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Organising committee

ÉKANG Heritage Festival — Organising Committee

The working bodies that prepare the festival week, the people to write to, and the two ways to join us: as a performing group or as a volunteer.

The committee is a standing, year-round body. It meets monthly, publishes its decisions to partners, and answers every enquiry within five working days. Each functional group below has a mandate, a named chair appointed annually, and a measurable outcome for the festival week held every last week of November.

Where each request belongs

So that nothing is submitted twice, each form lives on exactly one page.

Sponsorship, institutional partnership and media accreditation
Attending the festival (registration) and making a donation
On this page: performing-group applications and the volunteer portal

Committee structure

Six functional groups. Every group reports to the Chair's office and to the annual general assembly.

Chair's office & general secretariat

Convenes the committee, keeps the record, represents the festival publicly.

  • Monthly committee meetings, minutes published to partners
  • Custody of the Covenant register and the annual proceedings
  • Official correspondence with authorities and traditional chieftaincies

Promotion committee

Fills the venue and carries the story beyond it.

  • Campaign calendar across the four languages of the festival
  • Press relations, accreditation follow-up and broadcast partners
  • Diaspora chapters, community radio and school outreach

Logistics & site committee

Venue, stages, transport, accommodation and safety.

  • Site plan, stage and sound schedule for the seven days
  • Transport and lodging for delegations and elders
  • Medical post, stewarding and crowd-safety plan

Finance & audit committee

Budget, receipts, transparency.

  • Annual budget and published closing statement
  • Reconciliation of every donation and sponsorship receipt
  • Independent audit before the general assembly

Programme & research committee

Selects the performances, papers and the research day.

  • Juried review of performing-group applications
  • Call for papers, grading of claims: proven, probable, open
  • Youth academy and oral-history recording sessions

Volunteer & community committee

Recruits, trains and cares for the volunteer corps.

  • Volunteer intake, briefing packs and shift rosters
  • Language and hospitality teams for visiting delegations
  • Year-round community mailing list and local chapters

Contact directory

Every role is reachable at the official festival inbox. Put the tag in your subject line and your message is routed to that desk the same day.

RoleSubject tag
Event chairProtocol, partnerships of state, official invitations[CHAIR]
General secretariatMinutes, records, general enquiries[SECRETARIAT]
Promotion leadPress, broadcast, diaspora campaigns[PROMOTION]
Logistics leadVenue, stage, transport, accommodation[LOGISTICS]
Finance officerReceipts, invoices, audit questions[FINANCE]
Programme leadPerformance selection, papers, research day[PROGRAMME]
Volunteer coordinatorShifts, training, volunteer welfare[VOLUNTEER]

We never ask for payment details by email. Any message requesting a transfer to a personal account is not from the committee.

Participant & performer applications

For groups — troupes, choirs, mvett masters, craft collectives, researchers — asking for a place in the programme. Individuals simply attending should register on the festival programme page instead.

Guidelines

  • One application per group. The named contact speaks for the whole delegation.
  • State the discipline, the number of people travelling and the stage time you request (10–60 minutes).
  • List your technical needs honestly: microphones, power, floor space, projection.
  • Send links to recordings where they exist; unrecorded traditional practice is equally welcome.
  • Repertoire must be your own work or your community's tradition, with any borrowed material credited.
  • The programme committee reviews blind, scores on heritage value, readiness and audience fit, and answers every applicant.

Deadlines

Applications open
1 February
Research papers close
30 June
Performing groups close
31 August
Selection announced
30 September
Technical files due
31 October
Festival week
Last week of November

Your contact details are used only to assess and organise your participation. They are never sold or shared, and you may ask us to delete them at any time.

Volunteer portal

Stewards, translators, drivers, archivists, sound crew, hospitality, youth mentors — the festival is built by its volunteers. Register once and we will call on you for the events you can serve.

Volunteer details are held only for coordination and never shared outside the committee. You can leave the list at any time.