Media Releases

MEDIA RELEASE - Thursday, 9 October 2003

National Library announces winners of the Inaugural Folk Festival Fellowship

The Director-General of the National Library, Jan Fullerton, and the President of the National Folk Festival, Keith McKenry, jointly announce the recipients of the inaugural National Library of Australia Folk Festival Fellowship.

Dave de Santi and Jane Brownlee, were chosen from a strong field of contenders because, as a team, they bring together a strong and broad range of experience and skills relating to traditional music and music folklore in Australia.

Dave de Santi is well known in the folk music world for his longstanding contribution to folk music, as a researcher, publisher and musician.

Jane Brownlee is one of Australia's up and coming fiddlers whose music fuses the traditional and contemporary. She is Head of Music at Bradfield College, Sydney, and is best known for her work with the award winning band, Wongawilli.

The Fellowship will enable the recipients to research the National Library's unique sound recordings of Australian Folklore. They aim to produce song books and recordings based on the source materials.

The Fellowship will culminate in a performance of these materials at next year's National Folk Festival.

In announcing the winners, Ms Fullerton said, "The Fellowship will enhance the Library's support for the study, performance and dissemination of Australia's music, dance and story-telling traditions.

"It is part of a larger collaborative relationship between the National Library and the National Folk Festival which has been established over the past 11 years."

The President of the National Folk Festival, Keith McKenry, said, "The National Folk Festival Board is delighted to offer the Fellowship in partnership with the National Library.

"We are also pleased to announce we are giving additional funds to the project so that the Fellows' residency will be extended to four weeks."

"This initiative breaks new ground in Australia, enabling priceless musical and social heritage to be retrieved from the archives and reintroduced to a new generation of Australians.

Media enquiries:
Julia Dean
Media Liaison Officer
(02) 6262 1571
jdean@nla.gov.au

or

Graham McDonald
National Folk Festival Program Director
(02) 6249 7755

Back to the top