Folklife in the South Agenda Announced

From an exploration of Día de Muertos to a deep dive with the Veterans History Project of the American Folklife Center at the Library of Congress and beyond, the Folklife in the South (FITS) gathering is centered on the theme of “Folklife in a Textured World.” Join FITS June 8-10, 2023, at Lake Guntersville State Park in Alabama.

FITS is a regional gathering that brings together community leaders, folklorists, traditional artists, educators, documentarians, activists, students, and other cultural workers from across the Southeast to learn from one another, celebrate traditional arts, discuss issues relevant to the region, and forge partnerships across disciplines, states, generations, and communities. This year, South Arts is partnering with the Alabama State Council on the Arts, the Alabama Folklife Association, and the American Folklore Society to hold the first FITS gathering since 2017.

Interested in attending the 2023 Folklife in the South Gathering? Take a look at the newly released agenda to see the session topics, speakers, and activities.

Some highlights include:

• Alabama Textile Traditions exploring the long history of women working within both the formal and informal economies to provide for their families through sewing.
• Appalachian Documentary Short Film Series featuring a film about Cumberland Gap’s Mountain Fiesta and a series of shorts about traditional artists curated by Appalshop.
• Training Folklorists and Culture Works led by our colleagues from Arkansas State University and the Kentucky Folklife Program to discuss how we train the next generation in the field.
• Performances and demonstrations by traditional artists in South Indian dance, Greek fiddle music of the Gulf Coast, bluegrass, basketweaving, chair caning, and duck decoy carving.