Poster art by Mike King 2015 WRAP REPORT

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Cameron Reeves
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1 Poster art by Mike King 2015 WRAP REPORT

The Northwest Folklife Festival is a tradition that has enriched the cultural landscape of the Northwest for more than four decades.

In 2015, Northwest Folklife produced the 44 th Northwest Folklife Festival - a memorable addition to this series of annual civic, cultural events.

Generous sponsors, funders and donors provided access to attendees and opportunities to the more than 5,000 performers who shared their time and talents in showcasing their cultures and

The combined efforts of our board, staff, volunteers, donors, sponsors, vendors and funders provide attendees and participants with access to arts & cultural participation that is

2 The Northwest Folklife Festival is a tradition that has enriched the cultural landscape of the Northwest for more than four decades. Though iconic in stature, it is made of thousands of individual stories, and it is ever evolving to reflect the traditional, ethnic, artistic, cultural practices of the region. In 2015, Northwest Folklife produced the 44 th Northwest Folklife Festival - a memorable addition to this series of annual civic, cultural events. More than 235,000 attendees witnessed performances, participated in dances and workshops and otherwise experienced more than 800 scheduled events. Generous sponsors, funders and donors provided access to attendees and opportunities to the more than 5,000 performers who shared their time and talents in showcasing their cultures and traditions for all to enjoy. The combined efforts of our board, staff, volunteers, donors, sponsors, vendors and funders provide attendees and participants with access to arts & cultural participation that is unparalleled in our region and, perhaps, nationally. Participation in Northwest Folklife s annual Festival provides avenues of selfexpression that would otherwise be dimmed; enlightens and informs people about cultures new to them; enriches our region in countless ways through the communal experience of sharing arts and cultures together on common ground and with no financial barriers. What follows is a glimpse of the Festival that unfolded from May 22 25, 2015 at Seattle Center.

2015 Cultural Focus: Beats, Rhymes and Rhythms: Traditional Roots of Today s Branches The 2015 Cultural Focus, Beats, Rhymes and Rhythms: Traditional Roots of Today s Branches explored the

African and Latin traditional dance, the blues, gospel songs and spirituals, scatsinging of the early jazz days, African- American street culture, word battles, socially conscious songwriting these

3 2015 Cultural Focus: Beats, Rhymes and Rhythms: Traditional Roots of Today s Branches The 2015 Cultural Focus, Beats, Rhymes and Rhythms: Traditional Roots of Today s Branches explored the cross-cultural roots of arts expressions that have evolved into contemporary cultures today, specifically examining the traditional roots of Hip Hop. African and Latin traditional dance, the blues, gospel songs and spirituals, scatsinging of the early jazz days, African- American street culture, word battles, socially conscious songwriting these are just some of the seeds we explored for this year s Cultural Focus. Hip Hop serves as an umbrella for this program, tying together many communities from around the Pacific Northwest some of those that have been representing their cultures and traditions for decades at the Festival. The goal was to present a multi-generational, multi-cultural, interdisciplinary program to educate the Pacific Northwest about the crosscultural roots of local communities while highlighting Hip Hop s traditional folk roots.

4 Festival Programming in Numbers: 133 Showcases 4,859 Total 815 Scheduled Performances Performers 27 Hours Contra Dancing 90 Hours of Participatory Dance

children to the world in the most accessible way possible: through music, art and dance.

5 Northwest Folklife Festival is one of Seattle's most amazing (and affordable) family events. Featuring thousands of performers from 60-plus cultural communities, as well as art, film, instrument shows, buskers, dance performances, workshops and more, it's an opportunity to introduce your children to the world in the most accessible way possible: through music, art and dance. -ParentMap In an age of increasingly corporate festivals, there s something refreshingly anachronistic about Northwest Folklife. The Seattle Center comes to life over Memorial Day weekend as this street fair on steroids bustles with the energy of world music, vendors, crafts, buskers, food, and family entertainment. -SeattleMet Print/Digital: Media Coverage The Seattle Times ParentMap SeattleMet.com Kithfolk Magazine The Stranger Seattle Magazine City Arts Magazine Seattle Weekly King5.com SeattleGlobalist.com Seattlepi.com Stackeddmagazine.com AmericanStandardTime.com Crosscut.com WHERE Magazine Seattle NorthwestMusicScene.com SeattleRefined.com CityArtsOnline.com TheSeattleLesbian.com Ballard News Tribune SassyCityGirl.com Visit Seattle Broadcast: Q13 Fox King 5 News KOMO 4 News KIRO 7 News KOMO Newsradio KKNW On the Town KBCS KUOW NPR

6 At the Folklife Festival, people embrace their own cultures and share others an approach we should take all year. The festival is a celebration of the many cultural roots that nurture our community, and it s organized in a way that encourages everyone to get at least a little taste of something outside their usual world Seattle is changing by the minute, but Folklife remains a moment of something essential and hopeful. Jerry Large The Seattle Times

105,227 views of the online Festival Schedule, April 1-May31

total reach of Facebook posts, May 2015 1,525 new likes to NW

Times Seattle Weekly ParentMap City Arts Comcast Xfinity 91.

Northwest Asian Weekly Seattle Pipeline KCTS9 KUOW Seattle

7 105,227 views of the online Festival Schedule, April 1-May31 97,267 views of the Festival website, April 1 May ,689 total reach of Facebook posts, May ,525 new likes to NW Folklife Facebook page in May 2015 Media Partners: The Seattle Times Seattle Weekly ParentMap City Arts Comcast Xfinity 91.3 KBCS KEXP ReignCity Seattle PI Stackedd Magazine Epoch Times Northwest Asian Weekly Seattle Pipeline KCTS9 KUOW Seattle Channel The Seattle Globalist Visit Seattle 23,451 total likes on Facebook

Thank You to our Sponsors: Western Washington Toyota Dealers American Music

MarQueen Hotel Inn at Queen Anne Ben & Jerry s The Franksfurter Click Heat

Brewery Crispin Cider Trumer Pils Bridgeport Brewery Geico Renewal by

8 Thank You to our Sponsors: Western Washington Toyota Dealers American Music Caffe Ladro car2go The Naked Grape The Mediterranean Inn Belltown Inn MarQueen Hotel Inn at Queen Anne Ben & Jerry s The Franksfurter Click Heat Hostelling International Helios Heaters Bath Fitter Blue Moon Deschutes Brewery Crispin Cider Trumer Pils Bridgeport Brewery Geico Renewal by Andersen NRG Insurance Pacific Continental Bank Champion Windows Value Village AANR Northwest

We Couldn t Do It Without You 2015 Folklife Donors and Volunteers As a community powered event, the Folklife Festival relies on the generosity of donors and volunteers.

Community groups that volunteered this year include Cascade Bicycle Club, CHEER Seattle, National Wildlife Federation, Skate Like a Girl and the Spokane Falls International Student Program 2015

9 We Couldn t Do It Without You 2015 Folklife Donors and Volunteers As a community powered event, the Folklife Festival relies on the generosity of donors and volunteers. In 2015 we filled over 1,000 volunteer shifts for a total of 3,789 volunteer hours. Community groups that volunteered this year include Cascade Bicycle Club, CHEER Seattle, National Wildlife Federation, Skate Like a Girl and the Spokane Falls International Student Program 2015 In-Kind Sponsors: KIND snacks Pepsi Central Co-op Choice Organic Tea Einstein Brothers Bagels Field Roast Finn River Cider Fresh Breeze Organic Dairy Greek Gods Yogurt Mamma Chia Mighty-O Mt. Townsend Creamery Nielsen's Pastries Partner's Crackers Seattle Fudge The Bread Garden Turtle Island Foods Veggie Grill Windward Communications Seattle Gourmet Foods Metropolitan Market QFC

10 Thank You for another Wonderful Festival! Come join us next year for the 45 th annual Northwest Folklife Festival May 27 20, 2016 at Seattle Center All photos courtesy of Piper Hanson Photography

Artistic Couple Dance Department. Street & Pop Dance Department. Artistic Acrobatic Dance Department. Stage Dance Department

Artistic Couple Dance Department Street & Pop Dance Department Stage Dance Department Artistic Acrobatic Dance Department International 10-Dance Department Art and Culture Department Age groups Mini Kids