What a day!

wdff flyer
Monday 10th December 2018.
Its PRODUCTION WEEK!
After a long term of creativity and technical training, production week has finally arrived. This is always one of my favourites times of year, bringing the faktry and the company together for a real celebration of the work that has been undertaken in this last season.
Winter Dance Faktry Festival 2018 has been curated by the ffin team as a display of the highlights of this term’s exciting work and a presentation of the whole community. ffin dance presents also showcases the work of local dance and performance schools in a joyous celebration in our home theatre, The Beaufort.
Monday didn’t know what hit it!  It was great to be back in the studio this morning with the company for professional class. The company’s newest professional dancer, Georgina always brings new energy and her class is no different. What a wicked way to start our day.
Leaving the company to it, it was time to get back to work. The Faktry never stops. The Beaufort Theatre is a great space to work and the café is one of my favourite parts of the building. I spent a good portion of the day finalising my lighting plans for the work that I am sharing in this years festival. Leading the teaching and choreography at the Abertillery Faktry classes this term has been a real treat for me, getting to work with some fantastic young people always gives me a Monday evening buzz!! Takes me back to the old Move days!
Nothing finishes a good afternoon’s work than a flat white! The coffee here is incredible! After creating some really interesting lighting designs it was time to teach. Tonight was the last rehearsal session for my groups and they really rose to the occasion and if these classes are anything to go by this week will be another great festival week.
Louis Norman
ffin dance faktry teacher

 

An Inspector Calls gets its premiere at The Beaufort

FFIN DANCE PRESENTS… | SAT 27 APR, 7PM | THEATRE

ffindancepresentsapr19FINAL

FFIN DANCE presents their brand new work An Inspector Calls, choreographed by Sue Lewis based on the Priestly novel of the same name.
As part of this most special evening, the community groups run by the FFIN DANCE FAKTRY will also be showing their work which they have been making since September.

Tickets | £10/£8 concessions, to book call 07854 910926 or 01495 305988, visit Café @ The Beaufort (opening hours below) or arrange tickets with staff during dance classes.

Photo | Paul Trask, copyright of FFIN DANCE

The Beaufort Theatre

BeaufortTheatreWe are delighted to announce to you that our bid for The Beaufort Theatre has been successful subject to a final executive meeting next Wednesday March 15th 2017.
We will be moving in to the building on April 3rd with a handover from Aneurin Leisure Trust who currently manage the asset on that day.

We are most keen to speak with existing theatre users to chat about how we can continue their use of the theatre space for their annual shows and also very happy to speak with new clients too.

Please contact us on any of the contacts below:

info@ffindance.co.uk

Text/phone 07854 910926

Direct message Facebook FFIN DANCE

We very much look forward to welcoming you to our café and bar which will be open very soon through the day and evenings, offering you free wifi and of course refreshments.

 

All things new

Winter dance intensives 2016 Image Paul Trask

Winter dance intensives 2016
Image Paul Trask

At the start of the calendar year, our attention turns to planning ahead and realising plans and projects that were made last year.

2017 is going to be a year of big changes for FFIN DANCE if all of our plans come to fruition, mainly our bid for Beaufort Theatre and Ballroom.  We are hoping to take the venue as a community asset transfer from Blaenau Gwent County Borough Council: if we are successful we will be bringing a whole new range of services to the community and offering training and volunteering opportunities for the public in catering, arts business and admin, customer care, and more.  So we will see a bigger and busier dance faktry, supplying much-needed services to our community and creating new jobs too.  If you would like more information on how to join us, please get in touch.

The company dancers will be back in the studio in February after a break, and we’ll be finishing off our new full length work, Virago
To kick off the Virago season, we will be attending the launch of John F Wakes’s book The Cruel Streets Revisited next Tuesday 17th January at the Norwegian Church in Cardiff.  The main character of our work Virago is centred around Minnie McGuire who was the most-arrested person in Victorian Wales; she has her own chapter in John’s book!  John and I will be working in collaboration for this project and the book launch sees the start of that journey for 2017

The company will be touring this work from May 2017 and we very much hope you can join us.
I’d like to wish you all a most happy and healthy year ahead, please keep following our progress and sending in your comments and views.

sue lewis

Community Asset Transfer

The dance faktry Education & outreach Image Paul Trask

The dance faktry
Education & outreach
Image Paul Trask

The company is delighted to let you know that we are in the final stages of a business plan to Blaenau Gwent CBC to take over the stewardship of The Beaufort Theatre in Ebbw Vale as a community asset transfer from the Council.
As the company is moving forward, we feel that we would like to provide even more opportunities in Blaenau Gwent for our unique services as the only professional dance company in residence in the Valleys

 

The dance faktry Education & outreach Image Paul Trask

The dance faktry
Education & outreach
Image Paul Trask

We plan to work in partnership with Aneurin Leisure Trust and other partner organisations in delivering high quality arts services to the community through shared performance events, weekly classes and holiday clubs; working with the existing users of the venue and inviting new users to use the building as a community hub for arts.

 

We will be creating new jobs together with training opportunities for volunteers in order to assist people from the community to gain experience for employment in marketing, admin, catering and customer care.

We plan to utilise the existing bar area as a café and bar, which will be open during the daytime for the community, using locally sourced produce as much as possible and promoting nutritional eating.

We will be working with guidance and the full support of Coalfields Regeneration Trust and will be seeking business/corporate sponsorship and grant funding for exterior signage and improvement.

hpOur Artistic Director Sue Lewis says “our whole plan for the venue involves providing even more platforms for people to enjoy arts in the community and will by no means just be a place to house FFIN DANCE We welcome collaborations, partnerships and micro businesses using the space to achieve their aims too and wish to see the venue open each day and evening.  Our wish is for sustainability and to enhance local services that may be lost due to budget restraints and service cuts.

My passion for the community to enjoy arts in this iconic building is at the fore-front of this plan”

 

We would welcome your support and comments, please feel free to comment in the comments space on this page or e mail us at info@ffindance.co.uk