Come and join us this week as part of  Forest Forge Theatre Company‘s latest Community project, linked to their exciting new play, UpBeat, which will be performed next Spring.

Enjoy dancing and listening to Jigfoot‘s music and songs, try some Hampshire stepping with Jo and Simon Harmer then over cake and tea you’ll have the opportunity to contribute ideas  for playwright Deborah Gearing to weave into her latest play, based on the chalky waterways of Wessex.

Click on the links for details and tickets :

Wednesday 7th October at 7 pm, Forest Forge Theatre Company, Endeavour Business Park, Crow Arch Lane, Ringwood BH24 1SF 01425 470188

Saturday 10th October at 2 pm, The Spring Arts & Heritage Centre, 56 East Street, Havant PO9 1BS 023 9247 2700
Part of Paper Trail open day

Tuesday 13th October at 2 pm, Forest Arts, Old Milton Rd, New Milton BH25 6DS 01425 612393

We were thrilled to hear that FolkActive have been selected for training and funding through the Hampshire School for Social Entrepreneurs Programme starting this autumn! It means we can look towards developing and resourcing the company in ways which will enable us to really make a difference long term, using traditional music and dance with different community groups and children. Watch this space for more details!

We’ve enjoyed dancing up in the north of Hampshire during the summer term, with stepping and dance projects in Tadley, Yateley and Odiham.

Check out these amazing young steppers from Newlands Primary School in Yateley!

Look out for Southampton Folk Orchestra at the Beggar’s Fair in Romsey on Saturday July 11th. They play in the United Reformed Church at 1.50 p.m. If you’ve never been before it’s a great festival!

Wednesday July 8th is the last chance to dance before the monthly FolkActive Dances take a break during August. The dances run from 1:30 to 3:30 at Freemantle Community Centre, Southampton with live music and a friendly caller. Back on September 9th and every second Wednesday in the month.

Tilford Museum of Rural Life is hosting a Romany Day on Sunday June 28th at which there will be music and stepping in the afternoon. June is Gypsy Roma Traveller History Month, and we’ve led stepping workshops in eight schools in the Tadley and Yateley areas recently so we hope to see plenty of young steppers there!

Southampton Folk Orchestra’s summer term starts on Sunday 26 April from 10.30 am to 12.30 pm and runs for six sessions on 26 April, 10 May, 31 May, 7 June, 21 June and 5 July, with a performance at Romsey Beggars Fair on Saturday 11th July 2015. The first session will be at The Courthouse in Eastleigh, and all other sessions will be at Bitterne Manor Community Centre. Full details on the web site southamptonfolkorchestra.wordpress.com/

There’s another chance to learn about this local tradition on Sunday 26th April at the Tudor House Museum in Southampton. Step dancing was once the most widespread of all British folk dances – and anyone can do it! All with live music, FolkActive will show you how to put simple steps and foot tapping into social dances collected in the New Forest 100 years ago. Age 8 to adult. Wear shoes with hard soles.

Pre-book on 023 8083 4536
£12 Adult, £6 Child

On Wednesday 18th March FolkActive will be hosting a meeting of folk educators from around the country.

The Folk Educators Group is a national networking group of folk arts educators from across England and beyond, facilitated by the English Folk Dance and Song Society. Established in March 2011 the Group has become a rapidly growing network committed to promoting high quality folk arts education and supporting the practitioners who deliver it.

The group meets three times a year at different locations around the country for a dedicated full day’s event packed with professional development opportunities, information sharing and networking. The next meeting will be hosted by FolkActive at The Courthouse in Eastleigh.

If you’re involved in folk education in any capacity and would like to come along just drop an email to Kerry Fletcher, the Group coordinator.

Do you want to play fiddle? We’re thinking of setting up a group for fiddle players and aspiring fiddle players and we’d like to know if this is something you’d be interested in. If so, please let us know via this short survey.