John Clarke and Erin Whitney had the immense pleasure of attending the Folk Alliance International Conference in Montreal, to commune with our fellow folkies for a few days. We attended some great panels on accessibility, diversity, inclusion, and our favourite topic—emergency planning! It was great to meet with our peers from across the globe and take in some amazing showcases to boot. Snowstorms be darned!

Open arms for Erin Whitney – Executive Director of the Newfoundland and Labrador Folk Arts Society!

She’s returning home, to the Folk Arts Society, after spending time in Montreal where she worked in Digital Marketing and studied Knowledge Management at McGill University.

Erin has touched on many facets of the performing arts in her career. She has worn just about every hat in the theatre world, from performer to director to the costume designer who makes the hats. She cut her teeth on festivals, running the Peace-a-Chord festival in Bannerman Park as a teenager. She also spent several years as an administrator at the Resource Centre for the Arts, LSPU Hall. 

With a Masters in Folklore, Erin believes in the power of artistic expression to connect people and build community. She looks forward to bringing people together to share and celebrate the diverse living traditions of Newfoundland and Labrador.

When you see her around the city, share a grand hello!