Dance festival collecting memories for scrapbook

Have you shared a pint with a Mariachi band? Become a pen pal with a dancer? Or taken to the stage to perform?

Then the Billingham International Folklore Festival of World Dance (BIFF) wants to hear from you.

Organisers are asking people to share their tales from the festival as part of its 60th anniversary and is creating a scrapbook to celebrate these stories.

The festival's artistic director Olga Maloney said it wanted to collect memories so it could "create a lasting archive that will live on forever".

"The festival couldn't have lasted for as long as it has without the love and compassion of our loyal festival family," she said.

"We want to embrace that affection and tell the world our collective story through a variety of different projects so join in the fun, jump on-board and enjoy our 60th birthday adventure."

Each year BIFF attracts dance troupes from around the world to the North East to perform on its stages.

To celebrate its anniversary, the festival is hosting a series of events across Tees Valley, including a catwalk-style fashion show displaying stage costumes and fashion from all over the world.

BIFF has received £73,680 from the National Lottery Heritage Fund to help pay for its anniversary events.

The fund's director of England Helen Featherstone said: "For many years BIFF has been bringing people together from all walks of life through folklore dance theatre, and it's fantastic news that they can continue to share and commemorate these wonderful stories of festivalgoers over the decades."

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