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IVFDF Gathering

28 & 29 October 2000

Village Hall, Braceborough, Nr Stamford, Lincolnshire.

AIM

To draw up a list of Recommendations to present to the IVFDF 2001 Representatives Meeting with respect to the future of IVFDF in both the short and long term.

OBJECTIVES

By the end of the meeting we should be able to (Meeting Outcome Recommendations included in-line; Comments in blue from Ian Thompson 2003):

1. Recommend the extent of the 'Varsity' link e.g.:
• run by students / ex-students
• run for students
• run at a university
• purely historical
• Recommend IVFDF should continue to facilitate student involvement.

  Achieved

  This is crucial to maintain given the aim of the festival to be student focused.

• Recommend student involvement in organising committee, but should change the constitution to allow hosting by a non-university group if a good bid is put forward.

  Outstanding

  We need to consider this as an option for the future if we are changing the constitution.

• Recommend putting together a number of criteria which could be used to assess bids.

  Outstanding

  This would a good idea to help the RM assess the viability of a groups proposal, but could only be sensibly done if some of the proposals below about advisers are put in place.

2. Recommend the nature of IVFDF in comparison with other UK folk / dance festivals e.g.:
   • to what extent should there be non-dance events
   • how commercial
   • Recommend that, as at present, organisers strive to ensure that IVFDF is
     • Participative;
     • Facilitates student participation;
     • Not commercially driven;
     • Dance focused;
     • New festival each year, early in the year.

     Achieved

     Done by simply maintaining the existing formulae for festivals.

3. Recommend how location is determined
   • Recommend that all student folk dance societies are reminded each year by Information Point of the need to look forward and that bids to host the festival will be sought at the next IVFDF.
   • Recommend that this reminder takes the form of an invitation to bid in October. If by January there are no bids, then Information Point should start using the network of interested parties (website, email list) to start twisting arms, preferably with a view to moving IVFDF to an area of the UK where it has not been for some time and there is a realistic possibility of holding a successful event.

   Both Outstanding

   Needs to be considered in the light of other ideas about changes to the role of Information Point.

   • Recommend encouraging conditional bids.

   Outstanding

   Idea needs further development.

   • Do not recommend IVFDF moves to a fixed venue, however, Information Point should investigate options for a small number of venues round the country so that if need to move to a rota system or twisting arms fails, there is some sort of fall back option.

   Outstanding

   Recommendation for moving around has been taken up, other options still outstanding.

   • Affirm that the Representatives Meeting must have the final say on where IVFDF is located.

   Achieved

   Status Quo maintained.

4. Recommend how long IVFDF should last e.g.
• should IVFDF be a weekend
• has IVFDF outlasted its role - should it be wound up
• Recommend that IVFDF should be held as a weekend festival. However, the Representatives meeting should sanction a one day festival if circumstances require or circumstances lead it to be desirable.

Achieved

Status Quo maintained, ICBINI proved that you can run a one day festival if needs be to restart things.

5. Recommend the type of structure / content within the festival e.g.:
• the number / balance of workshops
• involvement of Morris / Sword / Molly etc sides and display groups
• Recommend that one of the stops on the Morris tour should be the demonstration ceilidh if that is logistically possible.

Achieved

This was a suggestion and it certainly happened in 2002.

• Recommend that decisions on content and conditions should be at the discretion of the organising committee.

Achieved

Status Quo maintained.

• Recommend creation of a 'hints and issues' document to provide advice to organising committees.

Partially Outstanding

Hugh from Cambridge did produce some useful advice, but we need to improve on this again (and not just copy and modify it slightly).

6. Recommend what changes, if any, should be made to the organisational structure of IVFDF.
   • Recommend holding the Representatives Meeting on Saturday not Sunday.

   Achieved

   Whilst this created a bit of financial panic in 2002, it does allow more chance to look forward and find some new people to run it in 2 years time.

   • Recommend that Representatives meetings should be more forward looking rather than considering what has / has not worked with current festival.

   Mostly achived

   This is generally done, there has been less griping about the problems in the current festival and more concentration on the future hosts and what can be done for the future of the festival.

   • Recommend Representatives Meeting to have more of a role in checking milestones and budget for next year's IVFDF

   Achieved

   IVFDF2004 certainly presented a good financial statment of their plans at the 2003 reps meeting..

   • Recommend that a list of Advisors (mentoring role) be created and that each organising committee should make a formal link with at least one person on that list.

   Outstanding

   This is the most significant thing that IVFDF could benefit from, whilst it is part of Freinds of IVFDF consitution to provide this, a) most people in friends have never run a festival (or not recently) and b) Freinds has not yet faciltated the creation of such a group..

   • Recommend creation of a support pack of information — risk strategy, issues to address / consider, useful contacts etc, as advice to Organising committees.

   Outstanding

   The collection of these and presnetation in a pack has not yet occured.

   • Recommend further development of an IVFDF email list & website

   Achieved

   Due to efforts from amongst others Brain Quinion, Dave Holland and Ian Thompson.

   • Recommend creation of Friends of IVFDF group. ( a small group is to work up a more detailed proposal (including consideration of Representatives Meeting representation for the Friends group) before the Cambridge 2001 Representatives Meeting (Nora Mogey, James Williams, Brian Kingett, Ann Parker, Pete Humble)

   Achieved

   Friends of IVFDF exists, but is struggling to maintain it's status (due to limited time available from the volunters involved) and in line with other changes that are being proposed may have to reconsider it's role. It has however provided some means to build up an underwriting fund of nearly £1000.

   • Affirm RM as sovereign body for IVFDF - ultimate veto on anything to do with the festival.

   Achieved

   Status Quo maintained.

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