Northwest Folklife

NORTHWEST FOLKLIFE CREATES OPPORTUNITIES FOR ALL TO CELEBRATE, SHARE, AND PARTICIPATE IN THE EVOLVING CULTURAL TRADITIONS OF THE PACIFIC NORTHWEST.

NORTHWEST FOLKLIFE IS A WASHINGTON-BASED 501(C)(3) ARTS AND HERITAGE ORGANIZATION THAT PRESERVES, CULTIVATES, AND UPLIFTS THE INTRICATE TAPESTRY OF DYNAMIC CULTURES AND TRADITIONS IN OUR REGION. IN 2023, THE ORGANIZATION CELEBRATED ITS 52ND ANNIVERSARY AND WAS ABLE TO RETURN TO RUNNING A MAJORITY OF IN-PERSON EVENTS AND PROGRAMS. AT ITS CORE, NORTHWEST FOLKLIFE IS ABOUT FOSTERING CONNECTIONS TO HERITAGE, IDENTITY AND COMMUNITY. FROM THE ANNUAL NORTHWEST FOLKLIFE FESTIVAL TO OUR YOUTH EMPOWERMENT THROUGH ARTS & HERITAGE (Y.E.A.H.) PROGRAMS, NORTHWEST FOLKLIFE EMBRACES CULTURAL MENTORSHIP AND CREATIVE PRACTICE AS A VEHICLE TO PROMOTE EXPLORATION OF HERITAGE, BRIDGE COMMUNICATION AND UNDERSTANDING, AND FORGE OPPORTUNITIES. THIS WORK EXPANDS ACROSS GENERATIONS AS WELL AS RACIAL AND ETHNIC BACKGROUNDS, IS INCLUSIVE OF DIVERSE EXPRESSIONS OF IDENTITY, AND SUPPORTS THE EVOLUTION AND TRANSFORMATION OF COMMUNITIES. FROM DAILY CREATIVITY AND IMAGINATION TO FAMILY AND COMMUNITY CUSTOMS, FOLKLIFE IS A PART OF EACH OF OUR LIVES - PAST, PRESENT AND FUTURE. NORTHWEST FOLKLIFE'S MISSION IS TO CREATE OPPORTUNITIES FOR ALL TO CELEBRATE, SHARE AND PARTICIPATE IN THE EVOLVING CULTURAL TRADITIONS OF THE PACIFIC NORTHWEST AND REMAINS COMMUNITY POWERED THANKS TO DONORS, SPONSORS, VOLUNTEERS, PARTNERING ORGANIZATIONS, ARTISTS AND CULTURAL LEADERS FROM ACROSS THE REGION.SINCE 1972, THE ANNUAL NORTHWEST FOLKLIFE FESTIVAL HAS BEEN HELD DURING MEMORIAL DAY WEEKEND AT THE SEATTLE CENTER, HISTORIC SITE OF THE 1962 WORLD'S FAIR. THE FOUR-DAY FESTIVAL HAS FEATURED THOUSANDS OF PERFORMERS AND CULTURE BEARERS ACROSS 20+ STAGES AND HAS BEEN ATTENDED BY UP TO A QUARTER OF A MILLION PEOPLE, ANNUALLY. A CORE VALUE FOR THE ORGANIZATION IS FOR COMMUNITIES TO HAVE VOICE AND AGENCY IN THE REPRESENTATION OF THEIR CULTURAL EXPRESSIONS. THIS IS REFLECTED IN THE CO-CURATION OF THE FESTIVAL SHOWCASES BY COMMUNITY COORDINATORS - PROMINENT ARTISTS, EDUCATORS, AND LEADERS FROM ORGANIZATIONS THROUGHOUT THE REGION - MANY WHO PARTNER WITH US ON PROGRAMS YEAR-ROUND. IN 2020, WE MOVED THIS EVENT TO A VIRTUAL FORMAT IN RESPONSE TO THE COVID-19 PANDEMIC. EVEN WITH ONLY A MONTH TO TRANSFORM, THE ONLINE 49TH ANNUAL NORTHWEST FOLKLIFE FESTIVAL HOSTED SIX CHANNELS OF BOTH LIVE STREAMING AND ON-DEMAND PROGRAMS WHICH REACHED OVER 39,000 PEOPLE ACROSS 86 COUNTRIES. FOR OUR 50TH ANNIVERSARY IN 2021, THERE WERE 161 SESSIONS OR PARTICIPATORY ZOOM SESSIONS THAT RAN DURING THE WEEKEND AS COMPARED TO THE 61 FROM THE PREVIOUS YEAR. WITH THE SUCCESS AND REACH OF THE ONLINE PROGRAMMING, NORTHWEST FOLKLIFE CONTINUES TO ENGAGE IN "HYBRID" ACTIVITIES AS IT RESUMED LIVE ACTIVITIES IN 2022 AND 2023. THE 52ND ANNUAL NW FOLKLIFE FESTIVAL EXPANDED ITS IN-PERSON ACTIVITIES TO 23 STAGES WITH APPROXIMATELY 3,500 ARTISTS, ARTISANS AND CULTURE BEARERS PARTICIPATING. NEW HIGHLIGHTS INCLUDED TWO VISUAL ARTS GALLERIES, A FASHION/WEARABLES FOCUSED AREA CALLED "THREADS OF THE PEOPLE, AND A CLUSTER OF PARTNERS ROOTED IN FOODWAYS, FOOD JUSTICE/SOVEREIGNTY AND ENVIRONMENTAL STEWARDSHIP NAMED "KULEANA CORRIDOR" (RELATING TO THE HAWAIIAN CONCEPT OF RESPONSIBILITY). THIS WAS ALSO THE FIRST FESTIVAL IN OUR HISTORY WHERE PERFORMER COMPENSATION WAS OFFERED TO PARTICIPANTS. 45% OF ARTISTS STILL OPTED TO DONATE THEIR TIME AND SKILLS TO THE FESTIVAL.THE ANNUAL CULTURAL FOCUS WAS THE SECOND CHAPTER IN A FIVE-YEAR OUTLOOK FOLLOWING THE 2022 THEME OF METAMORPHOSIS. LAGOM: NOT TOO LITTLE, NOT TOO MUCH, JUST RIGHT, MUSES UPON AN ABSTRACT SWEDISH CONCEPT IN A PROCESS OF FINDING BALANCE. INSTEAD OF SOMETHING TO ACHIEVE, IT IS THE UNDERSTANDING THAT ONE MUST CONSTANTLY SEEK, EXPLORE, AND ADAPT. LEANING INTO THE IDEA OF LAGOM AS A JOURNEY, THE OPPORTUNITY FOR EXPLORATION IS DYNAMIC, SHAPED NOT JUST BY THE INTERNAL CHANGES WE MAKE WITHIN OURSELVES, BUT ALSO THE WAY IN WHICH WE NAVIGATE WITH OUR COMMUNITY AND OUR ENVIRONMENT.OUR YEAR-ROUND, COMMUNITY-BASED PROGRAMMING CONTINUES TO EXPAND. IN 2022, OUR BIG NEIGHBORHOOD WAS REIMAGINED TO HOLD PROGRAMS AND PARTNERSHIPS FOR ALL AGES THROUGHOUT THE REGION. NOTABLY, BRINGING GROUPS OF MUSICIANS FROM DIVERSE GENRES AND CULTURAL FOUNDATIONS TOGETHER TO PRESENT LIVE IMPROVISATION, EDUCATION AND PERFORMANCES, INCLUDING A MINI FESTIVAL AT THE WA STATE HISTORY MUSEUM IN TACOMA. YOUTH EMPOWERMENT THROUGH ARTS AND HERITAGE (YEAH) CONTINUES TO PROVIDE SPACE FOR YOUNG CREATIVES TO COLLABORATE, SHARE IDEAS, INTERACT WITH LOCAL TEACHING ARTISTS, AND WORK WITH CULTURAL MENTORS TO EXPLORE AND DEVELOP THEIR ARTISTIC VOICE AND EXPRESSIONS. UNBROKEN CIRCLE SESSIONS EMPOWER STUDENTS TO TRANSMIT THEIR PERSONAL, LOCAL, AND CULTURAL HISTORY THROUGH THEIR CHOSEN ART FORMS.SINCE 2020, NORTHWEST FOLKLIFE HAS PARTNERED WITH THE CITY OF SEATTLE'S OFFICE OF ARTS & CULTURE AND THE OFFICE OF ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT TO RUN THE CULTURAL & CREATIVE WORKFORCE DEVELOPMENT PROGRAM. ENGAGING IN CAREER-CONNECTED LEARNING OPPORTUNITIES AT SITES THROUGHOUT THE CITY, YOUNG PEOPLE PARTICIPATE IN PAID INTERNSHIPS REPRESENTING DIVERSE FACETS OF WORK WITHIN THE CREATIVE ECOSYSTEM. PROGRAM PARTNERS OFFER INTERNS MENTORSHIP GROUNDED IN COMMUNITY-BUILDING AND LIVED EXPERIENCES. THESE VIBRANT PARTICIPANTS HAVE CONTRIBUTED THOUSANDS OF HOURS OF WORK, IDEAS AND ENERGY TOWARDS THE RECOVERY AND REIMAGINATION OF OUR SECTOR. THIS PROGRAM DEEPENS NORTHWEST FOLKLIFE'S MISSION BY ESSENTIALIZING ARTS AND CULTURE THROUGH HOLISTIC SOCIAL AND ECONOMIC REVITALIZATION.__