• Folk Arts foster community spirit in a unique way because everybody can participate; young and old, skilled and unskilled, knowledgeable and naive.

• Traditional Arts remain an essential part of contemporary life; so it is important to the folk process that it continually revives, rediscovers and renews itself.

• Involvement in traditional arts encourages local communities to:
  research, collect, perform and appreciate local traditions of song, music, dance and storytelling; together with those traditions brought by communities who have settled here

• act as an advocate for the traditional arts in the South East

• raise the national profile of SE based performers and events

• raise the image of the traditional performing arts within the SE and the country as a whole

• encourage a folk content in general arts and community events and celebrations

• work towards increasing audiences and participation in the traditional performing arts, particularly amongst the Young

• work in partnership with local folk and traditional arts organisers and artists, with schools and other educational establishments, voluntary and community organisations, the media, local authorities and others

• be inclusive of the traditions and music of communities who have settled here

• provide networking opportunities under the SEFAN umberella

• provide funding advice and exchange of ideas under the SEFAN umberella

• provide training workshops and seminars and publish associated literature

• provide Subscriber Only services to the Network

• operate as a 'first port of call' to provide information and contacts to the General Public

SEFAN Services include ...

• Public Information Services are provided through this web site as well as a weekly E-digest of upcoming performances, festivals and events. Send an email to admin@sefan.org.uk to be put on the (non-member's) E-Digest list.
  
• SEFAN provides Information and Help to the General Public for specific enquires via telephone and email.

• Audience Development is currently through the provision of information on performances, clubs, and regular events and links to outside listings sites.
  See the Regular Listings and What's On pages.
  We provide a single point of entry for the public looking for folk/roots activity in the SE.

• Subscriber Only Services include
  • regular email bulletins to the Network to disseminate time sensitive alerts on funding opportunities, performance opportunities, announcements, FolkArts England bulletins, selected extracts from the Arts and Voluntary sector eDigests and magazines, and other information exchange that concerns the folk/roots sector.
  • access to the SEFAN resource library of publications. Subscribers can request copies of our information sheets, all of which are listed in our online library list.
  • SEFAN provides one-to-one support on grant applications, funding queries etc.
  • We also run occasional training days, conferences and meetings.

How SEFAN works ...

• practical advice on funding sources and how to apply

• individual surgery session on specific funding applications

• resource library and information sheets

• on-line information pages

• some Network Only (not public domain) information resources

• regular Network email bulletins on opportunities and developments in Folk and the Arts.

• regular Network email bulletins of gig/workshop announcements.

• regular Public email service of gig/workshop announcements

• occasional region-wide and local meetings with SEFAN as organiser

Networking within the folk community:

• to keep Subscribers abreast of developments

• to allow information exchange

• to stimulate collaborations