[EIFF] Meet the new EIFF director

[Announcements for EIFF]

Meet the new director:

EIFF is pleased to formally introduce our new director to you.
Mechtild (“Mecki”) Testroet is of Dutch-German descent and hails from  
a small town in Germany just on the Dutch border. She studied theology  
at Paderborn University and came to England for a year as a teaching  
assistant after graduating in 1987 – and never went back! She now has  
two English daughters with German passports, and two granddaughters,  
one of them Norwegian!

A single mother for many years, she developed a successful web-based  
translation service to work from home and later sold it to a  
colleague, for whom she then worked as a consultant until recently.  
Mecki is now involved in a very enterprising cancer self-help group in  
Bridport and initially took on the role of organising the  
International dance at EIFF 2019.

A dancer since the age of 14, her first love is International, but she  
spent 10 years doing Morris in North Devon, before meeting her now  
husband at Sidmouth Folk Festival and moving to Bridport. She is now  
to be seen dancing at many festivals, including Lichfield, Chippenham,  
Sidmouth and, of course Eastbourne, as well as visiting Halsway Manor  
4 times year for Contra/American. She dances at least two times a week  
at local clubs and has been known to break into a jive wherever there  
is a beat to hear and a square metre to dance on! In her spare time,  
she helps to keep Bridport Ceilidhs on the road as well as providing  
encouragement to the fledgling Bridport Folk Festival – when not  
stewarding at two Arts venues in town.

Dragged screaming to the role of director she is committed to helping  
to keep what has been her long-term favourite festival going, albeit  
maybe in a different form and at a new venue.

Do make the point of saying hello at Eastbourne this year and send any  
comments to her about your thoughts (to director at eiff.org.uk).
Mecki apologises in advance that she will or will have already  
forgotten your name – but nobody’s perfect!
Our thanks to those who have already extended their expressions of  
good will and support for Mecki’s future endeavours.

The Committee.
1st February