Toward a modernised outlook of Traditional music and dance culture in Europe to enhance and diversify audiences

ended

Traditional dance music is one of the greatest treasures of Europe’s intangible popular cultural heritage. It gathers musicians and dancers of any age and dance level into a communion that few types of art allow at that level, ensure social cohesion and enhance the attractiveness of the rural territories while contributing to their economic growth. The creation and circulation of traditional dance music face however several challenges. First, they suffer from the backward-looking vision; and from the lack of transmission by education. It is seldom known out of rural areas and its audience is limited. But Traditional culture could be an asset for the whole society. Trad’Europe will develop and experiment means to change the traditional culture outlook towards a modern mean for social inclusion. Trad’Europe will also question the gaps that exists between the social practice of traditional dances and music and the knowledge and education to traditional cultures? It will experiment ways to diversify the audience, to encourage its learning and dissemination. It will develop a co-created repertory of music and dances that will integrate two different traditional cultures (southern Transylvania in Romania and southern of France) as well as two virtual reality artefacts to experiment freshening the genre. Trad’Europe will contribute to develop the aura of traditional culture as well as the surrounding festivals’ economy.