IVFDF

What is IVFDF?

IVFDF (pronounced Iv Div) stands for the Inter-Varsity Folk Dance Festival, and is essentially 48 hours of non-stop folk; the young person's folk festival run by students, for students. The festival is hosted by a different University every year. 2011 was Bristol's turn, 2012 will be ivfdf09

Aberdeen, and 2013 will be Sheffield. Exeter Folk Society always takes a sizeable delegation every year, and is well known to the IVFDF regulars. Exeter has hosted IVFDF on several occasions (most recently in 2009) and can be counted on for a fantastic experience.

    On an IVFDF weekend student folkies from across the country - from as far afield as Edinburgh, Cambridge or our own dear Exeter - will decend upon the host university and enjoy a packed schedule of ceilidhs, workshops, sessions, a morris tour and improptue get-togethers. Old friendships are renewed and new ones forged in a frenzy of dancing, music and sleep deprevation.

    For many of us, an important part of IVFDF is the display ceilidh, an event where each University showcases a dance – original or traditional – for the others. Exeter has a particular … reputation in this field, possibly because our last three dances were performed to, respectively, Safety Dance, Abba, and Ghostbusters! As you might guess, this is a very popular part of the weekend.

    If you've two left feet and hate the idea of discoing to 80s hits in front of large crowds, IVFDF is still a place you want to be. You don't have to have folk-danced before, or know the difference between a rant and a step-hop; everyone's welcome. At any given time there can be any number of concerts, ceilidhs, and workshops occurring simultaneously, and it may be the only time of the year that you will fit in wearing a silly hat and singing in the town centre.

    For more information about the festival please visit the IVFDF website, or to find out more about IVFDF Aberdeen (2012) click here. To put your name down for Exeter's trip to Aberdeen, email us!