Middle Atlantic Folklife Association

http://socialcustomer.typepad.com/the_social_customer_manif/2005/02/personalization.html

This is a piece about "the long tail" a concept in internet and marketing theory that may be resonant with folkloristic notions of culture and community. What do you think?

http://www.artscouncil.org.uk/information/publication_detail.php?browse=recent&id=464

Arts Council England announced July 12, 2005, the publication of its National Carnival Arts Strategy, placing carnival as a major artform in England. The Arts Council, which has a history of funding Caribbean and Latin American carnival disciplines, aims with this new strategy to provide the carnival arts sector with the same awareness of and access to funding as other artforms, says a council press release. It is hoped that the strategy will act as an advocacy tool for the increased recognition of carnival as an artform and also be a major contribution to the Arts Council’s race equality and diversity objectives. The strategy sets out some practical ways for carnival arts to develop between 2005 and 2007 to meet the Arts Council’s Ambitions for the Arts.

Check out this really amazing site:

http://www.studioclub.com/UndetectableHomeless.htm

"The StudioClub is proud to introduce a new area to our site in hopes to help bring about attention to a problem that is another great tragedy swept under the rug by the politicians and officials, and not covered near enough in the news. We are most proud to introduce Dr. Marjorie Bard, who will author this Weekly Cyberlog.

Since 1975, Dr. Marjorie Bard has listened to the homeless--especially homeless women. The have told her their stories despite threats of retaliation and begged her to bring their problems and the social injustice that underlies these problems to the attention of all who would listen, and those who deny any problems exists.

http://www.chinadaily.com.cn/english/doc/2005-06/10/content_450244.htm

When 26-year-old folklorist Wang Xuewen, met white-haired farmer Zhang Jinghai, in his 60s, he was not sure what the old man could offer him concerning folklore culture protection.

"He handed me two big books of diaries, filled with misused characters and bad grammar, but I was surprised- for they noted down the stories and anecdotes of how the village he lives in came into being, why the village is called its present name, and what customs the villagers had followed," Wang said of his first visit to Xiaweidian Village of Mentougou District..."

http://www.zwire.com/site/news.cfm?newsid=14602390&BRD=2311&PAG=461&dept_id=482260&rfi=6

Dear MAFA participants:

On behalf of the New York Folklore Society, I would like to welcome you to New York State's Catskills region!

The Winter Clove Inn is an historic Inn at the base of North Mountain in the hamlet of Round Top. This area has been known as the "German Catskills", as ethnically-German vacationers and second home owners have put their stamp on the region. While the Winter Clove Inn is not one of the so-called "German" resorts, you will see several German run businesses or Bavarian-style chalets within the region.

Before your coming, I wanted to alert you to a few housekeeping items.

The Winter Clove Inn has an indoor pool and outdoor tennis courts. They also have a small bowling alley. For those of you who also want to do a little exploring, there are marked trails onto North Mountain from the grounds of the Inn.

The weather forecasted for this coming weekend is warm (low-70s) and sunny, with a chance of an occasional shower. It will be cool (40s) in the evening.

Finally, we have arranged entertainment for both evenings of the conference. On Friday, all-Ireland Champion Father Charlie Coen and his apprentice Danny Gurney will give a short concert at 9:00 p.m. They will follow this by a "seisun". We welcome people to come with instruments and voice to join them for informal music-making. Father Charlie Coen, originally from County Galway is pastor at St. Christopher's Catholic Church in Red Hook, NY. He is a major figure in Irish traditional music, having won three Senior Division Championships in the All-Ireland Competitions. He is known as a flute and concertina player and a singer of "sean-nos". Father Coen was a participant in the Greenfields of America tours, along with his brother, Jack Coen, who is a recipient of the NEA's National Heritage Fellowship. Father Charlie is a well-known promoter of Irish music in the Mid-Hudson Valley. He organizes twice-monthly Irish music concerts followed by seisuns. It was in this role that he inspired Danny Gurney (then age 9) to learn Irish music. In 2003/04, Danny was his apprentice on the Irish Accordion through an apprenticeship grant from the New York State Council on the Arts, Folk Arts Program. A graduating High School senior, Danny has recently been accepted at Harvard and will be attending there this fall.