New Cross-Border Network about Folk Music in the Southern Adriatic Region
Music can create a bridge between cultures and countries. For this reason, the project NetFolk faces the following challenge: creating a closer link between the two sides of Southern Adriatic sea, characterised by ancient strong historical-cultural links, through the world of folk music. As a matter of fact, the Albanian traditional folk music “iso-polyphony”, in the list of UNESCO’s intangible cultural heritage since 2005, is characterised by a multi-vocal tradition and several links with other popular musical forms, especially with those of southern Italy and Puglia. In view of this, the overall objective of NetFolk is to strengthen the cultural relationship between Puglia and Albania through a cross-border network of folk music associations able to implement events and links. Therefore, the main project output is the creation of a creative cross-border network in the frame of folk music in order to strengthen the cultural union between the regions of the Programme area, through the organizations of two workshop and exhchange laboratories (one in Puglia and one in Albania) involving local music associations and artists, with the benefit the whole community. The laboratories will be an occasion of meeting, exchange, mutual confrontation on arts and cultures. In this way, NetFolk activities will develop an innovative, creative and cultural product, contributing to the attractiveness of the Southern Adriatic area in terms of tourism offer, increasingly segmented in the last few years. In-fact, popular music and its traditions represent a strong attractor for tourists increasingly interested in unique experiences linked to the roots of territories. Moreover, two cultural associations from Puglia and Albania, with the support of the associated partner "Monte Sant'Angelo Francigena", will work together for the first time, encouraging a long-lasting cooperation in the creative field based on an innovative approach.