Inter Varsity Folk Dance Festival

Last updated

Inter Varsity Folk Dance Festival
DatesLast weekend of February or first weekend of March
Location(s)Changes every year
Years active1951-present
Organised byStudent folk societies

The Inter Varsity Folk Dance Festival (IVFDF) is the longest running folk festival in the United Kingdom, having been hosted annually since 1951. [1]

Contents

The festival is organised and hosted by university folk societies, and is held in a different location each year. Ex-students and folk music enthusiasts gather at the host university for a weekend of music, dance, and song. The festival at Exeter University in 2009 was attended by around 1169 different ticket holders — the most of any IVFDF up to that time, as the previous record was just over 1000 attendees at the IVFDF in Manchester in 1986. [2]

The festival was held online in 2021 due to the COVID-19 pandemic, hosted by people based in Bristol. The most recent festival was held in York in 2024.

Mascots

Society mascots are considered to be a large part of the festival. Mascot Ransoming is now banned at IVFDF after several people sustained injuries at one festival. While Mascot Ransoming has been banned, mascot intentional misplacement is prevalent at IVFDFs.[ clarification needed ]

Notable mascots
NameSpeciesUniversityOrganization
As Yet & UnnamesPenguinsSheffield
CuthbertSnakeCambridgeThe Round (Cambridge English and Contra dance society)
DonElephantWarwick
Duncan Highland Cow Durham
FloydPigExeter
HamishThistleCambridgeStrathspey & Reel Club
Nessie Loch Ness Monster Edinburgh
RustleCeilidh Monster
DuckLancaster
GooseYork

History

The first festival was held in 1951 under the name "Universities' Folk Dancing Festival", hosted in the city of Leeds. [3] The festival was jointly organised by the Hull University College Folk Dance Society and the Leeds University Scottish Dance Society, however Leeds was chosen over Hull as the location for the festival due to its superior accessibility and facilities at the time. [4] The following 2 festivals were hosted under this name before the term Inter-Varsity was used for the 1954 festival hosted in Edinburgh. [5]

Initially the primary activity at the festival was the "Display Ceilidh", during which the University groups in attendance would take turns to perform dances as a demonstration to the other groups. The dances presented could be newly choreographed or traditional, and could be chosen to raise awareness of a particular folk style or show the skill of the group. [6] [7] In some early festivals a dance was also held in the evening after the Display Ceilidh, and by the 1959 festival this had been expanded to two evening dances. [8]

The festival has never been held in the same host city two years consecutively, with 22 different cities hosting thus far. The most frequent hosts have been Sheffield and Exeter, totalling 10 and 8 festivals respectively.

Top 10 most frequent IVDF host cities.
Host cityNumber of festivals hostedLast festival hosted
Sheffield102022
Exeter82023
Edinburgh72019
Nottingham62020
Manchester51994
Cambridge42017
Bristol32021
Durham32010
Glasgow32000
Newcastle31990

All IVFDF events

All IVDF events. Cities in bold are first-time hosts.
YearHost cityHost universityDatesFestival websiteVisitorsEvents/performersNotes
1951 Leeds Leeds 17 February [9] Was known as Universities' Folk Dancing Festival. Jointly organised by the Hull University College Folk Dance Society and the Leeds University Scottish Dance Society, however Leeds was chosen over Hull as the location for the festival due to its superior accessibility and facilities at the time.
1952 Newcastle
1953 Sheffield
1954 Edinburgh 13 February [10] 480 visitors [10] First festival to use the IVFDF name.
1955 Birmingham 12 February [11] 600 [11]
1956 Manchester
1957 Bristol 16 February [12] Featured a Morris Tour
1958 London
1959 Nottingham 31 January [8] 750 [8]
1960 Glasgow 13 February
1961Leeds11 February
1962Manchester17 February
1963London2 February
1964Sheffield8 February
1965Newcastle20 February
1966 Liverpool 19 February [13]
1967 Exeter 25 February
1968 Hull 2 March [14] 800 [14]
1969Glasgow Strathclyde, a sub-university of Glasgow8 February
1970 Reading 13 - 14 February [15] 600 [15] Extended to a 2-day festival as a ceilidh was arranged for those who were staying overnight on Friday.
1971Nottingham6 February
1972 Durham 12 February
1973Liverpool3 February [16]
1974 Oxford
1975London22 February
1976Edinburgh
1977Manchester
1978 Southampton
1979 Norwich University of East Anglia
1980Durham
1981Leeds
1982Reading
1983Nottingham
1984Sheffield
1985Southampton
1986Manchester28 February [17]
1987Reading27 February - 1 March [18] 200 [18]
1988Edinburgh
1989Exeter
1990Newcastle
1991Nottingham
1992University of East Anglia
1993Sheffield
1994Manchester
1995Exeter
1996Edinburgh
1997 Cambridge Anglia Polytechnic University 28 February - 2 March [19] 800 [20] Held in Anglia Polytechnic University and venues around the city.
1998Sheffield
1999Exeter
2000Glasgow
2001Cambridge
2002 St. Andrews
2003Sheffield
2004Exeter
2005Norwich25 - 27 February [21]
2006CambridgeCambridge University24 – 26 February1000+Many dance teams, including Stone the Crows, Black Swan Rapper, and Pig Dyke Molly. The usual complement of university-based teams from all over the country.Organised by a committee made up of students and ex-students belonging to the universities' three folk orientated societies (Gog Magog Molly, The Round and The Strathspey, and Reel Society).

Because Cambridge does not have a single large students union building, they hired a local school to accommodate the attendees. Workshops were held in various rooms, including the gym and sports hall, sessions were held in the library and common room, and people slept in the maths classrooms.

2007EdinburghEdinburgh University2-4 MarchBands included Peeping Tom and John Dipper. Various demonstration dances, including Scottish and a dance to the soundtrack of The Sound of Music. Diverse workshops.
2008Sheffield29 February - 2 March1000+ [22] Bands and artists appearing were Glory Strokes (Pete Rees), Vertical Expression (Andrew Swaine), The Gloworms (Nick Walden), Janiver (formed from previous Jabadaw members), and Triple Scotch. There was also a concert with Crucible, Spiers & Boden.
2009Exeter27 February-1 March Festival website (Archived 12 February 2009)1169 (most of any IVFDF)The line-up included Kate Rusby, The Demon Barbers, and Jackie Oates also appeared with Jim Causley. Main ceilidhs were provided by The Committee Band and Stomp with over 40 workshops taking place over the weekend, as well as the Survivor's Ceilidh.All events were back on one site, including sleeping, food and all the late night sessions.
2010DurhamDurham university5-7 March Festival website (ivfdf.org archive) The line-up included Eliza Carthy and Aidan Curran, Whapweasel and Martyn Harvey, Vertical Expression, Fidola, alongside many workshops and a Morris Tour.
2011Bristol25 – 27 February Festival website Archived 22 July 2011
2012 Aberdeen 2 - 4 March [23] Festival website (Archived 11 October 2020)
2013Sheffield1 – 3 March Festival website Archived 14 May 2013
2014Edinburgh28 February – 2 March Festival website (Archived 23 December 2014)
2015Exeter27 February – 1 March Festival website (Archived 1 March 2015)Held in the 'new buildings' of the University of Exeter and the Great Hall.
2016 Coventry University of Warwick 26 – 28 March Festival website Notably used Coventry Cathedral as a dance venue.
2017Cambridge24–26 February Festival website (Archived 11 May 2017)
2018SheffieldSheffield University23 - 25 February [24] Festival website The line-up included Melrose Quintet, Buddy System, Steamchicken, Emily and the Simons, and Scottish Measure.First year the festival went completely gender free for all its calling and workshops.
2019EdinburghEdinburgh University1 - 3 March [25] Festival website The line-up included Hoik, The Night Before, Monkey Box, No&Mi, An Conasg, Hekety, Science Ceilidh, Matthew Maclennan Dance Band, Naragonia, and Point Five.
2020Nottingham6 – 8 March Festival website Contrasaurus, Bearded Dragons, and several others.
2021Bristol (though online)Organised by Bristol people; held online via Minecraft, Zoom and Discord due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
2022Sheffield25 - 27 February [26] Festival website 600 [27]
2023Exeter3–5 February Festival website
2024York16–18 February Festival website

ICBINI

I can't believe it's not IVFDF (ICBINI) is a smaller annual spin-off festival held in November. The first ICBINI was held at Exeter in 2002. [28] ICBINI is like the main festival in many respects, in that it is held at a different location each year and hosted by student folk societies; however, if a suitable host cannot be found, a festival is not held that year. The activities are similar to those at IVFDF.

ICBINI events
YearLocationFestival?Additional
2002Exeter [28] First ICBINI.
2003Bristol [29]
2011Exeter
2012Warwick
2014Warwick Warwick Festival Announcement
2015Lancaster
2016Exeter Exeter Festival Announcement
2017Bristol
2018N/ANone
2019York
2020N/ANoneCancelled due to COVID-19 pandemic.

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References

  1. ↑ "IVFDF". Ivfdf.org. Archived from the original on 25 October 2022. Retrieved 12 January 2021.
  2. ↑ "The Inter Varsity Folk Dance Festival 2009 - eFestivals.co.uk". www.efestivals.co.uk. Retrieved 21 June 2021.
  3. ↑ Schofield, Derek (2016). "Norman Peacock (1925–2015)". Folklore. 127: 107–109. Retrieved 21 February 2023.
  4. ↑ "Hull idea". Hull Daily Mail. No. 20359. 22 February 1951. Retrieved 28 February 2023.
  5. ↑ "Early IVFDF Involvement". The Round. Retrieved 21 February 2023.
  6. ↑ "Folk dancing". Hull Daily Mail. No. 20357. 20 February 1951. Retrieved 28 February 2023.
  7. ↑ "Edinburgh will see new dance". Aberdeen Evening Express. No. 23664. 11 February 1954. Retrieved 28 February 2023.
  8. 1 2 3 "750 at city dance festival". Nottingham Evening News. No. 22796. 2 February 1959. Retrieved 28 February 2023.
  9. ↑ "Folk dance festival". Yorkshire Post and Leeds Intelligencer. No. 32282. 19 February 1951. Retrieved 26 February 2023.
  10. 1 2 "Student Folk-Dancers Gather in Edinburgh". Edinburgh Evening News. No. 25224. 9 February 1954. Retrieved 26 February 2023.
  11. 1 2 "Dancing down the festival line". Birmingham Weekly Mercury. No. 1884. 13 February 1955. Retrieved 26 February 2023.
  12. ↑ "Sword team at Bristol folk dance festival". Bristol Evening Post. No. 7703. 18 February 1957. Retrieved 26 February 2023.
  13. ↑ "What's on". Liverpool Daily Post. No. 34417. 19 February 1966. Retrieved 27 February 2023.
  14. 1 2 "Hull idea comes home at last". Hull Daily Mail. No. 25614. 4 March 1968. Retrieved 28 February 2023.
  15. 1 2 Linton, Mitchell (12 February 1970). "Folk dancers to step out in Reading". Reading Evening Post. No. 1370. Retrieved 27 February 2023.
  16. ↑ "Varsitites in dance festival". Liverpool Echo. No. 28950. 5 February 1973. Retrieved 27 February 2023.
  17. ↑ "What's on today". Middleton Guardian. No. 5904. 28 February 1986. Retrieved 28 February 2023.
  18. 1 2 "Dancers descend on area". Reading Evening Post. No. 5803. 2 March 1987. Retrieved 3 March 2023.
  19. ↑ "City in step for feast of folk dancing". Cambridge Daily News. 27 February 1997. Retrieved 27 February 2023.
  20. ↑ "Varsity Morris Men invade city streets". Cambridge Weekly News. 12 March 1997. Retrieved 27 February 2023.
  21. ↑ "Inter-Varsity Folk Dance Festival". Eastern Daily Press. 25 February 2005. Retrieved 6 March 2023.
  22. ↑ "BBC - Radio 2 - Folk and Acoustic". Bbc.co.uk. Retrieved 12 January 2021.
  23. ↑ "Dancers descend on Aberdeen". Aberdeen University. 1 March 2012. Retrieved 6 March 2023.
  24. ↑ "PICTURES: Sheffield welcomes UK's longest running folk dance festival". The Star. 24 February 2018. Retrieved 6 March 2023.
  25. ↑ Campbell, Fiona (23 February 2019). "UK's longest-running folk dance festival in Edinburgh for 2019". All Media Scotland. Retrieved 6 March 2023.
  26. ↑ "Folk dance festival celebrates ancient tradition". Sheffield Tribune. 28 February 2022. Retrieved 6 March 2023.
  27. ↑ "Supporting the return to dancing in person". English Folk Dance and Song Society. Retrieved 6 March 2023.
  28. 1 2 "University of Bristol Union : Folk Club : ICBINI". Archived from the original on 6 December 2003.
  29. ↑ "History 2010 - 2019 - IVFDF". Ivfdf.org. Retrieved 12 January 2021.
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