Do You Know How The Fabulous Flavel Was Born..?

The local organisations - they say YES!

I have just finished reading, from cover to  cover, 'The Curious Story of the Birth of the Flavel Arts Centre Against Great Odds'. All I can say is I am full of admiration - in fact, nothing short of amazed - to learn about this tortuous journey and had no idea of all the many setbacks, challenges and disappointments that a small but dedicated band of Dartmouth-lovers had to go through to realise their dream. 

Support from local artist Simon Drew

Visitors and people who have recently moved to Dartmouth often ask how such a fine contemporary building - with its library, theatre and cinema facilities usually only available in larger town - came about.

As Mr Ray Bridges, Hon. President, says in his introduction on the purpose of this fascinating booklet "It was an heroic community achievement, and this explanation of the Flavel's arrival is a little tribute to all those people and their families who took part. This is their story..." 

One of the many fundraising events - don't they look happy?

 And what a story it is...

Thereby hereby hangs a very lengthy tale, chronicling an incredible eight years from the original idea for the Flavel in 1997 to its 'birth' in 2005.

From feuds, funding setbacks and financial problems to bureaucracy, bad news and building regulations, not to mention continuous opposition from various councils, this determined group - along with a host of supportive and eager volunteers - doggedly carried on and overcame hurdle after hurdle without losing sight of their vision of a community hub for the town.

 

The Great March, 2nd September 1999

"We're from Dartmouth! Mighty, Mighty Dartmouth! What do we need? 
We need THE FLAVEL!"  

This rousing chant was apparently developed by four young supporters en route on a boat upriver from Dartmouth, along with one hundred and eight fellow Flavel supporters, for a demonstration to SHDC in Totnes.  

This day proved to be one of the most important days for the future of the project.

From May 1997 this committed band of Trustees and Townspeople continued to work tirelessly: fundraising, demonstrating and basically working their collective socks off until - after a veritable river of blood, sweat and tears - the Flavel finally, finally made it to its Grand Opening 
on February 25th 2005.

There is a lovely poem at the end of the book, epitomising the enthusiasm of so many supporters, which I would like to share with you. I must now confess that after reading every single detail of this incredible story, I STILL cannot read these words without getting a lump in my throat.

I hope you will enjoy it too:

Go, proud ship, your four sails gleaming,
Child of years of hope and dreaming;
All the future lies before you.
Not a soul can now ignore you.

Now’s the time for celebration,
Flagship of the Town’s creation.
Flavel would be right behind you:
Go, proud ship, may fortune find you.

Ken Dent, 2005

 

For full details of this fascinating story of the many trials and tribulations of how the Flavel was ‘born’, pick up a copy of this unique historical record.

I really loved this little book and I think anyone who enjoys visiting the Flavel will too - and the good news is that for a mere £5 you can help to keep the Flavel ship sailing on!

(Oh, and wouldn't it make a great present for a Flavel-Loving friend, or an interesting holiday souvenir..?)

 

Copies of the booklet are on sale in the foyer during opening hours, or for more information on how to receive your copy please contact those friendly Flavel people and they will be happy to help:

Contact:

Tel: 01803 839530

E Mail: boxoffice@theflavel.org.uk

Website: http://theflavel.org.uk/TheFlavel.dll/Home

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/TheFlavel/

Twitter: https://twitter.com/FlavelArts

Valeria D, Guest Blogger

Whitney - what a waste..

We went to see 'Whitney' last Thursday with two friends as we'd always loved her music and had heard good film reviews. 

Well, it was certainly in sharp contrast to the Feel-Good Factor we had after seeing the 'Monterey Pop' film a few weeks ago. What we felt was more of a Feel-Sad Factor as we shuffled out quietly at the end... 

Nevertheless I am glad to have seen this film.

The film blurb states that this is 'An unflinching and honest portrait of a rare talent, told by those closest to her'.

It certainly was that, with interviews from family and friends and Whitney herself.

Her voice and talent was simply amazing even at a very young age, and it was so sad and heart-wrenching to see the slow slide from innocent gospel singer, through international stardom, and down into self destruction and addiction, leading to her death at just forty eight years old.

 A very well made, powerful and affecting film. I found it quite heart breaking, in fact it still haunts me now. 

 

  What a wicked waste of a wonderful talent.

Whitney, we will always love you...

Thanks to the Flavel for this one-off film showing - once again a winner for me.

Flavel Info:
http://www.theflavel.org.uk
boxoffice@theflavel.org.uk 
https://www.facebook.com/TheFlavel/
https://twitter.com/FlavelArts
https://www.instagram.com/theflavel/


Guest Blogger Valeria D

Monterey Blew Us Away...

All I can say is “Wow”!

 What a brilliant evening we all had at the Flavel  at the recent screening of 

‘Monterey Pop’ 

- the iconic film of the 

Monterey International Pop Festival in 1967, directed by 

D A Pennebaker

I came along with eight music-mad pals and we all thoroughly enjoyed our musical trip down memory lane…

   

The auditorium was laid out with candlelit tables which created a fantastically relaxed atmosphere...so much so that the whole audience clapped and cheered after each performance, kind of forgetting that we were actually watching a film!

 
 


You really felt you had been transported back to 1967 and the Summer of Love, and it was wonderful… Well, I guess you could say it was one of those ‘you had to be there’ evenings - and boy were we glad that we were!

My personal favourite was Otis Redding singing ‘I’ve Been Loving You Too Long’ – so haunting and beautiful.

My second choice was the fabulous Janis Joplin singing with Big Brother and the Holding Company, closely followed by the incomparable Jimi Hendrix.
 

  So, so sad that we lost these three fantastic music legends way too soon…

I can honestly say that a good time was had by all of us – in fact we were so blown away by it all that we didn't want it to end, so we all finished the evening with a most enjoyable glass of chilled wine at an outside table at the Platform One bar overlooking the river, just reminiscing and talking music, music, music.

  

The enthusiasm was infectious, so thank you very much lovely Flavel people for creating such a memorable event!

 

 I had intended to come to the screening of ‘A Concert for George’ (George Harrison tribute concert film) last Saturday but sadly events overtook me and to my disappointment I couldn’t make it.

  However, I am looking forward to seeing ‘Whitney’ – a documentary film on her life and career - on August 9th. Full details here: https://goo.gl/chgnTL

 

 So much great music on offer – so little time to fit it all in, but I’m doing my best…. Watch this space!

Info:

http://theflavel.org.uk/TheFlavel.dll/Home 

https://www.facebook.com/TheFlavel
https://twitter.com/FlavelArts
https://www.instagram.com/flavelartscentre/


 

Guest Blogger Valeria D

The Greatest Showman

Hugh Jackman, Michelle Williams, Zac Efron, Rebecca Ferguson and Zendaya star in this spectacular musical based on the life of PT Barnum - the innovative American showman.
If you like great original music and dance routines and fast moving action, this film is for you!

Watch the trailer for a taster: https://youtu.be/jr9QtXwC9vc?t=16

To find out more and to book tickets, click here: http://theflavel.org.uk/TheFlavel.dll/WhatsOn?Programme=4160714

Loving Vincent

"We cannot speak other than by our painting." Vincent Van Gogh

Loving Vincent is an incredibly beautiful and groundbreaking film. It tells the story of the troubled artist Vincent Van Gogh's life - and his controversial death - but in a way that has never been done before - it is the first entirely oil-painted animation film in history.

It is set twelve months after the painter's death, and brings together a group of characters that sat for him. The strange nature of his death is explored through their narrative.
There are sequences of extraordinary beauty, that come close to capturing the genius of the artist.

Watch the trailer to get a taste of the visual delight of the film.
https://youtu.be/CGzKnyhYDQI

To find out more and to book tickets click here: http://theflavel.org.uk/TheFlavel.dll/WhatsOn?Programme=4034542

London came to Dartmouth

On Friday the 13th of October, The Flavel audience enjoyed a very unique cinema screening.

Introduced by director Alex Barrett (who attended the screening in-person), London Symphony enthralled its large audience from the opening frame to the last - and in the post-film Q&A hosted by cinema coordinator Sam Love, Barrett enthralled the audience with tales of the film's 4-year production before answering many insightful questions.

This was a very special evening for The Flavel, and we're grateful that Barrett stopped by The Flavel on his exhaustive UK tour.

For more details about the film and where to see it next, see here.

Interview: Peter Snow and Ann McMillan

What gave you the idea to write a book together?

 We have always wanted to write a book together especially since we have worked as a team on Peter's other books. When our editor ask Peter for another book about military history we came up with the idea of the two of us writing personal stories about people who had extraordinary  experiences in wartime. 

What method did you adopt - did you write the stories together or separately? 

We did a great deal of research and came up with a long list of potential subjects. Each of us chose the men or women we found most interesting and when we had each written our account, we handed it over to the other for suggestions and corrections. It worked very well although there was the odd argument - usually friendly! 

There are already many published war stories - what is different about these accounts?

What makes these stories different is that each one is uniquely memorable.  Most importantly we chose individuals who had written first hand accounts of their experiences in diaries or letters from the battlefield. A few of our subjects - for example a refugee from war-torn Syria,  a veteran of the ST Nazaire harbour raid in 1942 and an SAS navigator in the North African desert -  are still alive so we interviewed them personally.  

What do you find fascinating about people caught up in war?

We are both journalists who have covered many conflicts but we have never fought a war. Telling the story about people who have had that life changing experience has been enormously rewarding. We haven't just gone for heroes, there are villains in our book too?  And one of the most astonishing stories is the tale of the captured German Luftwaffe pilot who made several escapes from British POW camps and finally made it home to lGermany

The stories span four centuries - how did you select the subjects, and research their stories?

We hope that readers will find each of the stories unforgettable. We include brave soldiers like Edward Seager who survived the charge of the Light Brigade in the Crimea. And we've gone behind the battle lines as well.  We write about doctors like Norman Bethune who invented mobile blood transfusions in the Spanish Civil War. Women play a large part too: spies like the incredibly brave and beautiful Krystyna Skarbek, Winston Churchill's favourite operative in the Second World War and Belgian/ Congolese nurse Augusta Chiwy who risked her life to save American soldiers in the Battle of the Bulge. 

Are you planning to write together again?

We are so pleased with our book that we are already collecting stories for War Stories Two. Any suggestions greatly welcome!

 To find out more and to book tickets click here: http://theflavel.org.uk/TheFlavel.dll/Bookings?Booking=TSelectItems.waSelectItemsPrompt.TcsWebMenuItem_0.TcsWebTab_0.TcsPerformance_3785073.TcsSection_926694