings she had to get us going, a crowdfunder raised about £3,500 and the cash flow from the shop had just begun to help the centre keep its head above the water. As well as the lovely team of volunteers who helped us make sure the door was open even when Gemma had to be somewhere else.
As we settle in to our new venue this is no longer the case. Help us fix this!
Come and find us in Room 6, Upstairs at the wonderful Harwich Arts and Heritage Centre!
Share what we are doing. Word of mouth is so useful!
We will be looking to build our team of volunteers here in Harwich. Get in touch and help us run the centre or support our workshops and events.
If you are an experinced fundraiser and would like to offer some time to help us find and apply for the money we need to grow and keep going we would LOVE to hear from you.
We don’t have the funds to pay for your ideas to come to life yet… but if there is an event or project you’d like to talk about working together on, a workshop you‘d like to try and deliver or a new idea you’d like our input or support with do reach out! We may be able to offer space, time, letters of support and other practical stuff that can be really handy. And I am always open to talking about collaborating on funding bids that may benfit both the centre and yourselves!
If you have even a little bit to throw into the pot donations are always very welcome.
If you are a bigger project or organisiation and would like to pick our brains on a project of your own we can offer very reasonable rates to consult with you or even conduct some research to support your delivery.
Testimonies
The East Anglian Folklore Centre is a vital and inspiring community project. It’s a true blessing to Colchester and to the arts in the region, especially at a time when we are so deeply in need of connection and shared human stories in an increasingly complex world.
The Centre offers a meaningful refuge for artists and storytellers in the local area. It provides not just a creative space, but a powerful narrative thread that connects us to Colchester, to East Anglia, and to the deeper traditions of British folklore. The care and love poured into the curation of the space at the Minories Gallery is evident—from the artworks and installations to the thoughtfully gathered collection of local lore and fables, all celebrating the rich folkloric traditions of this region.
The talks, events, and intimate festivals organised by the Centre have served as vibrant showcases for local talent. More than that, they have fostered genuine community spirit, bringing together creatives, storytellers, and audiences in a shared cultural experience.
What has been achieved with limited resources is nothing short of extraordinary. I feel incredibly grateful that we have such an invaluable space in our community. I’ve had the privilege of performing for the Centre multiple times, both online and in person, sharing stories and connecting with the local audience.
What we have here is something unique, rare, and essential—a space that not only preserves our connection to the human soul, but also roots us deeply in the spirit, landscape, and stories of Colchester and East Anglia. Perry Berline, Local Artist & Writer.
I've loved having my jewellery in your wonderful space. It's a truly unique space and thoroughly needed. Helen Burgess, Jewellery Artist.
We popped in last sunday and my boys were fascinated by the artefacts and loved hearing you talk about the things they were picking up. @toni_andtheboys
..projects like this REALLY matter. @sharonborkowskythejourney