Inter Varsity Folk Dance Festival

The Inter Varsity Folk Dance Festival (IVFDF) is the longest running folk festival in the UK.

It differs from many other festivals in that it moves location every year, being hosted and organised by student folk societies. The fact that it is run almost entirely by current students is another large factor that differentiates it from many other folk events. However, it can also be expected to attract ex-students and random folkies, descending on the host university for a weekend of music, dance, song and sleep deprivation. The festival is always run in either the last weekend in February or the first weekend in March; the next festival is due to occur in Exeter from the 27th Feb to the 1st March 2009.

History

The festival was started in 1951 and took place at the University of Leeds. Since then it has been roaming UK universities from the north (St Andrews in Scotland) to the south (Exeter in Devon):

*2009 is happening in Exeter, between the 27th February and the 1st March 2009. Booking of the venues is now confirmed and contracts exchanged. All events will be back on one site, including sleeping, food and all the late night sessions. [http://www.exeter.ac.uk/ivfdf2009 2009 Festival website]
*2008 Sheffield. The festival ran between 29th Feb to the 2nd March. Bands and artists appearing were Glory Strokes (Pete Rees), Vertical Expression (Andrew Swaine), Gloworms (Nick Walden), Janiver (formed from previous Jabadaw members), Triple Scotch. There was also a concert with Crucible, Spiers & Boden. There were over 1000 visitors to the festival.
*In 2007 the venue moved up north to Edinburgh University from the 2nd-4th of March. Bands included Peeping Tom and John Dipper, Various demonstration dances including Scottish and a dance to the soundtrack of "The Sound of Music" and diverse workshops.
*In 2006 it was held on the 24th-26th of February by Cambridge University with 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 1000+ attendees. Workshops held in various rooms, including the gym and sports hall, sessions in the library and common room, and sleeping in the maths classrooms. Lots of dance teams turned up, including Stone the Crows, Black Swan Rapper, and Pig Dyke Molly as well as the usual complement of university-based teams from all over the country.
*2005 Norwich
*2004, Exeter
*2003, Sheffield
*2002, St. Andrews
*2001, Cambridge
*2000, Glasgow
*1999, Exeter
*1998, Sheffield
*1997, Cambridge - Held mainly at Anglia Polytechnic University and venues around the city. This was the first IVFDF hosted in Cambridge
*1996, Edinburgh
*1995, Exeter
*1994, Manchester
*1993, Sheffield
*1992, East Anglia
*1991, Nottingham
*1990, Newcastle upon Tyne
*1989, Exeter
*1988, Edinburgh
*1987, Reading
*1986, Manchester
*1985, Southampton
*1984, Sheffield
*1983, Nottingham
*1982, Reading
*1981, Leeds
*1980, Durham
*1979, East Anglia
*1978, Southampton
*1977, Manchester
*1976, Edinburgh
*1975, London
*1974, Oxford
*1973, Liverpool
*1972, Durham
*1971, Nottingham
*1970, Reading - IVFDF extended to a 2-day festival as a ceilidh was arranged for those who were staying overnight on Friday
*1969, Strathclyde - Technically run by Glasgow, but under a different name.
*1968, Hull
*1967, Exeter
*1966, Liverpool
*1965, Newcastle
*1964, Sheffield
*1963, London
*1962, Manchester
*1961, Leeds
*1960, Glasgow
*1959, Nottingham
*1958, London
*1957, Bristol - The first to feature a Morris tour.
*1956, Manchester
*1955, Birmingham
*1954, Edinburgh
*1953, Sheffield
*1952, Newcastle
*1951, Leeds. This was the first festival, and at that time was not known as IVFDF

Mascots

Society mascots are considered by some to be a large part of the festival, and those which can be seen being carried around include Cuthbert (Snake, Cambridge), Nessie (Loch Ness Monster, Edinburgh), Floyd (Pig, Exeter), Rustle (Ceilidh Monster, Sheffield) and Don (Elephant, Warwick). Mascot ransoming is now banned at IVFDF after several people sustained injuries at one festival.

External links

* [http://www.ivfdf.org/ Central IVFDF]
* [http://www.events.ex.ac.uk/ivfdf2009/ IVFDF 2009 (Exeter)]
* [http://www.ivfdf.ceilidhsoc.org IVFDF 2008 (Sheffield)]