Northfolk Partnership

OaC is proud to announce that it has been selected to be a partner in the Northfolk Partnership - a project sponsored by the European Union’s Northern Periphery Programme, 2007 – 2013.

Each main partner possesses a particular expertise, which will provide a strong foundation for the project. In addition, each main partner will involve appropriate agencies, organisations and institutions, for the successful implementation of the project.

The partners in the project include:

•  Folk Music Centre, Siglufjordur, Iceland;
•  Greenland National Museum and Archive, Nuuk, Greenland;
•  University of Faroe Islands, Faroe Islands;
•   Ceolas, Gaelic Music and Dance Summer School, Scotland;
•  Ole Bull Academy, Voss, Norway;
•  Murberget Museum, Harnosand, Sweden; and
•  Kaustinen Folk Music Institute, Finland.

The project’s aim is for the partners to blend their individual heritage of traditional of music and dance to enable preservation, education, cross fertilisation and dissemination. The partnership will enable the transfer of knowledge and experience between established educational institutions, and facilitate the establishment of traditional music/dance institutions and organisations where none currently exist.

As a result of the partnership each institution will have access to folk music and dance traditions of the North-Atlantic nations to study, practice and research. The partnership will help identify and strengthen the profile of each unique cultural heritage, while enabling the exchange of information and artistic representation.

The preliminary aims of the project are to create:

• A common database of the audio/video recordings and associated research material of traditional music and dance. This can be used by elementary schools and institutions of higher education to enrich their curriculum, and promote knowledge and enable the practice of traditional music and dance.

•   Centres where audio/video displays of the performance of traditional music and dance can be viewed.
•  A Folk Music and Dance Academy that will offer programmes of featuring the traditional music and dance culture of the participating countries.
•   An annual Folk Music and Dance Festival and Symposium that will celebrate traditional music and dance of the whole region in all its diversity.

The partnership aims to make accessible the wealth of indigenous traditional music and dance to the whole population of the region. Preservation, research and education are core elements of the project, while the transnationality of the project will strengthen the practice and research of folk music and dance and support the creation of folk music and dance centres, academies and festivals where none currently exist.

The Northfolk partnership encourages development within the field of traditional music and dance, by making the music and dance traditions of all the nations easily accessible through educational institutions, organisations and venues. A broader spectrum of related, yet vastly different traditions will renew interest and facilitate innovative activities.

In addition to the core exchange of music and dance, its interpretation, performance practice and function will drive the Northfolk partnership.

The project will enable musicians, dancers and scholars to reach an audience of North-Atlantic nations, with a range of concerts, shows and symposia. Communicating the tradition of one nation to the people of another, will not only entertain, but also provide a valuable perspective and renew interest in their own tradition. Supported by scholarly discussion, unique traditions will be put into historical and cultural perspective. A first conference of the project partners will be held at Murberget Museum, Harnosand, Sweden in early August 2009.

The other participants in the Northfolk Partnership are:

Folk Music Centre, Siglufjordur, Iceland; - http://www.folkmusik.is/

Ceolas, Gaelic Music and Dance Summer School, Scotland http://www.ceolas.co.uk/

University of Faroe Islands, Faroe Islands - www.setur.fo

Ole Bull Academy, Voss, Norway; - www.olebull.no

Murberget Museum, Harnosand, Sweden - www.ylm.se

Kaustinen Folk Music Institute, Finland - www.kaustinen.net