SIEF Newsletter Vol 23 No 1 (Spring 2025)
Table of contents
Read the PDF version Newsletter archive
1. Letter of the President
Marie Sandberg discusses the impact of recent political developments for the field and points out the published Statement of concern.
Furthermore, she announces the upcoming 17th SIEF Congress in Scotland, organized by the Elphinstone Institute for Ethnology, Folklore, and Ethnomusicology, University of Aberdeen, on June 3rd‒6th, 2025 and invites everyone to join the mentoring program as well as the General Assembly on June 5th 2025, at 19.00.
2. SIEF2025 in Aberdeen
We look much forward to meeting you at our 17th, hybrid, SIEF congress in Aberdeen, Scotland, hosted by the Elphinstone Institute for Ethnology, Folklore, and Ethnomusicology. For the theme, program, timetable, list of panels and papers, and other information, see the congress website and the PDF of the newsletter.
3. SIEF2025 Mentorship Program: Call for Applications
Call for Applications as Mentors and Mentees until May 23rd, 2025 to participate in the program’s event during the 2025 Congress, organized by the SIEF Board, in cooperation with the The Young Scholars Working Group (YSWG).
The goal of the Mentorhip Program is to bring together early-career researchers (Mentees) and experienced senior scholars (Mentors), whose discipline and research interests align.
4. Working Group Archives
The WG reports on the international conference “Archives of Traditional Culture: 100 + 10”, held in Riga, Latvia on October 29th–31th – corresponding abstracts and video recordings are available.
In addition, it reports on the centenary celebrations of the Archives of Latvian Folklore on December 2nd, 2024 and points to the archives of tradition and folklore available at the Elphinstone Institute in Aberdeen.
5. Working Group on Cultural Heritage and Property
The WG announces the current issue of Traditiones on the topic of “Heritage on the Margins? Central and Eastern European Perspectives”, the upcoming keynote by Charlotte Engman at the Museums and Emotions conference in Antwerp, Belgium on May 15th and the published chapter “The rusga parade: when the subaltern shouts – and claims back the heritage city”, in Cultural Heritage and Mobility from a Multisensory Perspective, by Paula Mota Santo.
Furthermore, it reports on various events and activities of UNESCO.
6. Working Group on Cultural Perspectives on Education and Learning
The WG reports on its first two online working seminars on “'Mapping the field - Ethnologists, anthropologists and folklorists in education and learning'” and the topic of ethnologists, anthropologists and folklorists as educators.
7. Working Group on Digital Ethnology and Folklore
The WG reports on the conference “Digital Dreams and Practices”, held in Tartu, Estonia on March 5th-7th, 2025 - full-text submissions and abstracts are available.
In addition, post-proceedings will be published - the call for submission ends on June 15th. The WG reports on the conference “Religious Art and Power - Contestations and Affirmations”, held in Budapest, Hungary on October 17th-19th, 2024.
8. Working Group on Ethnology of Religion
The WG reports on the conference “Religious Art and Power - Contestations and Affirmations”, held in Budapest, Hungary on October 17th-19th, 2024.
9. Working Group on Migration and Mobility
The WG reports on the conference “The Getaway Conference: Mobilities, Societies, the State and Detoxification”, held in Riga, Latvia on October 10th – 11th, 2024.
10. The Ritual Year Working Group
The WG reports on its 14th seasonal webinar on “Values and Traditions”, on March 17th, 2025 as well as its 15th conference on “Food, feasts, festivities and folklore”, held in Manila, Philippines on December 11th - 13th, 2024.
11. Other News
Announcement: Folklore Society’s Annual (hybrid) Conference 2025 “The ‘Folklore and the Senses’”.
Invitation to apply: COST Action Connecting Critical Pedagogies, Inclusive Art Forms and Alternative Barometers for Urban Sustainability (CIRCUL’ARTs).
Conference Report: “In-Between: Indifferent – hybrid – polyphonic? Reflecting on situated everyday practices in the long 19th century”.
Seminar Report: Narrativity seminar “15 years of interdisciplinary dialogues and orientations”.
For more information see the PDF of the SIEF Newsletter.
12. Call for Summer School
Call for applications to join the Summer School “Ethnographic Film 2025: Filming Water Experiences”, in Göttingen, Germany on July 21st - August 8th, 2025.
Applications can be sent in until May 15th, 2025.
13. Summer School Pre-call Announcement
Pre-call announcement of the 11th Folklore Fellows’ Summer School on “Interdisciplinarity and Involvement: Enduring and Emerging Sites of the Vernacular”, held in Helsinki and Tvärminne, Finland on August 17th–21st, 2026.
14. Call for Submissions for Wayland D. Hand Prize, 2025
Call for submissions from authors, editors, or publishers for the Wayland D. Hand Prize, 2025 in the categories single or co-authored book and edited volume(s).
Submissions can be sent in until July 1st, 2025.
16. Calls for Publications
Call for abstracts for book chapters on “Feeling Museums. Collecting, guarding, and evoking emotions through heritage”. Article proposal can be sent in until August 31st, 2025.
Call for Papers for Ethnologia Fennica 1/2026 on “Words and Concepts”. Article abstracts can be sent in until June 23rd, 2025.
17. New Publications: new journal issues and new books
For information about new publications see the PDF of the SIEF Newsletter.
18. Obituary Jenni Rinne 1977–2025
Ethnologist Jenni Rinne passed away on 5 February 2025. Our community of ethnologists takes part in the great grief that has befallen Jenni's family and will miss a beloved colleague and friend.
