EFN Newsletter August 2026 #45
Hi! We hope you’re having a wonderful summer.We’re getting ready to kick off the new season with a bang: more activities, more reflection, more networking and more conversation.
Save the date and stay tuned: whether you’re an EFN member or not, we have plenty in store for you. And if you are a member, even more.
Not a member yet? Take a look at the Membership page on our website: https://www.europeanfolknetwork.com/membership
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:
▫️EFN Talking Points Online #1 - 15 September - reminder and more details! Meet our participants
▫️REMINDER: 2026 EFN Conference: registration now open!
▫️The 4th European Folk Day — Celebrating the traditional arts that unite Europe and beyond - An example - Invitations by Sam Lee and Stella Papalamprou
▫️Meet us in Budapest for the first Hungarian Heritage Days
🔹The other regular sections will be back in September.
✍️ 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
🔸Meet our participants! EFN Talking Points Online #1 - 15 September
EFN Talking Points Online is a new series of online conversations bringing together different voices to explore issues that matter to the folk community.Our first session, “Too Much Supply, Too Little Demand?”, will examine the imbalance between the growing number of artists and projects and the opportunities available to present them. These will be the participants:
🔸Panellist: David Sierra
He holds a degree in Humanities from the University of Castilla-La Mancha (UCLM) and has nearly two decades of experience in cultural management, artist representation, and the international development of music and performing arts projects.
He specializes in international booking, tour production, and strategic development, working with festivals, theatres, agencies, and cultural networks across Europe, the Americas, Africa, and the Middle East. He regularly participates in major international music markets, and has been invited as a speaker on artistic mobility, cultural cooperation, and international circulation.
Learn more about his activity in www.sierracontratacionartistica.com
🔸Panellist: Anne-Mari Hakamäki
She is the Programme Director of the Kaustinen Folk Music Festival established in 1968. It is the oldest and largest folk music and dance festival in Nordic countries.
Firmly rooted in the vibrant local fiddle tradition of Kaustinen, the festival presents a rich blend of Finnish and international folk music and dance. The week-long event features concerts, dance performances, workshops, spontaneous jam sessions, and a strong emphasis on participation.
Each year, the festival brings together thousands of amateur folk musicians and dancers, offering more than 1,700 scheduled performances across around 35 stages. Family-friendly and community-driven festival takes place annually in mid-July and celebrates the living heritage and creative spirit of folk traditions.
Learn more about the festival in https://kaustinen.net/en/
🔸Panellist: David Agnew
He is the Chief Executive of Sound Roots – a charity based in Manchester, UK committed to developing opportunities and development for folk roots and acoustic artists based in or from England. Our flagship event is their annual showcase, English Folk Expo, which runs alongside Manchester Folk Festival for 3 days across 10 venues in March.Sound Roots also delivers talent development programmes including mentoring and international exchange projects, commissions touring projects, Britain and Ireland Folk Albums of the Year, the Official Charts Monthly Folk Album Chart and promotes concerts throughout Greater Manchester. Sound Roots is supported by Arts Council England and Greater Manchester Combined Authority and is a PRSF Talent Development Network member.
Previously he has worked as Artistic Director with The Met in Bury, Founder and Artistic Director with Manchester Folk Festival, Ramsbottom Festival and Head for the Hills Festival. David is on the board of Association of Independent Festivals (UK), Access Folk and the Greater Manchester Music Commission.
Learn more in http://www.soundroots.uk
🔸Moderator: Araceli Tzigane
Director of Mapamundi Música, a Spain-based agency working internationally in management, booking and communication for folk, roots and traditional music.
Active in the sector since 2007, she has developed long-term collaborations with artists, festivals and cultural organisations across Europe and beyond. She is a board member of the European Folk Network and co-founder of the Transglobal World Music Chart. Her work combines artist development, international touring, communication and sector networking, giving her a broad perspective on the realities facing both artists and presenters. She is also a radio producer and an active contributor to debates around the future of the folk music ecosystem.
Learn more in http://www.mapamundimusica.com
➡️ Save the date: ▫️EFN Talking Points Online #1 "Too Much Supply, Too Little Demand?"▫️When: Tuesday, September 15, 2026 11:00 (UK), 12.00 (CET), 13.00 (EET)➡️ Register in advance for this meeting: 🔗 https://us02web.zoom.us/meeting/register/EJvTL4fZSpqXpg8RYS6low - After registering, you will receive a confirmation email containing information about joining the meeting. |
🔸REMINDER: 2026 EFN Conference: registration now open!
Almería (Spain), 13 & 14 November 2026
The conference programme will feature expert speakers and panels, working groups, breakout discussions and traditional music performances.
Click here for CONFERENCE REGISTRATION – there is a special discount price for EFN Members. The two Conference hotels are now holding rooms for delegates. To see the details and book your own room with special EFN Conference reference go to the EFN website Conference page HERE.
The conference will be hosted by EFN Member Fundación Indaliana para la Música y las Artes (Clasijazz), whose venue offers facilities for plenary sessions, breakout groups, catering and performances.
🔸European Folk Day 2026
The 4th European Folk Day —Wednesday 23 September 2026Celebrating the traditional arts that unite Europe and beyond18–27 September 2026
The website www.europeanfolkday.eu is now ready to register your events.
European Folk Network (EFN) is proud to announce the fourth edition of the European Folk Day, taking place on Wednesday 23 September 2026 — the day of the autumn equinox in the Northern Hemisphere — with a full programme of celebrations running from 18 to 27 September 2026. An example! The Traditional Dance Forum of Scotland registered their specially curated European Ceilidh Plus event on the website and intend to continue highlighting the work of the European Folk Network to their communities. Check all the details on the event page.
The highly inspiring English folk artist Sam Lee invites us to take part in European Folk Day with these words:
In the July edition of the newsletter, Stella Papalamprou told us about what will be her debut album, Protanixin, while also sharing valuable insight into its wider cultural context, including the survival and transmission of Pontic culture in central Greece. The album will be released on 24 September, and Stella has chosen to connect this exciting milestone with European Folk Day. This is how she invites us to take part in European Folk Day:
🔸Meet us in Budapest for the 1st Hungarian Heritage Days
From 24 to 30 September, the Hungarian Heritage House, a member of the European Folk Network, will welcome international guests for several days of professional exchange, performances and encounters with the living folk traditions of the Carpathian Basin. Following two days of activities in Budapest, participants will join a study tour through Hungary and Transylvania, visiting communities and cultural partners in places including Satu Mare, Cluj-Napoca, Oradea and Békéscsaba.
This occasion is also a joint celebration of the 25th anniversary of the Hungarian Heritage House, the 75th anniversary of the Hungarian State Folk Ensemble and the 125th anniversary of the Buda Festival.
Several members of the EFN Board will also be there, making it a valuable opportunity to meet, exchange ideas and strengthen connections across the network. The programme will combine networking, concerts, dance events, community initiatives and visits focused on local music and dance traditions.
Learn more about this event and discover the program, here.
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