During the pandemic and the disruption of many of our usual activities, the NEFFA Board had more time for reflection than usual. One question we began tackling was an issue that is often raised on NEFFA Festival evaluation forms: Why isn’t the Festival more diverse? We think of ourselves as fostering a welcoming and inclusive community, but do we really? What aren’t we seeing? What questions and issues have we not thought to consider?
In 2021, former Board member Nicole Singer (founder of Youth Trad Song) offered a series of four participatory workshops on antiracism and inclusion for members of the NEFFA Board. Those workshops opened up conversations that continue today. NEFFA leaders Janet Yeracaris and Vince O’Donnell shared progress with the broader folk dance community through a CDSS Web Chat on Building Cultural Equity in Communities alongside peer organizations exploring the same questions. It was clear we had a lot of blind spots, for all our good intentions, and the list of questions grew.
In 2022, NEFFA hired Think Again Training & Consulting to help guide us further with this process. They began by reviewing documents, talking with organizers, and doing a deep dive into NEFFA’s culture and practices. This resulted in a detailed assessment report and recommendations for next steps.
NEFFA prioritized conducting a community survey, which we rolled out in the spring of 2024, coinciding with NEFFA’s 80th anniversary. The survey was wide-ranging, including questions about identity, experiences at NEFFA events, and what makes NEFFA feel welcoming — or not. The number of responses to the (long!) survey showed a high level of community engagement, which was very affirming. But it was also clear we have plenty of work to do going forward. A summary of the survey results was presented at the 2026 Festival, and a recording of that event, along with the slide deck and summary report, are now available on our website. We are grateful to everyone who took the time to share their experience with us.
The community that grows within and around NEFFA is a precious resource to be developed and nurtured. After much consideration, we have named the group leading NEFFA in this effort the “Community Stewardship Committee.” Community is the heart and soul of NEFFA, and our goal is to be joyful stewards of that community for many years to come. The Community Stewardship Committee is committed to continuing this conversation — not as a one-time exercise, but as an ongoing part of how NEFFA listens to and learns from the people who make it what it is. Watch the presentation video, read the reports, and share your thoughts. You can reach us at community@neffa.org or sign up to join the conversation using the form on our Community Survey Results page.