EFN Newsletter April 2025 #29

EFN editor
Apr 24
15 min read

WELCOME AND SUMMARY

Welcome to the new edition of this communication and outreach initiative of the EFN. Feel free to forward it to your friends and colleagues. Receiving this newsletter is open to anyone for free, here. Read to the end to find out how to submit content for future editions.

This is what you'll find below:

🔹News from EFN: registration is now open for the 2025 EFN Conference in Manresa, 10 & 11 October 2025; Update on the 3rd European Folk Day

🔸EFN welcomes three new members to our ever-growing European family: Fundatia Casa Traditiilor Ardelenesti - the Transylvanian Heritage House Foundation; Toon Verdonck, musician and composer from Antwerp, Belgium; and the Latvian National Centre for Culture has a strong expertise in folklore and traditional music.

🔹News from our members: EU Open Letter from Musicians' Union UK, deadline to sign by 24th April; Festival Mazurkas of the World – On the Dancehouse Trail, Warsaw, April 23-26, 2025, by the foundation Wszystkie Mazurki Świata,

🔸Our next featured member is WOMUSK, World Music From Slovakia

🔹Our next featured artist is Peggy Seeger, singer songwriter from USA who has lived and worked at the UK for most of her life. Under suggestion of Kerry Harvey-Piper.

🔸Special section: Jude Anderson appointed as the new CEO of Live Music Now Scotland

✍️ Do you want to participate? At the end of the newsletter you will find how you can contribute to future editions, whether you are an EFN member or not. And of course EFN is always looking for new members and at the end of this newsletter there is a note about how and why to join, with links to the membership pages of the website and the application form.

Thanks for your attention, have a fruitful reading and, please, forward this to any person who could be interested!

News from EFN

In case you didn't read or receive our email yesterday with these three special news items, here is a brief summary:

🔸2025 EFN Conference - Registration is now open - for EFN members and also non membersManresa – the beautiful historic city in the heart of Catalonia, home to the immersive Fira Mediterrania, now in its 28th year – is the host for the 6th annual European Folk Network Conference on 10 & 11 October 2025.

For the 2025 Conference EFN and Fira Manresa offer a unique opportunity to explore the many showcase concerts whilst meeting and sharing ideas with a host of other people and organisations active in the folk arts from across Europe.

The conference programme, to be announced shortly, will concentrate on issues of direct relevance to the folk arts sector, alongside discussion groups on EFN's active plans and interests shared by and with EFN members.

Conference registration fees cover:

All conference sessions over two full days
Barcelona airport pick-ups and return transfers
Discount rates for bookings at the four star Hotel Don Cándido in Terrassa
Daily transport from Terrassa to Manresa
Access to Fira Mediterrania showcase events
Delegate lunch in the splendid Kursaal Theatre
Welcome reception hosted by wine producers D.O. Pla de Bages

Travel and accommodation:

Fira Mediterrania and EFN are arranging free airport transfers, and a discount rate at the nearby Hotel Don Cándido in Terrassa with free transport to and from Manresa each day. When you register for the Conference you will immediately get the discount code for your hotel booking.

These are the Conference registrations options:

EFN Members €95
Non members of EFN €125
Students €60

The registration link is: https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/1328315370029?aff=oddtdtcreator

Book now - it's going to be a great conference at a great location!

🔸European Folk Day 2025

Save The Date also for the European Folk Day – 23 September! It’s your chance to participate in the Folk Day – on the Day itself or in the days surrounding it.

UPDATE: the website is ready to receive the submission of your events. You just have to fulfil the form with the basic data, and your event will be shown in the map and in the database: www.europeanfolkday.eu/participate/

News from the members

🔹EU Open Letter from Musicians' Union UK

EFN editors after a message by Dave Webster - Head of International, Musicians' Union UK

Dave Webster sent this call to the members, and we're now sharing it with our subscribers as well — even those who aren't members — because of its relevance.

"I’m writing to ask if you would sign an open letter from EU and UK organisations involved in touring and the performing arts, asking the presidents of the European Commission, the European Council, The European Commission and the UK Prime Minister to redouble their efforts to reach agreements on frictionless touring between the UK and Europe. We are keen to demonstrate the widest possible support across the industry and across the UK and Europe, and would be very grateful to have you involved.

The link below contains the text of the letter, as well as a short form to fill in your details if you are happy to sign.

We have a deadline of 24th April for collecting signatures and we plan to make this letter public ahead of the meeting of the EU Summit in the UK on the 19th of May.

https://form.jotform.com/250922960330048 "

We got these logos from the link.

🔹Festival Mazurkas of the World – On the Dancehouse Trail, Warsaw, April 23-26, 2025

By the foundation Wszystkie Mazurki Świata

"Organized in Warsaw for the past 15 years, Mazurkas of the World Festival is a big celebration of traditional, rural music, dance, songs, and one of the most important events centered around this topic in Poland. It is made up of concerts and dances with the best village bands from Poland and beyond, as well as legendary musicians of older generations and their students. Workshops in singing, dancing, and playing musical instruments, a colorful Instrument Fair (April 26) with presentations of instrument creators from all over Poland, miniconcerts, and activities for kids.

And, for the great finale, the sizzling-hot Night of Dance (April 26) –10 hours of great music, over 25 bands, and an all-night dance extravaganza. [...]

This year's festival will be filled with dance and music, but also with stories and memories of 30 years of the House of Dance in Poland. It will be beautiful and moving. You have to be there!"

For more information and the program, check www.festivalmazurki.pl

EFN WELCOMES NEW MEMBERS

By EFN editors

Since the last edition of the newsletter, three new members joined our ever-growing network.

🔹Fundatia Casa Traditiilor Ardelenesti, Romania

We gladly welcome this organization, which introduced themself to the EFN with these words: "The aim and mission of the Transylvanian Heritage House Foundation is to preserve, keep alive and perpetuate the elements of the bygone or disappearing folk tradition and culture, whilst reintegrating folk art and popular culture in the everyday life of today and tomorrow of Transylvania, Partium and Moldova."

In writing about why they joined EFN, this was their insight: “The Transylvanian Heritage House Foundation brings deep-rooted expertise in preserving and promoting Transylvanian folk traditions, music, and dance. As members, we offer regional insights, collaboration opportunities, and cultural exchange. Membership will enhance our international network, foster partnerships, and contribute to the shared mission of sustaining Europe's diverse folk heritage..”

We got their logo from their Facebook profile.

🔹Toon Verdonck, from Antwerp, Belgium

We also welcome the musician and composer Toon Verdonk. This is how he introduced himself to the network: “I am a Belgian guitar player and composer. I’m the band leader for the Mediterranean Jazz band farfar. I have a masters degree in Classical Guitar from the Royal Conservatoire of Antwerp, and have been a researcher there in the field of Music Pedagogy. I teach guitar at the music academies of Ekeren and Merksem.

About his reasons for joining EFN, Toon explained that: “As the guitarist, band leader, and composer of farfar, I believe our membership in the European Folk Network will allow us to connect with like-minded musicians, exchange creative ideas, and share our Mediterranean jazz influences. We’ll gain exposure to new audiences and opportunities for collaboration, while contributing our unique sound and cultural perspective to the network."

We got this picture (©Monday) from farfar's website. Toon is the one on the right in the picture.

🔹Latvian National Center for Culture

With pleasure we welcome this organization. This is how they introduced themself to the EFN:

"The Latvian National Centre for Culture is a direct administrative institution subordinate to the Minister of Culture. Center`s main functions (in the context that is relevant for EFN) are:

To implement a cultural and creative industries education policy, promoting the improvement and development of cultural and creative industries education;
To coordinate the identification, preservation and development of Latvia's Intangible Cultural Heritage;
To promote the diversity and continuity of folk art processes, to encourage active public participation in the creation of cultural values.

Center has five departments:

Department for cultural education;
Department for the Preservation and Development of the Song and Dance Festival Tradition;
Department of the "Latvian School Bag" program;
Strategic Planning and Administrative Department;
Department of Historic Lands and Intangible Cultural Heritage."

The last department on the list is the representative of the Center for the EFN.

About the reasons to join the EFN, this was their statement: "Our organisation, albeit, quite small in numbers (less than 50 staff members) is the one organisation that works with state and local institutions as well as NGOs when it comes to traditional culture, folklore and intangible cultural heritage. We have a network of specialists, activists etc. that can help grow awareness of EFN and it`s work, and can help raise awareness about EFN`s work in Latvia. Our benefit from membership would be expanding our network of specialists and activists who work in various ICH fields as well as informing the community about work Latvian National Center for Culture does. We would also benefit from other people`s experiences, stories, strategies etc."

We got the logo from their official website.

Featured Member: WOMUSK – World Music From Slovakia

When they became a member in 2019, this is how they introduced themselves:

"The platform WOMUSK has been uniting the folk & world music scene in Slovakia. It ́s main idea is to build an effective network of Slovak musicians, labels and organizations with a common goal – to preserve and develop the music scene in Slovakia and furthmore represent and promote Slovak music on the international level."

About the question on what you can give to the European Folk Network as a member and what you think will be the benefits of membership, their answer was "WOMUSK strives to connect the Slovak musical scene to international developments. We are open to welcome professionals interested in Central European region, Slovak music scene and international collaboration. Our organisational body, AMITY NGO is the founder and main organizer of the World Music Festival Bratislava and we collaborate with other Slovak world and folk music promoters, festivals, organisations and musicians."

Learn more about them on their official website. We took their logo from their Facebook profile. And don't miss a visit to the website of their World Music Festival Bratislava.

Featured Artist: Peggy Seeger

By Araceli Tzigane, including information from the press release submitted by the member Kerry Harvey-Piper, who suggested Ms. Seeger as the featured artist for this month

A few weeks ago, the EFN member Kerry Harvey-Piper, from Red Grape Music Ltd, contacted us about the latest news of Ms. Peggy Seeger: on 2nd of May it will be released her 25th and final solo album, the month before her 90th birthday. It is "a fitting tribute to over 70 years as a working musician, feminist and activist".

Although she was born in the U.S., Peggy spent most of her professional and personal life in the UK.

This paragraph from the press release is worthy to be shared: "There is so much to say about Peggy Seeger: a monumental figure in folk music in the UK and USA; a constant musical innovator (aged 77 she was a vocalist on dance producer Broadcaster’s Radio 1 Record of the Week); a style icon (designer Bella Freud named a sweater after her); countless international awards; an active campaigner on the environment, social and feminist issues; 25 solo albums and over 100 collaborative albums." The full press release is available here.

I have chosen this song for several reasons. It is the one with more views on Youtube sung by Peggy. "The First Time Ever I Saw Your Face" is an iconic love song, written by Ewan MacColl in 1957 for Peggy Seeger, his partner and muse, while they were separated during a tour. This information is included in the biography "Class Act: The Cultural and Political Life of Ewan MacColl" by Ben Harker.

Peggy Seeger is a highly influential American folk singer, songwriter, and activist, known for her deep commitment to social justice and her pioneering role in the folk revival movements in both the U.S. and the U.K. Born in 1935 into a prominent musical family, she is the half-sister of Pete Seeger. Peggy collaborated extensively with Ewan MacColl, with whom she shared both her life and career, co-writing powerful protest songs like “The Ballad of Springhill.” With a career spanning over seven decades, Seeger remains a vital voice in traditional and political folk music.

Thank you for the work and the devotion, Ms. Seeger.

Special section:

Jude Anderson, new CEO of Live Music Now Scotland

A brief conversation between Jude Anderson and Araceli Tzigane

Portrait of Ms. Anderson, by Andrew Weild

A few weeks ago we received the news of the appointment of Ms. Jude Anderson as the new CEO of LMNS, one of the country’s leading music charities working in schools, hospitals, care homes and hospices across the nation and a member of the EFN.

Carol Main MBE FRC, who has led the organisation since it was founded in Edinburgh in 1984, commented. “After 40 years working with Live Music Now Scotland, building it from Yehudi Menuhin’s request to start his unique scheme in Scotland into a thriving organisation which puts on over 750 events throughout the country each year, while simultaneously supporting 135 musicians, it’s now time for me to take a step back. In Judith’s appointment, I am confident that our exceptional early career artists and wide range of audiences will all continue to be supported. I honestly couldn’t have wished for anyone more suited to the role of taking Live Music Now Scotland into its next 40 years”.

The full press release is available here.

This banner is from their Facebook page.

From the EFN, we took the opportunity to congratulate Ms. Anderson and ask her for an exclusive statement for our newsletter. Here it is.

Araceli: The activities of Live Music Now Scotland combine live music with a strong social and welfare objective. Carol Main led the organization since its founding in Edinburgh in 1984. Through this newsletter, we have been following some of the outstanding activities of your organization, and we wanted to express to Ms. Main our deepest appreciation, as well as to wish you, Ms. Anderson, much success and achievements for the organization and all its stakeholders in this new stage.

We had a few questions for you, Ms. Anderson. You have a multifaceted background. You are a musician yourself, so this question relates to the current lives and challenges faced by musicians in your country. Many of our readers are young musicians trying to build their careers. Would you like to share any advice with them?

Jude: There is one key piece of guidance for young musicians that has stood the test of time: explore what is musically authentic for you and be true to yourself when you perform for others; from your repertoire choices to your sound, and how you work the stage and interact with the other people in the space. The audience can feel when these creative elements are complementary or are at odds. A strong, clear, artistic presence creates an energy for us as audiences. Being sure of who you are as a musician and what you are trying to communicate when you perform will always provide a stronger engagement and connection with your audiences. This is true of any audience; those who know and love you already, and those who are hearing you for the first time. Understandably, young musicians will have spent a lot of time and focus on their technical development but it's important to leave that in the practice room! Get out and play, play, play! The more gigs you perform, the more you can craft your unique and authentic style as a performing artist.

In Scotland, we face an interesting combination of factors as we look to support young musicians building their careers. Our country is small - population of almost 5.5 million - with some areas very sparsely populated and remote. One challenge is travelling across what are not great distances in ways that are low-carbon. Many musicians (although not all) will choose to live in the more heavily populated areas in the hope this provides the easiest access to the most work. Of the 11 music conservatoires in Great Britain, only one is in Scotland (the Royal Conservatoire of Scotland). This naturally draws fantastic musicians from around the world to Glasgow to study jazz, classical, opera and traditional folk music. At Live Music Now Scotland we work with a lot of graduates from this institution, but also those who have studied in other universities and colleges, and those whose artistic practice is of other musical styles. This includes artists who have taken a less traditional route into their music careers. A sense of 'home' seems to be really integrated into many young musicians' artistic identities, so Live Music Now Scotland tries to reconnect artists with the places they grew up, as well as where they are based now, and travelling widely across the country and further afield. We are currently supporting around 120 young musicians, many of whom specialise in folk music and are contributing to the honouring, sharing and evolution of Scottish cultural heritage both at home and abroad.

As a national arts organisation in receipt of public money we place a strong focus on contributing to improving health, wellbeing and learning, as well as access to work for young people. We admire the strong values held by many young musicians who understand how music can achieve positive impact for society.

Araceli: Regarding your role at LMNS, the organization has received an award from the Elizabeth Lornie’s Charitable Trust as well as Multi-Year Funding from Creative Scotland. It seems that the financial side of this initiative is secured for some time. What do you see as the main challenges ahead in the coming years?

Jude: We are lucky in Scotland that the government is very public in stating that 'Scotland’s creative industries are another vital contributor to the economic growth of the country. Ensuring there are more opportunities to not only participate in the arts, but for Scotland to reap the economic rewards of the creativity of our nation.'. Live Music Now Scotland is very proud to be part of Creative Scotland's portfolio of arts organisations that receives multi-year public funding; this is a rich and diverse multi-artform cohort and we are surrounded by excellent artistic practice and innovation. We delivered over 800 performances and events in the last year with what is a very small (micro) charitable organisation - small but mighty! I think one of the reasons Live Music Now Scotland achieves this sustainable and effective model of working is that it contributes to the national priorities around health and wellbeing, learning and positive work. This ethos has been at the heart of the organisation since it was founded by Sir Yehudi Menuhin, and is a genuine mission to improve lives through music and particularly for those most in need or with the least access to it. The recent award from the Elizabeth Lornie Charitable Trust enables us to work closely with people living with dementia, providing 200 musical experiences over a five-year period and really interrogating the positive impact music can achieve. It will also fund our first high level mentoring programme, with around ten musicians/ensembles working closely with music sector professionals to help advance and accelerate their careers, both on stage and in community settings.

Like many charitable organisations in this current economic climate, we are seeing increased demand for our services against depleting income streams. So, while we remain extremely grateful to our current public and private funders, there is still a lot of work to do to balance the budget and ensure we can remain sustainable while also being responsive to evolving needs of our audiences and young musicians.

Araceli: Can you give us a preview of the most exciting plans you have for the upcoming months?

Jude: Innovation is key! Live Music Now Scotland has good track record in providing a supportive environment for musicians to try out new ideas, develop their practice, and take artistic risks within a safe context. I view our musicians as the joint Artistic Directors of Live Music Now Scotland; they have responsibility for programming their performances and connecting with audiences. This is a continuous feedback loop that seeds new ideas and informs planning. I have recently been in touch with the musicians to share our intensified focus on Equalities and Diversity, something that has been at the heart of the organisation from the very start. Musicians who involve themes of representation and inclusion as part of their practice will be contributing programming ideas that I am excited to share with our partners across the country as we uplift these messages and these voices.

For LGBT+ History month in February, singer Rosie Lavery and pianist Anna Michels programmed a public recital with the National Galleries of Scotland focusing on the work of LGBT+ composers and poets.

The Pathways Programme supports musicians with disabilities and additional support needs, and we are delighted to see how this is evolving and expanding.

The exciting plans keep coming! Musicians will be appearing at festivals including St Magnus Festival, Music at Paxton and the Just Festival, both on the public stages and in communities; we are thrilled to be continuing to work with the exceptional teenagers and staff team in Fife Council's Pupil Support Service with new support from the Paul Hamlyn Foundation; more creative musical play will be taking place at The Yard Scotland with children with disabilities, and lots more!

HOW TO PARTICIPATE IN THIS NEWSLETTER

Are you already a member? Then, remember that you can submit contents for this monthly newsletter. Email your content to efneditors@gmail.com, for these sections:

· News from EFN Members. Brief announcements – of around 100 words and a link.

· Featured artist. - A profile with around 200 words, an embedded video and one link. Members are invited to submit profiles, considering solo and ensemble living or not living artists who have achieved lifelong artistic and technical quality or historical significance in the field of folk art from or developed in or settled in Europe. If you have any artists in mind that you'd like to feature, please ask in advance, just to be sure there is no other member already doing it.

And whether you are a member or not, you can participate in this section:

· Special sections. For instance, an interview with someone from an institution that is not a member or a thematic article by a guest writer or anything that can appear and be considered as interesting. This section can also host guest writers that are not members.

If you'd like to share any content, contact us in advance to schedule it by emailing efneditors@gmail.com

Of course, self promotional articles lacking interest won't be accepted. In case of doubt, the EFN board will be consulted and will decide.