EFN Newsletter November 2025 #36
- EFN editor
- 14 minutes ago
- 8 min read
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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:
▫️Follow-up of the annual EFN Conference
▫️New social media campaign – #WeAreEFN
🔸New members: Wren Music (UK) and `CMYK project (Ukraine)
🔹News from the members:
▫️ Fira Mediterrània de Manresa: the call for artistic proposals is now open
🔸Our next featured member is Chris Wade, from Strada Music (UK)
🔹Our next featured artist is the Norwegian singer Kirsten Bråten Berg
✍️ 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
🔸Follow-up on the Anual EFN Conference
The 6th annual European Folk Network Conference took place on 10 & 11 October 2025 hosted by the Fira Mediterránia de Manresa. The photograph above is a picture of some of the happy delegates after two days of fascinating panels, presentations and groups discussions, which concentrated on themes of diversity and inclusion in the world of traditional folk arts.
We have produced an informative report of the conference, written by EFN's founding Chair David Francis, added to which are some useful background documents. You can download it using the button below.
Once again, we send thanks to you and to our wonderful partners Fira Mediterrania de Manresa, to the generous and supportive Hungarian Heritage House and to all Members and friends of EFN who made the 2025 Conference a pleasure to be part of.
🔸New social media campaign – #WeAreEFN
Last month’s annual conference generated many reflections, inspiring conversations and motivation for new project. At the initiative and under the leadership of Anne-Mari Hakamäki, Programme Director of the EFN member Kaustinen Folk Music Festival, we have launched “#WeAreEFN | Meet the Members” – introducing the European Folk Network’s members to the world.
Through this campaign, we’ll showcase the inspiring people and organisations that keep folk and traditional arts alive, creative, and connected across Europe. From artists and festivals to educators and cultural activists – every story adds to our shared mosaic of living heritage.
We invite all EFN members to take part and share your story, project, or initiative. By presenting our members to a global audience, we aim to build visibility, inspire collaboration, and strengthen the voice of folk culture everywhere.
Follow us and learn more in our Instagram and our Facebook profiles.
EFN WELCOMES TWO NEW MEMBERS
By EFN editors
With big joy we welcome two new members:
🔹Wren Music, from UK
Let's welcome this longstanding not-for-profit organisation. This is how they introduced themselves in their membership form:
"Wren Music is a charity with 43 years’ experience delivering community music. We use folk and traditional music to empower hundreds of people from all backgrounds to take part in music using voice or instruments. Based in the South West of England, Wren Music and has a particular focus on the music of the local county of Devon."
Their answer to "what you and/or your organisation think you can give to the European Folk Network as a member and what you think will be the benefits of membership?" is:
"Wren Music has experience of coordination of Erasmus+ KA1 Projects with partners across the EU using folk music as a tool within adult education and social inclusion. We bring organisational planning and impact oversight to projects as well a wealth of experience running a folk development organisation."
Learn more about them on their website.
🔹`CMYK project, from Ukraine
Welcome also this organisation from Lviv. This is how they described themselves when completing the registration:
"`CMYK is a musical project that fuses Ukrainian traditional music with contemporary electronic sound, creating a singular, genre-bending line-up. By weaving tradition into electronic music, cinema, and other art forms, we aim to create opportunities for people to engage with authenticity on many levels — without distorting its original essence."
Their answer to "what you and/or your organisation think you can give to the European Folk Network as a member and what you think will be the benefits of membership?" is:
"We will spotlight Ukrainian culture within the European Folk Network, fostering dialogue and cultivating thoughtful collaborations with its members."
Learn more about them on their website.
News from the members
🔹Fira Mediterrània de Manresa: the call for artistic proposals is now open.
By Anna Vilanova (Professional Area, Fira Mediterrània)
The call for artistic proposals is now open!
If you would like to be part of the 29th Fira, send us your proposals now. YOU HAVE TIME UNTIL 22 JANUARY 2026 AT 12 AM
What do we want?
Music, performing or street art, folk culture and association-related proposals that are based on traditional roots as a driver of creativity and speak to us in the present.
More information: https://firamediterrania.cat/en
Featured Member: Chris Wade, from Strada Music (UK)
When Chris Wade joined the EFN in 2019, she explained about herself that "I am a partner and agent in Strada Music agency – a leading folk, roots and acoustic music agency based in the UK. We work with artists from Britain and around the World taking them to festivals, theatres and clubs Worldwide. I also programme music into a small theatre and festivals in Yorkshire."
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, her answer was: "I have over 30 years of experience in the folk and related music scene in the UK and around the World and have a large number of contacts Worldwide. I (and Strada Music) am always keen to share experiences and knowledge and to gain new contacts – I feel that the EFN will facilitate this."
The portrait is from her Facebook profile. You can also find her on their Strada Music website.
Featured Artist: Kirsten Bråten Berg
By Araceli Tzigane
I took this picture from the artist's Facebook profile. Credit: Colin Hunter.
The first time I heard of Kirsten was during my first visit to Førdefestivalen. She was performing that year, and since Juan Antonio Vázquez, my colleague at Mundofonías, already knew her work and loved it, the two of us were very excited. It’s a pleasure to feature her as the artist of this edition.
Kirsten is 75 years old and active artistically. She posts on Facebook regularly, so I think you can even contact her there if you have something to ask. Here I’ll include a brief biographical note and add a few links at the end.
Kirsten Bråten Berg was born in 1950 in Arendal, southern Norway, and has lived for many years in Setesdal, one of the country’s key regions for traditional vocal music. Trained as a silversmith, she runs her own workshop in Nomeland, Hylestad, but she is best known as one of Norway’s foremost traditional singers and as a central figure in keeping the Setesdal kveding tradition alive. Since the 1970s she has been performing and recording, gradually becoming a reference point in Norwegian folk music.
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I chose this piece by looking for the Kirsten Bråten Berg video with the highest number of views on YouTube. And it turned out to be this fascinating, beautiful piece. It is included on her album Min Kvedarlund (1999). It tells the story of Heiemo, a young woman whose beautiful singing echoes across the hills. Far out on the water, the Nykkjen —a dangerous water spirit capable of taking many forms— hears her voice and becomes captivated. He orders his helmsman to bring him ashore and transforms himself into a splendid knight. Entering the hall where Heiemo sings, he declares that she must follow him to his ship. No one dares to oppose him, and Heiemo begins to cry at the thought of being taken away. But she suddenly remembers she is armed: she draws her small knife and stabs the Nykkjen in the heart. In some variants, she defeats him simply by speaking his true name. The story ends with Heiemo safe and triumphant, having defended her honour and escaped the deadly lure of the water spirit. This is a summary of what this website explains in much greater depth. And on this page you can find the lyrics sung by Kirsten, in Norwegian and translated into English.
Her discography spans more than four decades, with landmark releases such as Min kvedarlund (Heilo/Grappa) and the intercultural project Frå Senegal til Setesdal, created together with West African musicians. She has collaborated widely – for example with jazz bassist Arild Andersen and other key Nordic artists – and has received numerous awards, including the Spellemann Prize and the Royal Norwegian Order of St Olav (Knight First Class) for her contribution to Norwegian culture.
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Let's now listen to Kirsten singing live. “I denne søte juletid” (“In this sweet Christmastime”) is a traditional Scandinavian Christmas hymn, originally written by the Danish bishop and hymn poet Hans Adolph Brorson (1694–1764). The text celebrates the sweetness and joy of Christmastime, encouraging people to honour God’s grace with song. About the melody, according to SR Musikk, "«I denne søte juletid» is a very well-travelled melody. It appears first as a medieval psalm, " Dies Est Lætitiæa", but is most likely even older, with it's roots in German folk music. Many variants of the melody can be found in the folk music traditions of Norway and Denmark, with the melody appearing in a variety of different meters."
Sources:
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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.
BECOMING A MEMBER?
EFN membership is growing rapidly – why not join the network of traditional arts organisers and artists that stretches across Europe from the Irish Sea to the Baltic, the Mediterranean to the Black Sea? Find out more about membership and download an application form from www.europeanfolknetwork.com/membership.
DO YOU WANT TO SUPPORT EFN MORE?
The EFN welcomes donations. We do a lot with little money. Imagine what we can do with a little more :) Let us know how much you want to donate and we'll issue an invoice for your organization.
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