The Morris Federation

The culturally bewildered Olympiad may have sidelined us, but the Joint Morris Orgs are determined to demonstrate what the concerted power of the Morris can achieve by pooling our talents for the national good. Never before have our three great Organisations pulled together to raise funds for charity but this year we should like to encourage a nationwide effort to collect for Children in Need.

We are aware that many Morris sides individually raise money for local and national charities and we are keen that this initiative does not detract from that activity. Nevertheless there should be ample opportunity to pass round the hat, rattle the tins or shake a bucket for a few extra pounds so readily donated by the public for this worthy cause.

If you are able to arrange a special day of dance for this project, you could legitimately claim that “every penny will go to Children in Need,” a sure fire way of boosting the collection. How about a fund raising garden fête on the back lawn or a tea & scones afternoon on the village green (all with Morris dancing of course)? The Children in Need websites have an abundance of other ideas for events and the ability to print off posters and images associated with the charity such as the Pudsey Bear logo.

Let’s aim high – if every Morris side raised £125, we should then be able to present Mr Wogan with a cheque for £100,000. No matter your contribution, large or small, this will be such a worthwhile and self-satisfying project for a recognisable good cause and will give many opportunities for great media coverage too.

Be aware that you will need a street collector’s permit (free from your local authority) if you are announcing that the collection is for charity. Further guidance on the Orgs websites.

Phil Watson is setting up a dedicated bank account to receive your collections. Details will be released soon and posted on our websites.

GOOD LUCK AND HAPPY COLLECTING!!

Peter J Halfpenny, Squire of the Morris Ring
Barry Goodman, President of the Morris Federation
Bethan Holdridge, Chair of JMOs & Open Morris

Public area dancing permission / Street collection permits / Busking

The rules on performing and collecting in public and semi-public areas can vary from place to place and we advocate that you check with your local authority to ascertain their interpretation and application of the rules.

In general terms:

1. If you wish to perform in a public area, you will usually need to seek permission from the appropriate department of the Local Authority.
2. If you obtain a busker’s licence usually valid for one year, you will not need further permission and may perform as often as you like in the defined area provided the pitch selected does not interfere with other authorised activity.
3. If you invite your audience to make a contribution towards the expenses of the performance, you should not need a street collectors permit however if you announce that some or all of the collection is for a charity or worthy cause, a permit will be required.
4. If you dance in a private area open to the general public (eg. pub or supermarket car park) and you announce that the collection is for a charity or worthy cause, you will still need a street collectors permit.
5. If you collect towards the expenses of the performance but later determine to donate the proceeds to charity, no collector’s permit is required.

Black Knight Historical are looking for a Morris side to perform at Pensthorpe, near Fakenham, Norfolk on Sunday 6th May.

The 3 day event at Pensthorpe is a new addition to the calendar and they will also have a Maypole for beginners and experienced dancers too, along with live Elizabethan minstrels and some period dancers. There is a fee available and lots of other activities.

If you think your side would be interested in performing at this event, please get in touch with Ian Pycroft – Black Knight Historical (01692 535613/07717 482823) info@blackknighthistorical.co.uk for more details.

Mike Boston, of Great Western Morris, has now released the following information:

We have now set the dates for the third in Roy’s planned set of workshop weekends.

We have booked Broadclyst Victory Hall again for 19th – 21st Octoberand the format will be essentially the same as last time. Camping space at the New Inn tbc

Sessions throughout Friday Evening, Saturday all day and evening and then Sunday morning.

Housekeeping will be as last time with teas, coffee etc all weekend, a light supper on Friday evening, lunch and evening meal on Saturday. Bar on Friday evening and all day Saturday.

Cost per head should be in the region of £30.

We will circulate a detailed schedule for the various workshops nearer the event once Roy has finalised what he wants to do.

PLEASE help our publicity by forwarding this information to members of sides to whom you are linked or other lists.

Numbers, limited to 70 places, will be allocated on a first come first served basis.

To reserve a place either send a cheque for £5 (potentially refundable if we have to cancel) per person, made payable to Great Western Morris to

Duncan Moss, 41 Firleigh Rd., Kingsteignton, Newton Abbot, Devon TQ12 3NH.

If you would like your side to dance at the Joint Morris Organisation’s Day of Dance at Stratford-upon-Avon on June 30th, send your details to Barry Goodman (pres@morrisfed.org.uk) with your side’s name, the name of the main contact, a contact email address, a rough idea of the number of members attending and an indication of your side’s style of dance (e.g.Cotswold, Border, North-West). There are still a few places left, but they’re going fast, so hurry!

Charlie Corcoran, Bagman of the Morris Ring, is again preparing a list showing the amount and spread of Morris activity happening on St. George’s Day, May Day, the early May Bank Holiday weekend and (new this year) the Jubilee Weekend.  The idea is to present this to the press with a statement showing how much Morris can be seen and where it will be happening.  Charlie is compiling a list of all dancing on these days, involving Morris sides in all three Morris organisations.

Just email Charlie at bagman@the morrisring.org with your side’s name, where you’ll be dancing and when (day and time), website details where further details can be found, plus any other useful information and he’ll include it in his spreadsheet.  You should also let him know that you are Morris Federation team.

Listen out for “It’s Got Bells On” ~ Radio 2 Monday 12th December 10:00 p.m..

‘Strictly’; ‘Britain ‘s Got Talent’; ‘So You Think You Can Dance’… there is extraordinary enthusiasm for dance in many forms. But there’s one dance that never gets featured, and its England’s own – the Morris.

Stewart Lee puts this to rights in ‘It’s Got Bells On’ …though he’s a comedian Stewart is an enthusiast for English traditional music and dance. This is the stand up who had the Black Swan Rappers (dancers not MCs) open for him at a gig in Yorkshire, and the Forest of Dean Morris Men at his wedding reception.

Stewart discovers that the best young folk musicians, such as Jim Moray, Tim van Eyken and Laurel Swift all dance and all develop the form, that hip hop and morris merge in the work of The Demon Barbers and that contemporary choreographers are turning to the tradition. When danced by athletic young men, or women such as the Belles of London City (in their corsets) the morris becomes as sexy as salsa, as fearsome as flamenco.

Stewart hears from Ashley Hutchings and John Kirkpatrick, who gave a boost to the revival in the 1970s with classic albums ‘Morris On’ and ‘Battle of the Field’, when morris went electric. There is lots of fantastic music, including some from William Kimber, from whom Cecil Sharp collected his first morris tunes in 1899. All this, and a quick glance at rapper and clog dancing, too.

Produced by Julian May.

Let’s hope it’s as good as it looks!

The Big Dance Face book page is at http://www.facebook.com/bigdance2012#!/bigdance2012

Please log on and post your dismay at the omission of Morris and all related dance forms in the list of dance styles published on their website.

The Big Dance “…will feature 9 days of dance in unusual spaces throughout the UK – shopping centres, parks, galleries, and lidos – showcasing the diversity of dance styles in the capital and across the country. Everyone is invited to join in and make dance part of their lives in 2012 and beyond.”

However, there is NO MENTION of Morris dance, Country dance, Traditional dance, Sword, Clog or Molly dancing in the list of dance styles published on the Big Dance website.

If you think this is wrong, please post on their Facebook page, making it clear that England’s traditional dance should be represented along with all the other dance styles.

PUBLICITY WORKSHOP: SATURDAY 3rd MARCH 2012.

A workshop to discuss and plan effective publicity for Morris Sides focusing on the types of media available and how to get the best out of publicity for the benefit of all Morris Sides throughout the Country.

The workshop will be held at:
The Samuel Barlow, Alvecote Marina, Robeys Lane, Tamworth, Staffs. B78 1AS. From 11am to 4pm.

As with last year’s Recruitment Workshop it is hoped that Sides will bring ideas to the table and these will be collated and a document will be produced after the event to circulate to all Sides.

Speakers and session leaders will include Jemma Gurney from Pecsaetan Morris (websites and related topics), Mike Everett, Archive Officer of the MF (designing flyers and brochures), Martin Banks, ex-Redbornstoke Morris (dealing with the broadcast media) and Grace Beardsley of Phoenix Morris (press releases and dealing with print media).

The cost of £10.00 per delegate includes a buffet lunch which will include a choice of sandwiches, salads, hot roast potatoes and Yorkshire puddings with stuffing, a selection of meat and a vegetarian pie.

To book your Side’s delegate(s) in, please send a cheque payable to PHOENIX MORRIS* for £10.00 per person to Michael Stimpson, PO Box 115, Rickmansworth, Herts. WD3 1WB to arrive no later than the 23rd of February 2012.
* Phoenix have agreed to act as “bankers” for this event on behalf of the three Morris Organisations.

Barry Goodman
President
The Morris Federation

Thanks to all the teams who came along to the Fleece at Bretforton for the AGM day of dance on Saturday 24th September. A well-attended and lively AGM in the afternoon completed a splendid day, organised very efficiently by Pebworth Morris and Belle d’Vain. Thanks also to Nigel at the Fleece for his amazing hospitality! See you all next year on 29th September in Otley.