At the inaugural conference in Brussels in November 2019, EFN members identified a top priority: the need for mapping and understanding the scope of the folk/traditional arts sector in Europe. At the same time, members at the conference recognised the importance of engaging young people in the traditional arts.
So, despite the Covid-19 crisis and lockdown, EFN started working in partnership with Scotland's Traditional Music Forum and Simon McKerrell of Newcastle Universty with an online survey to begin the Mapping research, and, in collaboration with Wales Arts International, adding a section that covers the basic points of the way that organisations across Europe connect with young people, as audiences, artists, and in many other ways. Support for this stage of the project comes from British Council Scotland/Creative Scotland and Wales Arts International.
This initial survey is Stage One in a long-term process of contacting and identifying organisers and organisations. It has established basic information on active organisations in as many countries as possible - and the results are now published as the Stage One report.
Meanwhile the Mapping research survey will continue to collect information from across Europe - and EFN is continuing to seek funds to extend the reach of the Mapping research and ways of analysing, presenting and communicating the information in updatable digital and social media formats as well as in-person presentations at sector events across Europe when Covid-19 restrictions are lifted.
