What is the European Forró Federation?
ForróLetters #1
Welcome to ForróLetters!
As forró spreads far and wide across Europe, we want everyone to be up to date on all the news, history, music and culture surrounding forró!
Here we will share announcements, interviews, scientific research and increase communication within our community so that we are all on the same page. While we offer lots of information about events, forró organisations around Europe and other related projects on our website (launching soon), we want to give you this distilled monthly update about what is taking place in the world of European forró. This first edition of ForróLetters is a little bit special as we want to share a bit more about the Federation and our vision. Future editions will have a slightly different format consisting of:
Community: This section will be dedicated to the upcoming agenda of forro in Europe, community articles exploring the impact of forró on our lives, general news and also portraits such as interviews or stories with unique forrozier@s.
Forró And Beyond: This section will cover forró history and origins, scientific research, facts and figures, bios of famous musicians and more!
And
Fofed Updates: Where we will update you on FoFed’s activities and news.
Let’s talk a little bit about us!
What is the European Forró Federation?
The European Forró Federation (FoFed) was founded as a non-profit organisation in December 2020 with 32 founding member organisations from France, Germany, Belgium, Finland, Portugal, Switzerland, Spain, Turkey and the United Kingdom, as an initiative to create better communication within the European Forró scene. We want to facilitate collaborations within the community and to encourage the growth of Forró across the continent by providing support and resources to the existing and new communities in Europe.
Before our founding we gathered virtually, with up to 60 individuals who are involved with the professional world of forró in Europe, to open up the conversation about what the European forró scene needs to thrive.We met in smaller working groups to decide all together about the name, the structure, the statutes, the membership fee, the benefits for founding members who made the first investment in the Federation, and the process of electing the board of administration. Together we democratically built what is now the first Federation of forró organisations in the world! As a federation we are committed to:
supporting the professionalisation of forró teachers, musicians, djs and organisers
disseminating knowledge about Brazilian culture with emphasis on forró dance and music
facilitating better communication within the community
fostering international mobility within the global forró scene
popularizing and representing forró among other social dance communities
supporting the continued respect for diversity and human rights within the forró scene by facilitating spaces for reflection and discussion on critical issues in our community
During the constitutive general assembly which took place on December 18th 2020, we elected a board of administration which consists of eight representatives from the founding member organisations. This acting board is made up of: Leonie Schmidtmer, Thiago Lima (AiQueBom), Sonja Graf (Social Dance Research Alliance), Camila Alves (Sílaba Original - Associação Cultural/ Espaço Baião), Bruno Prado (Tanzkultur Brasil), Marilia Cervi (Forró em Lyon), Matheus Antunes (freelance teacher), Sofia Cruz Mora Ramos (PD London).
Our Activities
Our current priorities for this year have been to:
Create a functioning infrastructure (administration, accounts, logistics, board meetings etc.)
Build a website (it will be launched soon!)
Work on our visual and social media identity
Write this monthly newsletter
Organise Mesa Forrozeira, our monthly members check-in and open space for communication
Organise discussion groups for members (and soon for nonprofessional forrozier@s)
Set up working groups within the federation
Communicate with potential members
Begin the process of finding public funding which can be used to support local forró projects
What is the long-term vision for the Federation and how can the Federation assist every one of us?
You are taking a trip across Europe? Our forró database will give you information about all the concerts and workshops happening at your location so you can plan your way from one forró to the next.
You move to a small town and want to start a forró community? Contact the federation and we will provide you with resources and even help fund a professional teacher to come and give some workshops in your area.
Do you want to find out what festivals are taking place and where? Go to our events calendar and see every upcoming forró festival!
Do you want to know more about the history and roots of forró culture? You’ll find all the books, theses, articles and documentaries about forró on our resources page!
Do you want to make a local fundraiser for a charity and do this by hosting a forró event? We can help by providing volunteers with previous experience to support you in your efforts!
You need funding for an idea but don't quite know how to get it? Members of the Federation with experience applying for grants will be there to give you advice and you will be able to access our white papers with step by step information about applying for local arts/sports/cultural funding in different European countries.
Do you want to know how big the community actually is, why people dance forró in the first place and where they dance most often in Europe? We will publish surveys to observe how forró is growing and changing in Europe and how this impacts the lives of so many individuals!
Are there topics you believe the forró community needs to address? Suggest an article for our monthly newsletter. We can also help to facilitate a discussion group with the wider community to speak about gender, safety, appropriation etc. so that everyone is better informed and that we can preserve forró as an inclusive and safe space for all.
Who can be a member?
Members are not individual people, rather organisations, associations and registered freelancers that work with forró across Europe. But you don't have to be a forró professional to get involved or seek out our services!
While we aim to support all forró in Europe, our members have some benefits as they take the initial leap to support and invest in the Federation by paying the annual membership fee (240 Euros a year). Member benefits include among other things:
decision making privileges related to the activities of the Federation
regular gatherings and communication with the FoFed members network
promotion of events and projects on the Federation's social media platforms
updated contact list of Forró professionals across Europe
personal support and consultation in applying for local funds as well as being able to use the name of the Federation in these applications which can provide credibility and legitimisation
How can YOU get involved?
If you represent a professional forró organisation, come be a member!
If you are an enthusiastic forró dancer in the community and have an idea for us or want to volunteer, we always need specialised help from people with a variety of skills! So get in touch!
Do you want to write an article for the newsletter? Send an email to forroletters@gmail.com to become a contributor!
FoFed Announcements
This month, we would like to send a special thank you to Daniel from WeLoveForró in Munich for his time and energy he put into helping with the website!
International Festivals and events happening in the next months
As the pandemic is still ongoing, if you decide to take part in an event, make sure that your are healthy and do not put others unnecessarily at risk.
Festival de Nice, 30/09 to 4/10
Forró Sailing Week, Sardinia, Corsica, 02/10 to 09/10
FdC Forró-Mini Marathon 2021, 08/10 to 10/10
Forró Brincado Marathon, London, 12/11 to 14/11
Forró Intensive Weekend, Lyon, 20/11 to 21/11
Baião Lisboa, Lisbon, 10/12 to 12/12
Forral Intensive 2021, Helsinki, 07/10 and 17/10
Please note that this list is not exhaustive and that FoFed does not take responsibility for any missing event. You want to be named in this newsletter with your event? Send us an email!
This was the first ForróLetters! If you have any recommendations please feel welcome to leave us a comment below. Thanks for subscribing!