About
Overview
Established in 2020, The North Atlantic Song Community/Cooperation/Collaboration (NASC) is an inclusive international network that promotes, celebrates and supports our North Atlantic song traditions. The 'North Atlantic' refers to the region of geographic, political and cultural entities that have borders with or access to the North Atlantic Ocean.
The association’s aims and objects are to promote the study and performance of song traditions and associated practice in all its aspects by:
(a) the holding of conventions and events comprising talks, artistic performances, educational workshops, and other associated activities.
(b) the publication of convention and event papers and performances.
(c) the issue of and participation in any other form of publication, including broadcasting, film, video- and sound-recordings.
(d) the encouragement of interchange between scholarship, artistic performance and teaching.
(e) the encouragement of national and international exchanges.
(f) co-operation in programmes of cultural development and/or maintenance initiated in the region.
(g) co-operation and collaboration with other organisations or individuals sharing these aims.
Governance
NASC has voluntary board members from across the North Atlantic region with a number of subcommittees and NASC ambassadors who support and promote the aims of NASC. As a relatively new organisation, NASC is still evolving and are seeking to grow wider interest and involvement with the association.
Please get in touch if you are interested in supporting the aims of NASC.
NASC Board
Brian Ó hEadhra
Co-Convenor/Founder
Based in Inverness in the Highlands of Scotland, Brian Ó hEadhra is an acclaimed singer-songwriter, musician, and educator. He has toured the globe as a professional musician and has recorded on over twenty albums over a thirty-year career. Brian works in arts, culture and Gaelic language development; from local to international projects, including, Scottish Traditional Music Forum, NASC, and the Inverness Acoustic Music Club.
Emma Björling
Co-Convenor/Founder
Emma Björling is an award-winning Swedish folk/trad singer, composer, booking agent, and teacher. She runs the festival Nordic Folk Fest and is an active member in a number of organizations and boards within the folk/world scene. She’s created teaching philosophies, methods, and material that are now regularly used in many places around the globe. Emma writes articles and columns for the renowned folk & jazz magazine Lira. She composes music and writes arrangements for choirs and vocal groups all over the world.
Tom Besford
Tom runs English Folk Expo (EFEx), which champions the folk, roots and acoustic music sector in England. Amongst other things, EFEx run Manchester and Rochdale Folk Festivals, host online learning platforms and produce the Official Folk Albums Chart. Tom is a member of the first European Music Business Task Force, a founding partner of Global Music Match and is on the Manchester Music City steering group. He’s a keen amateur singer and musician.
Esbjörn Wettermark
David Francis