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Dear
SEFAN network member,
First,
thank you to everyone who responded to the survey that we sent round a few
weeks ago. It was helpful to hear from you and clarify what you
wanted from a folk-arts network.
You
may know that SEFAN was originally set up by the South East Regional Arts
Board in 2001, to act as an umbrella for advice, information, co-ordination and collaborative
project work for Folk and Traditional Arts and artists in the SE region.
It
will come as no surprise that, in the current economic climate, we have
seen no new projects requiring our services, nor have we been able to
identify new funding for some considerable time.
Penny's
retirement simply signalled what we already knew - we could not sustain our
current model: we are not delivering the services we were established to
provide. What does work - the bulletins and network contacts - is
increasingly being superceded by new social media and alternative networks,
both formal and informal.
It
is with regret therefore that we inform you all that SEFAN is to be wound down ready
for complete closure in a year's time, at the end of March 2015.
We
are deliberately not closing SEFAN down immediately. There are certain
projects still running (for instance the East Sussex Schools Traditional
Dance Festival) that require continuity. These projects will remain fully
funded, fully operational and fully supported throughout 2014.
If appropriate they will transition to alternative legal structures
in 2015 to allow their continued operation beyond that time.
Furthermore,
it also possible, even at this late stage, that new trustees will be found
with new ideas as how to take a south-east regional folk arts network
forward; finding a new role for the charity.
However,
effective immediately, the network is closed to new
members. Subscription renewals have not been sought since our first
message last October. We intend to allow existing annual memberships
to expire over the next twelve months. We will contact subscribers
with subscriptions paid beyond that date separately to discuss the options
open to them.
Please note: If you currently pay SEFAN
subscriptions by Standing Order, you must cancel the order yourself; we cannot do
so. Any monies received after 31st March 2014 will be regarded as donations
and assigned to SEFAN's unrestricted (general purpose) charitable fund. NB:
Any monies still within SEFAN in March 2015 will be transferred to
charitable organisation/s with objectives similar to our own (yet to be
identified).
The
current level of service will continue until March 2015. The website
will continue to be maintained, member's own pages will remain visible and
the SEFAN Calendar will remain open for members to post their
gigs. Penny will also continue to monitor the existing information
sources (ACE, VAE, AFO, etc.) and eBulletin any information and job
opportunities that come in, on a voluntary basis.
If
there is anyone willing to undertake keeping the information lists up to
date (checking links etc, every couple of months or so) Penny would be
delighted to hear from you. If you indicated (on the survey) that you
might be able to help with the website, Penny will contact you separately
to follow up further.
This
is a sad time for the Trustees and for all those who have been involved
with SEFAN over the years.
The
current Trustees would like to thank Anthony Allen who founded the network,
and Penny Allen who has been its General Manager, for their consistent
support, hard work and emotional investment in the organisation for over
twelve years now. Without them, an awful lot of what happens in Folk
Arts in the region may simply never have seen the light of day, and I hope
you will join me in our appreciation of their efforts.
We
will shortly be posting a copy of this message to the website, together
with some supplementary material that explains our decision in more detail.
For
and on behalf of the Trustees,
Jerry
West, Company Secretary.
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