Hi, I am not a folkie but I have been 'guesting' in on Mudcat for some time marvelling at the wealth of knowledge there is out there on ethnic and traditional folk arts.
I am currently researching for a thesis entitled "The indigenous folk-arts of England. An examination of the ownership, custodianship, and development of the national folk-treasures of the ethnic English people and their freedom of access to them." I am starting with the EFDSS for obvious reasons but am confused by various visions and values expressed on the EFDSS website.
The 'About Us' webpage states "The EFDSS aims to place the indigenous folk arts of England at the heart of our cultural life", whereas its education arm "draws from the diverse traditional folk arts of England and the British Isles" and "works with a range of organizations fostering links with contemporary, classical, urban and world art forms". Some of its initiatives are distinctly British and along multicultural lines, and the Vaughan Williams mission statement does not mention indigenous or English or England at all. I have copies of the Articles and Memorandum
I would like to invite comment from Mudcat members as to what activities the EFDSS s or should be engaged in, purely in relation to the subject of my thesis. I am still perusing the multitude of Mudcat threads on EFDSS but I have not found this exact thread elsewhere. Many thanks.