Cover photo above – Dancing in the Street SydFolkFest23 (Photo: Heather Kroll)

Folk Organisers Meeting via Zoom – Sunday 14 July 2024

The purpose of this second 2024 gathering of Folk Organisers was to consider the three key focus areas distilled from the 14 action points identified at the first meeting and, to come away with at least one or more tasks that will deliver support to our NSW Folk Communities in one or more of the key areas.

1. Building a database of information about the value of the Folk Sector (Community)

Gathering data on the folk music and dance community as a reference and/or learning tool. The purpose of data collected will be to provide ready access for folk organisations when applying for grants or representing their organisations in broader forums. Data will be housed on the FolkFedNSW website, available to members. Suggestions included:

• Gather concrete data on the economic value of folk events including list of all folk organisations, attendance at events, age range, post codes.
• Undertake surveys at festivals and club events to gather social/community information on how folk music/dance events work as a vector in building resilient communities.
• Could start with three basic questions that could be accessed via a QR Code which is supplied to all NSW Folk organisations.
• Data base could also include procedural documents to cover generic things e.g. compliance, succession planning. This might also be covered by area three – resource sharing etc.

2. Funding for the appointment of a media officer to represent the NSW Folk Sector (Community)

What would this look like? If covering the whole NSW Folk Sector (Community) would it be spread too thinly? Discussion included:

• Promote “folk” as a genre. Spruiking folk and talking up the genre.
• Generate professional standard press releases from information provided by folk organisations
• Provide social media support and advice.
• Contact radio stations. Arrange live to air performances when artists are on tour and available.
• Identify websites that are out of date.
• General advice on “how to” promote an event.
• Could media officer help with training?

The NSW FF is to source potential funding for this role.

3. Establishing networks and communication channels to provide resource sharing and mentoring opportunities to support folk initiatives and/or organisers. 

The aim here is to strengthen NSW folk communities and support them. Encourage sharing of information and experience about hosting events and activities of all kinds. It’s also our intention to connect people involved in the same or similar specific roles – e.g. folk club conveners/committees, dance and certain festival roles where people might find it helpful to pool or share information and experiences, and / or mentor new people. A number of specific needs were identified:

• Devise and share a checklist on how to run events, including essentials such as insurance. Also see Key Area 1, dot point 4.
• Where required, link organisers to tech people who can help with social media and keeping websites up to date.
• Offer sessions on specific issues, including how to use the FolkFedNSW website; how to use social media to best advantage; running folk clubs and dance groups; session etiquette. These sessions would be run online, and/or live at NSW festivals if permission is given, forums to exchange specific knowledge.
• Newcastle &HVFC happy to share non-sensitive documents on a range of topics.

Suggested Next Steps

• Data Base: Initiate a survey with three basic questions regarding the value of ”folk” linked to a QR Code and distributed to folk clubs and festivals. NB – FolkFedNSW will be canvassing our folk orgs for possible question ideas for this initial survey.
• Media Officer: As a first step, since most grants seem to be project focused, will look at developing a specific project related to media/marketing as a way of engaging a media officer and to test the water as to viability.
• Networks, Support and Mentoring: FolkFedNSW will run some simple “How To” sessions starting with using and getting the best from FolkFed’s interactive website. Will also set up a repository for shared documents. Bilbo and Margaret have offered to start the ball rolling.

General comments

• To FolkFedNSW – thanks for these meetings, keep offering them and the momentum will build (thanks Jade!)
• Concern about ageing of organisers and the difficulty of finding younger people to get involved/take over (thanks Bilbo – hopefully all of the above networking and media support will help)
• FolkFedNSW still only represents anglo-celtic practitioners. We need to broaden our scope (thanks Dave – this is a big one)
• Concept – a ‘good gig guarantee’ where punters pay in advance for a concert as an act of good faith and to ensure artists don’t play to a nearly empty room (thanks Rachel and Kirsten, Braidwood Folk Club, who are still working through this concept and happy to share experience)

Participants in this meeting included:

Cathy Rytmeister (FolkFedNSW  meeting facilitator); Pam Merrigan (FolkFedNSW President); Christine Wheeler (FolkFedNSW); Kirsten Hulse (Braidwood Folk Club); Rachel Johnston (Braidwood Folk Club); Margaret Walters (Sydney Concert for Peace); Russell Neal (SongsOnStage); Bilbo (Newcastle Folk Club, St Albans Folk Festival etc etc); Dave Johnson (Bundanoon Folk Club, Bush Traditions, Heritage Ensemble, Saplings); George Bolliger (Bush Music Club); Jade Tinkler (Comhaltas – Sydney Branch, Sydney Fleadh)