About Us

Fylde DFAS Committee 2013-2014

Fylde DFAS Committee 2013-2014

 

 

Fylde Decorative and Fine Arts Society held its inaugural meeting in October 2009.

We currently have over 250 members and an exciting programme of events.

We are a Member Society of NADFAS – The National Association of Decorative & Fine Arts Societies

NADFAS is an arts-based educational charity founded in 1968. All NADFAS Societies subscribe to the aims and objects of the National Association: the advancement of arts education and appreciation and the preservation of our artistic heritage.

 

What Are The ‘Fine & Decorative Arts’?

Have a look at our lecture programme! It is not just about painting. We are interested in sculpture, architecture, jewellery, ceramics, glass, poster art, mosiacs, – just about anything that involves good design. We are not practitioners – at least most of us aren’t – we do have some artists among us. We are mostly about learning, appreciating and understanding.

 

What We Do

These are some of the things we do to promote the arts at local level on the Fylde:

  • Organise a programme of 10 lectures a year delivered by national and international experts in their field
  • Provide Special Interest Days where members have the opportunity to learn in more depth about specific aspects of fine and decorative arts
  • Arrange arts-related visits and tours – our first overseas trip was to Krakow in May 2011. We have arranged guided tours of local churches and trips to places such as Yorshire Sculpture Park, The Lowry, and Saltaire.
  • Offer volunteering activities, such as Church Recording, Heritage Volunteering and opportunities to become involved in the running and administration of the society.  Our Church Recording Group are now busy at the White Church in Ansdell.
  • Support Young Arts. We launched our first major Young Arts project with local primary schools and funded prizes for individuals, and workshops at the Lowry Gallery for the winning school. We worked with local sixth forms and hosted an exhibition of their work at the Booths Gallery in Lytham. We have supported local young artists with small grants and given them an opportunity to showcase their work.
  • Network with other Arts Associations and keep members up-to-date about local arts events and exhibitions
  • Provide opportunities to showcase the artistic work of our members
  • Organise social events and facilitate a warm and friendly environment for all our members.
  • Ensure that we are part of the fabric of the Fylde community and a positive force for the wider benefit of arts at local level. We do this by networking, supporting the local voluntary and community sector, and involving ourselves in worthwhile community actiivities related to our aims and ethos.

Our programme of events is eclectic and diverse and we aim to ensure that it is enjoyable and entertaining as well as informative.  Lectures and Special Interest Days have included painting; sculpture; architecture; silver making and decorating, and art forms from different historical periods from ancient to contemporary, and from a range of cultures and societies. We are an inclusive Society and have an Equality and Diversity Policy (see below) to ensure that we are welcoming and accessible to all.

We have a written Constitution (see below) and are governed by an elected Committee, who meet regularly. They are accountable to members and make themselves available at lectures and other occasions. Their telephone numbers are published on member’s programme/membership cards. We hold an Annual General Meeting when Officers and Committee Members are elected. Our latest AGM was held in September 2013.

We aim to be as transparent as possible in the running of the Society. If you would like a copy of any minutes of committee meetings please email us and we will be happy to supply them. Our policies are listed below.

 

Policies

Our policy documents are listed below.Clicking on any of them will load a PDF file for you to view and/or download

 

 

Our President

Jo Darbyshire was appointed President of the Society in February 2010.

A Solicitor in Lytham St Annes and Blackpool for almost 40 years, Jo retired in 2004 to concentrate on chairing Lancashire Care NHS Trust, having held ministerial appointments in the NHS since 1993.

She has served on several voluntary organisations both and local, national and international level.  In 2007 She was appointed a Deputy Lieutenant of Lancashire.

Jo’s interest is in antiques, particularly silver and furniture, and whilst passionate about preservation she is also interested in developing modern design which make our towns and cities good places to live and work. She is a Fellow of the Royal Society of Arts.

 

Funding &

We are a not-for-profit organisation. The Society is partly funded by member subscription but development of Fylde DFAS has been significantly aided by grants and donations received from a number of sources.

  • Funding from the Fylde Community Projects Fund (Local Strategic Partnership)supported the purchase of a range of equipment (particularly data projection related equipment) and contributed to printing costs.
  • Funding from the Help Direct Small Sparks Fund contributed to the costs of display boards.
  • Eleven Decorative and Fine Arts Societies from across the North West generously provided varying amounts which contributed to start up marketing and publicity costs.
  • Funding from the Fylde Civic Awareness Group contributed to venue costs relating to the Inaugural Meeting in October 2009.
  • Funding from St Annes Town Council has contributed to our Mr Lowry in Lytham Young Arts Project
  • Funding from the Local Strategic Partnership Community Fund has also contributed to our Mr Lowry in Lytham Young Arts Project.

The Fylde Decorative and Fine Arts Society gratefully acknowledge the significant contribution this funding has made to the establishment and development of the Society and also its ability to get involved in projects that support Young Arts.

 

Networking

Currently Fylde DFAS works with and alongside other local arts and cultural based groups and have established a strong link with our local Art Gallery, the Grundy in Blackpool.

We also have an association with the North West Branch of the Contemporary Art Society (CAS). This is a national membership organisation that supports artists by promoting the importance of collecting and commissioning contemporary art. They work with diverse audiences across the UK and within the broader international context for contemporary art.

CAS is a not-for-profit company with charitable status and all the funds raised through their programmes are used to purchase new works of contemporary art. These are then distributed to public collections in the UK, several of which are based in the North West. Here they have established a formidable array of partners including the Bluecoat Gallery, the Tate and the Walker in Liverpool, the Cornerhouse and the Whitworth in Manchester, Grizedale Arts, Tullie House in Carlisle and the Grundy.

As a Society we work with other groups to be of benefit to the Fylde community. We are a member society of Fylde Civic Awareness Group,  Blackpool Wyre and Fylde CVS and Fylde Together

 

Our website

Use of the website is at the risk of the user and our Society takes no responsibility for direct, indirect or consequential loss from use of this site or any hyperlinked site. Furthermore, the Society accepts no liability for viruses infecting the user following its use of this site or any technology accessible through the site.  The Society is committed to preserving the privacy of all visitors to its website