Vic says

"The word Heritage, for me, carries some unfortunate connotations. It suggests to me the rather twee products that are sold in those ghastly "heritage" shops such as Past Times. No, "heritage" has nothing of the vibrancy that "tradition" or even "folk" brings. Let's not suggest that word for the title."

Forgive me if I'm mistaken but didn't the recent funding come from

"The Heritage Lottery Fund"

Which by all accounts does the following

Valuing our heritage, investing in our future

Using money raised through the National Lottery, the Heritage Lottery Fund gives grants to sustain and transform our heritage. From museums, parks and historic places to archaeology, natural environment and cultural traditions we invest in every part of our diverse heritage.

The name EFDSS itself suggests they are having a limited or narrow outlook or scope.

As the website states:

The English Folk Dance and Song Society (EFDSS) is one of the leading folk development organisations in the UK with a history dating back to 1898.

It is multi-faceted, being:

•a membership society with 4000 members;
•an advocate and lobbyist;
•an arts venue (Cecil Sharp House in North London) hosting concerts, lectures, multi-media events and an array of social dances;
•an education, training and development agency providing classes and workshops for people of all ages and all abilities, and working in schools, colleges, community groups and supporting professional artists;
•a publisher and on-line shop, publishing and selling a range of books and CDs on folk dance and music;
•the custodian of the Vaughan Williams Memorial Library, an internationally renowned library and archive of the folk arts.

Through its work, the EFDSS aims to place the indigenous folk arts of England at the heart of our cultural life. Use our website to find out more and about how you can get involved.

If this is true why limit it to "English" why not expand a little.

England is now a multicultural society and if they profess to "place the indigenous folk arts of England at the heart of our cultural life"

The United Kingdom has a population of 60.8 million people and growing, EFDSS has a membership of 4000! which equates to 0.006% of the population and decreasing. That a fairly minitessimal minority deciding on what should be termed as "The indigenous Folk Arts of England"

So it's probably about time they moved on and embraced a little change.

Either that or they rename themselves

"The Pre-Multicultural England - Old English Folk Dance and Song Society"

I'm not a member of the EFDSS either, nor would I consider joining until it considers a paradigm shift.

I do however live in England, well The sovereign Country of Yorkshire that is!

This probably means I won't be joining.

CC