Funky Flamingo Club Nights The Funky Flamingo project has been running since 2001. The Funky Flamingo club night, held three times a year at the Junction in Cambridge, was one of the most successful club projects run by and for people with disabilities. The main sources of funding were a 3- year grant from the Arts Council and then another 3-year grant from the Big Lottery Fund. This income was supplemented by funding from various other sources, including a small annual grant from Cambridge City Council, the continuation of which is presently uncertain. The Club nights, attended by 300-500 people with disabilities from all over the Eastern region, not only provided a space for socialising, dancing and fun, but served as an important training ground in a range of club skills, including musical performance, sound and light, MCing, DJing and VJing. In the couple of months leading up to each night, weekly training sessions, run by professionals, would enable disabled people to develop and broaden their skills in this area. This is the most costly yet vital aspect of the club nights, allowing people with disabilities to take full ownership. The total cost for each club night programme (training period plus night) is around £10,000. Despite huge demand, since the Big Lottery Fund Grant ran out in March 2009, the Funky Flamingo project as a whole has been struggling. There have been some smaller projects and events, but no club nights. Inspire is negotiating with the Junction to try and start them up again, but without adequate funding, they are unlikely to be on the same scale or provide the same level of skills and confidence development as before. We are seeking funding and/or collaborations that will allow the Funky Flamingo project, especially the club nights to continue and grow. We also have a keen interest in establishing relationships with and mutual communication channels with similar organisations in Europe that have a disability arts focus. Talks are being carried out with a number of bodies concerning possibilities for the 2012 Olympics, where Funky TV and Media can get involved and, using the internet (e.g. by hosting short films, online forums and broadcasts), can open up channels of communication with and between organisations in Europe engaged in similar activities. For more about the Funky Flamingo project and to see clips from the club nights, visit www.funkyflamingo.co.uk |
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