About FAR-West

ABOUT FAR-WEST

Banshee In The Kitchen Folk Alliance Region West (FAR-West) is the western regional chapter of the North American Folk Music and Dance Alliance (Folk Alliance). FAR-West exists to foster and promote traditional, contemporary and multicultural folk music, dance and related performing arts in the western parts of North America including but not limited to California, Oregon, Washington, Nevada, Arizona, Idaho, Hawaii, and Alaska. FAR-West seeks to strengthen and advance organizational and individual initiatives in folk music and dance through education, networking, advocacy, field and professional development.

MISSION STATEMENT: The mission of FAR-West (and our conference) is to strengthen the ecology for folk music and build stronger artists, presenters and audiences with a program that includes education, showcases and networking.

THE GOALS of FAR-West are:

1. To increase understanding of the rich variety, artistic value, cultural and historical significance, and continuing relevance of folk music and dance among educators, media and the general public. (Education)

2. To provide a bridge to and from folk music and dance organizations and needed resources, and to help those organizations link with their constituencies. (Networking)

3. To influence decision makers and resource providers on the state and local levels, insuring the growth of folk music and dance. (Advocacy)

4. To support and encourage the development of new and existing grassroots folk music and dance organizations. (Field Development)

5. To strengthen the effectiveness of folk music and dance organizations by providing professional development opportunities. (Professional Development).

FAR-West is a 501(c)(3) non-profit corporation that was incorporated in the state of California in 2003. It is run entirely by volunteers. We encourage you to learn more and to get involved.