NOTE: This archived newsletter may refer to events, links etc that have since been updated and may no longer be valid. Please read this article as a historical record rather than a source of current information.
Newsletter 19 - October 31st 2010
Hello Friends of Frances!
And welcome to our new subscribers. There are quite a few of you who have recently subsrcibed to our occasional Frances Folk Gathering update newsletter. We hope you find it valuable and informative.
If you would like to let others know, please click on the link below to forward this newsletter to someone else. They can subscribe if they wish by clicking on the link themselves.
The Next Gathering is Feb 25th to 27th 2011. This will be our 12th Gathering, the very first one having been run in our millenium year, 2000. If you're interested in the history of the Gathering you can check it out on our website (under "about").
Competition Entries now Open
You probably already know that a major focus of the Gathering is the musicianship competitions held on the Saturday - and the Band competitions ("Bandemonium") on Saturday night.
Each year, entries for the next Gathering open on November 1st. Enter yourself on line, or - if you're internet-challenged, get someone to print an entry form for you, fill it in and send it to us.
The entry form is at http://www.francesfolkgathering.com.au/competitions/ . Please take note of the conditions of entry on the rules pages - in particular your eligibility to enter the "intermediate" sections.
In a nutshell, if you get paid to play your music, you need to enter the "open" sections. If you don't get paid to play, you can enter the intermediate sections too (provided you're the right age).
So get practising! ...and enter. There are categories for all levels of expertise and age groups.
Workshops
Another big attraction for the Gathering is the workshops. These are run by experienced musicians, dancers, poets, singers etc, and are very popular with the Gatherers.
If you would like to run a workshop at the 2011 Gathering, we'd like to hear from you. There's a form for you to fill in on the website.
Be creative! We like to see workshops on intruments, both playing and making, dance, poetry, songwriting, singing - in fact anything you might imagine people would like to engage with. We've even had astronomy workshops in the past!
Please give us as many details as you can. Once you have submitted your form, our workshops coordinating team will get in touch with you in the new year.
The Blanket Project
In our last newsletter we let you know about the Frances Blanket Project. It's now well under way. Lots of knitters and crochetists (!) are beavering away on their 15cm squares which will all be stitched together during the festival. If you haven't already done so, visit the blanket page on the website and sign up. Anna, our blanket coordinator would love to hear from you.
We're Freeeeeee!!!
Remember folks, as you spread the word to others, the Gathering is free, the venues are free, the workshops are free, the sessions are free, the art exhibition, the dance, the competitions and the concert - all free.
Put the date in your diary, get a band together, start practising for the competitions and enter now!
A Big Thank You
For the last few years the coordinating team has been handed over from the excellent foundations built by Brian and Viv Tonkin and Pete and Annie Thornton to Steve Keirl and Chris Edwards-Leis who have beavered away tirelessly at the helm during the last 3 years.
Steve and Chris have assembled around them a fantastic team of able assistants to keep the spirit of the Gathering alive and well. The group has seen the Gathering not only survive, but flourish through the 10th birthday celebrations - and beyond. However, it is with sadness that we wave Steve and Chris goodbye as they further their professional careers in London.
I'm sure you will join the coordinating group in thanking them most sincerely for their tireless efforts and hard work in running the Gathering, and to wish them 'bon voyage' and good fortune in the UK where they will make their future home.
Looking forward to seeing you there
Frances Folk Gathering Coordinating Team.