KANSAS CITY, MO (CelebrityAccess) — Folk Alliance International announced that the 2021 edition of their annual conference has been canceled.
███████████████████████████████████████
Watch Live ➲➧► https://festivaltv.page.link/live
Here Liv➲➧► https://festivaltv.page.link/live
███████████████████████████████████████
“FAI must be decisive, nimble, and innovative, and make responsible and proactive decisions. Consequently, in addition to suspending events for the remainder of the calendar year, we have determined that the best course of action at this time is to suspend our in-person conference next February 2021,” FAI executive director Aengus Finnan said.
“In place of producing the conference this coming fiscal year, FAI staff will immediately pivot to developing meaningful online tools and resources, mounting a world-class online showcase conference, securing financial support, and advocating for the folk community and industry,” Finnan added.
The conference was planned for February 17-21 in at the Westin Crown Center Hotel in Kansas City, Missouri.
FAI said that refunds will be processed for anyone who had already registered for the event.
The Folk Alliance also shared some troubling news about its finances, with the organization projecting its first deficit this year in over two decades. According to Folk Alliance, they believe they can weather the losses related to the canceled conference in 2021 but have been forced to initiate a round of layoffs at the organization.
“It’s our hope that by letting you know these things now, it will bring some clarity and relief, and that it might perhaps support others struggling to decide how to proceed,” Finned said
“We all look forward to a future time when we can gather again and simply sit in a room with a group of people and hear live music. Until then we invite you to reach out to us, stay engaged at folk.org and on social media, and look for detailed updates in our monthly e-news.”
This resource is available for free to everyone in the folk music community, whether a fan or part of the industry. It is updated and maintained by the staff of Folk Alliance International. If you’d like to support FAI in continuing to providing free community resources like this, we invite you to
Our virtual Annual General Meeting is about to start! Join us on our YouTube channel if you aren't a voting member of FAI, or through your private Zoom link if you are a voting member
If you're looking for ideas on which artists to see at Folk Unlockedput together this preview of Spotlight Showcases to check out!
We're excited to announce the Spotlight Showcases at Folk Unlocked! In place of Official Showcases that typically happen at our in-person conference, we're presenting Spotlight Showcases — one-hour pre-recorded live performances presented by music industry partners from around the globe with live chat in real-time
FAI members, today is the LAST day to cast your ballot for Artist, Song, and Album of the Year, plus Lifetime Achievement Awards. Vote now before the ballots close tonight at 11:59 pm ET!
Today, in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic that continues to leave the music industry in limbo, we're thrilled to launch fundraising for The Village Fund, a grant program for folk artists and independent music industry professionals experiencing financial hardship.
We've committed $25,000 from our reserve and plan to raise an additional $75,000 with public support for the fund. The goal is to initially distribute 200 grants of $500 each, with the hope to continue replenishing the fund based on community need. Applications for support from the fund will open in the spring.
Non-industry folks are invited to donate and in exchange gain exclusive access to Folk Unlocked showcases. Industry folks who are already attending Folk Unlocked, but would like to contribute to The Village Fund, can donate directly to the fund
We would like to notify our voting membership and full community of a change to our Best of 2020 ballot. John McCutcheon has respectfully withdrawn as one of five nominees for the Artist of the Year award. The additional nominees for the award remain Gina Chavez, Samantha Crain, The War and Treaty, and William Prince.
Please take a moment to hear about John's decision in his own words, which the FAI team fully supports:
Amanda Pascali will be representing the Southwest Regional Folk Alliance at the Folk Alliance International Virtual Conference: Folk Unlocked.
February 22 – 25, 2021. This is an opportunity for two acts (solo artists or bands) to perform for and network online with influential music industry professionals from the Canadian and international folk and roots community. Presented by Folk Alliance International, Folk Unlocked is a four-day virtual event for the entire international folk community to come together for panels, workshops, showcases, affinity and peer group meetings, exhibit spaces, networking, and mentorship.
Submit your application below for a chance to record your virtual showcase.
Applications open Nov 19th, 2020 and close Dec 3rd, 2020 at 11:59PM (PST). Selected artists will be notified directly by e-mail by Music BC.
Artists will be curated by a jury of BC based music professionals and Music BC staff with an emphasis on selecting candidates based on export readiness, genre fit and their goals and objectives for attending. Special consideration will be given to those who have yet to perform at Folk Alliance International.
Applications from artists from all walks of life, ethnicity, heritage, age, gender identity, physical and mental ability, sexual orientation, region or religious background are encouraged. Music is committed to equity, and strives for our programming to reflect the diversity of our society and our industry. To help in that work, we ask applicants to self-identify.
Majority of performing members must be Canadian citizens or permanent residents of Canada and must have resided in BC for a period of six months prior to and at the time of applying.
Artist must be available to record an online performance in early 2021 at a recording studio based in BC.
Artist applicants must have an original 15-minute set.
Artist should have a current album or digital release (within the last 24 months, or upcoming 6 months).
Costs associated with event registration will be the responsibility of the Artist. Learn more about Folk Unlocked Virtual Conference and their pay what you can system
Artist should make themselves available between February 22 – 25, 2021 to attend the virtual conference for networking purposes.
The safety of all involved is our priority and all guidelines from local health authorities will be communicated and strictly followed.
Our partners: