JAFA 15 - Newsletter 5

Welcome to newsletter Number Five  JAFA 15   12 Feb 2015

NEWS: Alan Moyse will be speaking on the history of town criers as part of our Waterloo Symposium on Saturday 11 April at the Albert Hall.

Town Crier, Canberra

Alan moved to Canberra in 1971 after spending several years working in Papua New Guinea.  He was appointed as the Town Crier for Canberra in 2011 after a local radio station decided that the ACT should have a Crier, and persuaded the Chief Minister to endorse the process.

He is a member of a world-wide medieval re-enactment group (the Society for Creative Anachronism) and has performed Heralding duties at a number of their functions, at feasts and on the tournament grounds – at a visit to Bunratty Castle in Ireland in 2010, during the medieval feast, some of the other visitors thought that he was part of the show when he rose to formally thank the Lord of the castle for his hospitality!  And having kissed the Blarney Stone undoubtedly helps with his Town Crying!!

Alan has represented Canberra at Gatherings of the Ancient and Honourable Guild of Australian Town Criers, together with his partner Wendy.  He has been involved in numerous school fetes, the Jane Austen Festival, the Canberra Show, as well as the ACT Centenary Celebrations, and has journeyed to Braidwood and Bermagui to Cry at some of their festivals.  He also Cried at Banbury Cross in England in 2013, at the invitation of a number of British Town Criers. 

Stall holders and Vendors

We have limited spaces available for regency-themed stalls inside the Albert Hall on Friday and Saturday. Setup is from 9.00am, and selling will commence from 10.30am each day. Pack-up is at 5pm. Neatly labelled boxes can be stored overnight Friday behind the stage but must be completely removed on Saturday afternoon. Table space & hire is $50 per 2m slot and we ask that you attempt to keep your displays compact so everyone can fit. The foyer is not available for stall setup, and change rooms are only accessible in breaks.

Food vendors will be setting up outside on the paved patio to the side of the Albert Hall and attendees are invited to either bring their outdoor picnic rug or folding wooden chairs to join our "Regency Period Picnic" setting where we'll also be playing period games or take their plate of food back into the hall to sit down on the chairs inside. 

We will be using the paved side entry as our main entry and keeping the front doors of the Albert Hall closed except for evening events.  

For application forms contact Jo Sandbach stalls@janeaustenfestival.com.au

Family Tickets

Bringing the children to JAFA? We have special children and family tickets now on sale at http://www.janeaustenfestival.com.au/tickets

                                                              

Learn some dances before JAFA - Melbourne and Canberra!

Those of you whom wish to hone your dance skills, in the Melbourne area before JAFA 2015 - Christine organises Jane Austen and Regency Dancing every Wednesday night at 6.30 - 8.30, 1 Spring Street, Thomastown. (Near the station) Just $10. Phone Christine on 94645219. This class is ideal for beginners as well as the more experienced. Find us on Facebook, Regency Dance Group - Jane Austen era.

Canberra dancers are reminded that registrations are open for the pre-festival classes at the ANU every Saturday afternoon starting 7 March - register at the ANU Sports Union asap. We're handing out information sheets about these and JAFA at our stall at the Multicultural Festival this Sunday.

19th Century Dance & Costume Retreat - Yarrangobilly Caves 13-17 April 2015

It’s on again in 2015—the most unbelievably fun little dance and music festival you are ever likely to attend—Earthly Delights’ Victorian era dance school-come-House party at Yarrangobilly in the picturesque northern Kosciusko National Park (just over 2 hours drive west of Canberra). See see Dance Events 2014 for photos and programs from the most recent retreat.

From lunch time on Monday 13 April to the morning of Friday 17 April (the 4 days and nights that fall directly after Canberra’s 2015 Jane Austen Festival Australia) stay in beautiful heritage accommodation, wear clothes of yesteryear, journey over successive days from the 1820s to the 1890s, and enjoy morning dance workshops in an airy room at one end of the complex and evening balls in a mock-tudor hall at the other—both with excellent wooden floors. 

When not dancing or sharing in scrumptious everyone-helping-out-meals in one of the several cooking and dining areas, lap up wondrous caves, thermal pools, river walks and bush tranquillity. Start planning your day and evening dress (we may be able to help newcomers with hire) and why not this year join those in Victorian bathing costume? In 2015 we will also be adding in an outdoor barbeque with games and a trip to a nearby homestead which used-to hold dances—and for keeping the dance experience alive after the event, instructions and music for all 80 or so dances danced will be available in the latest edition of John’s Historic Dance books.

To keep the cost to the bare minimum necessary to cover accommodation, organisers, dance leaders, musicians and game contributor give their time for free. Only 40 beds are available and already 32 have been reserved … so please do get your expression of interest and payment in quickly for one of the remaining beds! (And attendees are offered 3-day Season Ticket entry to JAFA for just $150)