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About the Festival
International FolkFest Scheduled for 2011
Plans are currently
underway for International FolkFest 2011! Scheduled for June
12–19, 2011, International FolkFest promises to be a week of
excitement and education. Throughout the week, international
groups will perform for area schools, youth and senior
citizen organizations and for civic clubs.
The festival, which began
in 1982, was responsible for bringing musical and dance
groups from over 50 countries to Rutherford County. Some of
the countries that have visited the community are Austria,
Brazil, Czechoslovakia, England, Germany, Greece, India,
Ireland, Israel, Luxembourg, Mexico, Russia, Scotland,
Sicily, Thailand and Yugoslavia. After the festival ended in
1997, there was an increasing interest in reviving this
celebration of international heritage and music. The
festival was reintroduced to downtown Murfreesboro in 2004,
with groups from Finland, France and Mexico performing.
The festival is being coordinated by
the
International Folkloric Society
(IFS). IFS
is a local non-profit organization whose mission is to
promote and preserve international cultural heritage with a
primary focus on the arts. Formed in 1986, IFS has played a
large role in sending traditional Appalachian dancers and
musicians to festivals all over the world. Likewise, IFS has
made it possible for overseas performers to bring their
talents and heritage to our local communities
In order to maintain
foreign relationships, it is the policy of IFS to keep the
expenses of international guests to a minimum. Upon
arrival in the community, IFS ensures that all food, lodging
and transportation are provided to performers (excluding
international airfare). In the past, IFS has relied heavily
on the assistance of government grants to help cover the
expenses of bringing foreign groups to the community.
However, IFS is now looking for the opportunity to bring a
much larger scale event directly to Murfreesboro’s downtown
area.
The goal of IFS is to
create a festival that has the potential to become bigger
and better each year, resulting in increased tourism and
local business patronage. In order to make this festival a
success, IFS is hoping to acquire financial assistance from
corporations, foundations, individuals and government
agencies.
Anyone interested in
working with IFS on International FolkFest is encouraged to
contact
Steve Cates
Appdancer@aol.com
615-896-3559 |
2010 Participants
United States
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