The Fableists Have Gone Black – 50% off for Black Friday

Posted on November 28, 2014 by TheFableists

Powerless to resist, The Fableists have joined the Black Friday mayhem. 50% off this weekend with code goneblack at www.TheFableists.com.

Go wild!

The Fableists Christmas Sale – Now On! Read on for details…

Posted on November 27, 2014 by TheFableists

It’s our little way of saying ‘Season’s Greetings’. Sale starts now and runs until December 5th with 25% off our entire collection. Come and have a look here and use code christmas25 in order to obtain the discount. Surprise the little Fableists in your life with some clothes they will love, from limited edition artist-designed tees, to vintage-inspired organic cotton denim, to super soft and cosy tops. Our clothes are all organic, all ethically made and most are unisex, so that they can be passed down to younger brothers or sisters.

www.TheFableists.com

Have a magical day out this Christmas with the National Trust

Posted on November 26, 2014 by TheFableists

‘Tis the season to be jolly and Father Christmas is making some extra special stop-offs in his hectic festive schedule this winter.

Enjoy a magical day out with all the family at some picturesque National Trust places where you can get into the Christmas spirit by writing letters, exploring enchanting trails and making decorations, all with the help of Santa’s little helpers.

Celebrating festive traditions, the Trust is helping Father Christmas prepare for the season with some special locations for his grottos. From Victorian homes and ancient castles to lighthouses and cosy stables, a visit to see Santa will fill the whole family with Christmas cheer.

Every single visit this Christmas will support the Trust’s work as a charity looking after special places for future generations to enjoy. Here are the National Trust’s best grottos and activities to get into the festive spirit:

Santa’s Grottos

Belton House, Lincolnshire
Santa in the Stables, 5 – 7, 12 – 14, 19 – 21 December, 12pm – 3pm
This year, Santa is hiding out in the beautifully decorated Belton House stables with the Christmas elves. If you’ve been good all year, you’re sure to receive a festive gift from Santa and afterwards you can enjoy breakfast with the man himself in the Ride Cafe.
Price: £3.50 (including gift from Santa, normal admission fee applies)
For more information, please call 01476 566116

Brimham Rocks, North Yorkshire
Santa’s Winter Wonderland, 20 – 21 December, 11.30am – 2.30pm
Explore Brimham Rocks, and have a great day out at nature’s playground this Christmas. Have you been good boys and girls? Visit the land of fairy tales and follow the frosty Christmas trail through the moorland rocks to meet Santa in his snowy winter wonderland.
Price: £4 (includes gift from Santa, booking essential)
For more information, please call 01423 780688

Souter Lighthouse and The Leas, Tyne & Wear
Santa at Souter, 6 – 7, 13 – 14, 20 – 21 December, 11am – 4pm
This year Santa is returning to Souter in style at the first lighthouse in the world designed and built to be powered by electricity. Post your letter and join the elves in their workshop for Christmas craft making before seeing Santa in his Victorian Grotto where he’s giving out presents – but only if you’ve been good! A hot chocolate with all the trimmings will warm you up on your way home. Santa will try his best to reply to everyone so keep checking the post!
Price: £10 per child (booking essential)
For more information, please call 0191 5290909

Dyrham Park, Gloucestershire
Christmas in the park, 6 – 7, 13 – 14, 20 – 21 December, 10am – 4pm
With far-reaching views of the Severn Valley, Dyrham is the ideal place to escape the crowds this Christmas. Explore the great outdoors, wrap up warm and take part in the deer trail in the historic park to find Rudolph and his friends. Enjoy seasonal refreshments in the tea-room and pick up those last minute Christmas presents from the shop. Enjoy music and get hands on with crafts near the house and don’t miss Father Christmas who will be at Old Lodge to wish you a Merry Christmas.
Price: Free event (normal admission fee applies)
For more information, please call 0117 9372501

Cotehele, Cornwall
At home with Mother and Father Christmas, 20 – 23 December, 1pm – 3.30pm
The Tudor house of Cotehele is perched high above the River Tamar in the Cornish countryside and Mother and Father Christmas are waiting in their grotto before they return to the North Pole to start their Christmas deliveries. Make sure you catch them before they leave and let them know your Christmas wishes.
Price: £2 (includes a gift from Santa, normal admission fee applies)
For more information, please call 01579 351346

Kedleston Hall, Derbyshire
Breakfast with Father Christmas, 6 – 7, 13 – 14, 20 – 21 December, 9.30am – 10.30am
This Christmas, satisfy your appetite and experience an extra special Christmas breakfast with Santa in the old kitchen restaurant of Kedleston Hall. Intended as a ‘temple to the arts’ this impressive mansion oozes glamour. Enjoy the cosy space to relax and meet the man himself over a slice of toast!
Price: Adult £7.50, Child: £10 (includes a gift from Santa, normal admission fee applies, booking essential)
For more information, please call 01332 842191

Quarry Bank, Cheshire
A Victorian Christmas, 6 – 7, 13 – 14 December, 11am – 3pm
Join the festive fun with a traditional Christmas weekend at one of Britain’s greatest industrial sites. Meet Victorian characters and find out more about customs from the past and the people that used to work in the cotton mill. Tell Father Christmas what’s on your Christmas list and enjoy Christmas carols, stories, last-minute shopping, and finish your day with a warming mince pie.
Price: Free event (normal admission fee applies)
For more information, please call 01625 527468

Trerice, Cornwall
Tudor Father Christmas, 13 – 14, 20 – 21 December, 11am – 4pm
Visit this fine manor house in the Cornish countryside and add a touch of grandeur to Christmas this year. Come and meet a special Tudor Father Christmas, hear his tales and go home with a very special paper package tied up with string. This is a magical opportunity to hear stories of Christmas past with five performances throughout the day, lasting 30 minutes each.
Tickets are available from reception for 11.30am, 12.15pm, 1.30pm, 2.30pm and 3.15pm.
Price: Adult £2, Child £3 (normal admission fee applies)
For more information, please call 01637 875404

Speke Hall, Garden and Estate, Liverpool
Victorian Christmas Weekends, 29 – 30 November, 6 – 7, 13 – 14 December, 11am – 4pm
Visit this stunning black and white house on the bank of the River Mersey and see it decorated for a traditional Victorian Christmas. There will be lots of festive family activities with Christmas carols in the Tudor Great Hall and Father Christmas will be waiting in the wings to hear your Christmas list.
Price: £3 to visit Father Christmas (normal admission fee applies)
For more information call 0151 427 7231.

White Peak, Derbyshire
Countryside Christmas at Ilam Park, 7 December, 10am – 4pm
Escape to the countryside and visit the Peak District for hands on festive activities in Ilam Park. Meet Santa, toast marshmallows over the fire, build a wooden reindeer and bird box, make a Christmas wreath or create some decorations for your tree.
Price: Free event and entry
For more information, please call 01335 350503

Croft Castle and Parkland, Herefordshire
Santa’s workshop, 6 – 7, 13 – 14, 20 – 21 December, 11am – 4pm
Croft Castle sits deep in the heart of Herefordshire countryside surrounded by acres of historic woodland and Santa has stopped off to make those last minute Christmas gifts. Follow the reindeer trail to find Santa in his workshop and get an extra early Christmas gift.
Price: £4 (normal admission fee applies)
For more information, please call 01568 780246

Biddulph Grange Garden, Staffordshire
Santa in his Christmas cottage, 7, 14 & 20 – 23 December, 12pm – 3pm
Santa is flying into Biddulph Grange Garden to open his magical Christmas Cottage. Follow the trail to discover the festive Cottage hidden deep in the garden, inside you will find Santa and his helpers, Christmas trees and fairy lights all waiting for you. Bring your Christmas present wish list with you to give to Santa or write one at Santa’s very own writing desk.
Price: Free event (normal admission fee applies)
For more information, please call 01782 517999

Mount Stewart, County Down
Santa at the Temple, 4 – 7, 10 – 14, 17 – 23 December, 3pm – 7.30pm
Catch the festive ‘Santa Express’ bus to Temple of the Winds within the picturesque grounds of this country estate. Explore the hidden grotto, meet the elves in their workshop and enjoy festive refreshments before meeting Santa, Mrs Claus and the magic elf. Hear their story, join in the fun and take home a lovely present.
Price: Adult £7 Child £15 (booking essential)
For more information, please call 028 4278 8387

Chartwell, Kent
Father Christmas at Chartwell, 6 – 7 December, 11am – 3pm
Explore the family home and garden of Sir Winston Churchill this Christmas and meet Santa Claus who will be giving out a gift to good girls and boys and then helping the elves to make Christmas crafts.
Price: £7 per child (normal admission charges apply, booking essential)
For more information, please call 01732 861159

Ickworth, Suffolk
Family Christmas sparkle at Ickworth, 6 – 7, 13 – 14, 20 – 22 December, 9.30am – 4.30pm
Brighten your Christmas with a visit to Ickworth for a festive family weekend in December with Santa, gifts and much more. Visit the Georgian mansion in the heart of the Suffolk countryside for a celebratory family Christmas making decorations, crackers and treats. Sit next to the Christmas tree to hear festive stories and collect a special gift from Father Christmas.
Price: £8 (booking advisable to see Santa) Normal admission charges for the park, garden and house for accompanying adults.
For more information, please call 0844 249 1895

Dyffryn Gardens, Glamorgan
Christmas fair and Father Christmas grotto, 6 – 7, 13 – 14 December, 10am – 4pm
It’s time to get festive at some magical gardens just outside of Cardiff. Come along to Dyffryn to meet Father Christmas, make some pomanders and get your Christmas shopping off to a great start. Pick up some truly local and unique gifts for your loved ones and have a crisp winter walk amongst the gardens scattered with a sprinkling of frost.
Price: Free event (normal admission fee applies)
For more information, please call 02920 593328

Oxburgh Hall, Norfolk
Meet Father Christmas, 13 – 14 December, 11am – 4pm
This moated manor house looks like it has popped straight out of a fairy-tale and it looks even more magical at Christmas. Come along and find Father Christmas hiding out in his grotto in a corner of the festive Hall. Discover his secret location and tell him what you would like for Christmas and you’re sure to receive a special gift.
Price: £5
For more information, please call 08442 491 895

Castle Ward, County Down
Santa’s House, 30 November – 22 December (Wednesday to Sunday only)
Mrs Claus welcomes you to help waken Santa as he sleeps by an open fire. Join Mrs Claus for some festive shortbread and mince pies, listen carefully to Santa’s story about Christmas at Castle Ward and collect a treat and a beautiful toy.
Price: Adult £7 Child £15 (booking essential)
For more information, please call 028 4488 1204

Fun Festive Activities

The Vyne, Hampshire
Fun in the Cracker Factory, 13 – 14, 22 – 23 December, 12pm – 3pm
The mansion’s rooms are decorated for a vintage Christmas, full of nostalgia, warmth and magic. The Vyne’s elves are still hard at work with their preparations for Christmas and you’re invited to help them out in the bustling Cracker Factory, where you can make your own crackers with a bang to take home.
Price: £3 (normal admission fee applies, booking advisable)
For more information, please call 01256 883858

Bateman’s, East Sussex
A Kipling family Christmas, 29 November – 23 December, 26 – 31 December, 11.30am – 3.30pm
The family home of Rudyard Kipling is decorated for Christmas, with all the sights, sounds and scents of the festive period, with a special Christmas trail for the children leading to the elves special workshop. Stop off for a leisurely lunch in the Mulberry Restaurant and a spot of Christmas shopping in the gift shop to end the day.
Price: Free event (normal admission fee applies)
For more information, please call 01435 882302

Formby, Liverpool
Narnia, 18, 19, December, 2pm – 4.30pm & 20 December, 11am – 3.30pm
Visit Formby this Christmas and walk through the magical story of Narnia where the Spirit of Christmas is all about giving. What can you bring to share some magic this festive season with those in need? Guides will walk you through the woodlands where you’ll discover the magical story of Narnia. Santa will be waiting to collect your gift to give to those less fortunate this Christmas.
Price: £3 (booking essential, normal admission fee applies)
For more information, please call please e-mail formbyevents@nationaltrust.org.uk

Montacute House, Somerset
Huskies at Montacute, 13 – 14 December, 11.30am – 3pm
Montacute is a place of beauty and wonder and is even more magical at Christmas. Watch a team of huskies pull a wheeled rig up and down the west drive and get up close to one of man’s most enchanting and fluffy best friends. Meet Santa in his Grotto at weekends from 6 – 21 December, 12pm – 3pm.
Price: Free event (normal admission fee applies)
For more information, please call 01935 826 294

Fountains Abbey and Studley Royal Water Garden, North Yorkshire
Dear Father Christmas, 29 & 30 November, 6 – 7, 13 – 14, 20 – 21, 22 – 23, 26 – 31 December, 1 – 4 January 2015, 11am – 3pm
The magnificent ruins of Fountains Abbey look even more magical during the winter months with a sprinkle of frost in the air. It’s nearly Christmas and the elves are waiting at their twinkly post office to receive some very special letters. If you’ve said your pleases and thank-yous this year, be sure to write to Santa to tell him how good you’ve been. There will be paper, pens, envelopes and stamps at the ready – all that’s left is for you to write your wish list, become the elf postmaster, and send it off to the North Pole. If you drop in after Christmas, make sure you write to Santa to thank him for your presents.
Price: Free event (normal admission fee applies)
For more information, please call 01765 608888

Petworth House and Park, West Sussex
The Gingerbread Snowman, 26 December – 2 January 2015, 10.30am – 3pm
Join a festive trail around the country house and park in the Sussex countryside this Christmas. The Cook has dropped all the ingredients for her gingerbread recipe in the Pleasure Grounds; can you find them and write them down to make your very own Gingerbread Snowman at home?
Price: £3
For more information, please call 01798 342207

Allan Bank and Grasmere, Cumbria
Notes to Santa, 1 – 21 December, 10am – 4pm
There’s no better place to put pen to paper than at Allan Bank in Cumbria, once home to William Wordsworth. Write your note to Santa with all your Christmas wishes and leave it in the big sack ready to be delivered. Wait to see your letter sent up the chimney and to make sure Father Christmas gets your message.
Price: Free event (normal admission fee applies)
For more information, please call 015394 35143

Uppark House and Garden, West Sussex
Stir up Sunday 30 November, 11am – 3pm
Join in the tradition of Stir up Sunday at this tranquil house perched on the South Downs ridge. Take turns to come and stir the Uppark Christmas pudding and to make a festive wish. A bag of spices and a real sixpence will be yours to take home to add to your very own pudding.
Price: 50p (normal admission fee applies)
For more information, please call 01730 825 415

Stowe, Buckinghamshire
Christmas Angels – Family make and take at Christmas, 29-30 November, 6 – 7, 13 – 14, 20 – 22 December, 10am – 4pm
Visit Stowe this Christmas and discover a vast landscape with over 40 historic temples and monuments each with their own story. Every Christmas tree shouldn’t be without its very own angel, so have a go at making a handmade one this festive season. Don’t forget to add a pinch of glitter to add that extra special sparkle to their wings.
All craft materials, decorations and instructions are provided.
Price: Free event
For more information, please call 01280 817 156

Coleridge Cottage, Somerset
A Georgian Christmas, 13 December, 4.30pm – 8.30pm
Add a sprinkle of romance to Christmas with a visit to home of poet Samuel Taylor Coleridge. Get into the festive spirit with a candlelit evening of carol singing, fireside stories and a festive present for every child.
Price: Adult £5, Child £3 (booking advisable)
For more information, please call 01278 732662

The Ethical Box Pop Up Shop Saturday November 29th & Sunday November 30th

Posted on November 24, 2014 by TheFableists

If you haven’t checked out Ethical Box yet, then please have a look. They are an online marketplace for ethical brands. This weekend, they are holding a pop up shop just off Brick Lane, London, to celebrate their launch. And The Fableists will be there.

The founders behind new e-commerce site, EthicalBox, are on a mission to show customers that fashion and accessories can still be on-trend, yet sustainable and ethical at the same time. Inspired by the success of Etsy, EthicalBox is an online shopping website where customers can browse and purchase items from the collections of various ethical designers with the click of a button, snap of a smartphone or touch of tablet.

With over 20 different brands currently available, customers will be pleased by the selection of fair-trade merchandise, moderately priced items, easy shipping policy and on-trend collections.

To celebrate the exciting launch of the website, EthicalBox will unveil a pop-up store at Brick Lane Market from November 29-30, 2014 from 9:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m. at 20 Cheshire Street, London, E2 6EH. Customers are invited to see the EthicalBox site come to life at the pop-up – with representation not just from the brands themselves, but the EthicalBox team as well.

Not only will customers be able to meet the designers behind their favourite sustainable brands on site and save with no shipping fees, but those who attend the pop-up event will also be able to vie for a piece from the exclusive, limited edition EthicalBox T-Shirt line. Only 50 t-shirts, made from 100% recycled plastic bottles turned into fabric, will be available for purchase.

In the spirit of the sustainability, the EthicalBox team will also be handing out 5,000 EthicalBox recyclable water bottles to those attending the pop-up event. A street team will also be on hand to ensure water bottles stay in customer’s hands – and not on the East end ground. The street team will be active on social media throughout the event as well.

EthicalBox, which first launched on October 31 continues to build momentum before the holiday season, as the focus on many Christmas lists this year is sustainable, ethical fashion items to spread cheer for family and friends.

For more information, please visit the EthicalBox website at http://www.ethicalbox.co or view EthicalBox on social media channels such as Instagram (@EthicalBox), Twitter, (@Ethical_Box), or Facebook, (Facebook.com/WeAreEthicalBox).

The event will be taking place across the last weekend of November, one of the busiest shopping times, as it is also Black Friday weekend.

The store is just next to the busy Brick Lane and we expect to draw in a lot of traffic from the market and local vintage and fashion stores.

Christmas at the Fableists Store

Posted on November 21, 2014 by TheFableists

Obviously, we are absolutely busting with Christmas excitement. The problem is – no one else seems to be. Everyone seems really ‘bah humbug’ about the whole thing this year.

As a result, we have held back with our Christmas decorations in the store. It still looks like this.

Nice, I know but it really should look like the elves have visited by now, shouldn’t it?

It’s getting harder and harder to hold the ‘Christmas’ in and I’m afraid we’re about to explode. So, in order to reign ourselves in, we are planning said explosion. And it’s starting next week.

We have some special holiday events planned:

Thursday November 27th: Late Opening in Coggeshall for Christmas Shopping. The Fableists will be involved in this event at our store (address below). Many local shops will open until at least 8pm and will be serving festive refreshments.

Saturday December 6th: Coggeshall Christmas. Our local Christmas Fayre takes over Coggeshall. If you are looking for a wonderful, traditional village Christmas event, then look no further. There will be market stalls inside and out, a visit from Father Christmas, entertainment and the turning on of the Christmas lights. It’s great fun for the whole family.

Please drop in and see us at the store for these fun events, or any other time in the lead up to Christmas.

5A Church Street
Coggeshall Essex
CO6 1UF
01376 564 117

or visit us at our online shop at www.TheFableists.com.

Matisse Cut Out Screen Printing Workshops sponsored by The Fableists at Ruby & Norm

Posted on November 19, 2014 by TheFableists

The Fableists will be back at Ruby and Norm this coming weekend for another fab printing workshop for kids.

Ruby & Norm will be hosting another sessions of ‘Matisse Cut Outs’ in their shop in south London on December 14th. These sessions are sponsored by The Fableists.

The workshops are run by The Conservatoire.

During the sessions, children are given basic shapes to cut out and paste on their screen, using both the positive and negative shape. They will use scissors to cut shapes and stick them onto the screen print in one colour or in blended colours onto paper and fabric. Parents can take the fabric away to make a bag.

8 to 10 children each session
Time : 11am to 12.30pm
length of each session : 90 minutes
Age of children: 8 – 12 years
Bookings: to be taken at Ruby and Norm but contact details of the participants to be shared with the Conservatoire.
Conservatoire Staff: one tutor and one assistant.

Ruby & Norm
266 Lee High Street, SE13 5PL
07947 762 174

All Fableists Stock at Ruby & Norm will be 50% off for this event, so please come and see us!

The Fableists

The Fableists : A Uniform for a New Generation

Posted on November 18, 2014 by TheFableists

I recently wrote this blog post for the blog City Girl at Heart, which has a weekly feature called Ethical Tuesday. I thought I’d share it with you.

The Fableists make clothing for children aged 3-10. Our designs are classic, stylish and hard-wearing; they are built for kids. The designs echo the looks we see on those working in the creative industries worldwide from our backgrounds in advertising and production. No matter where you go in the world, it seems that people working in advertising, design and production have a ‘uniform’. It consists of jeans, trainers, graphic tees, jackets, beautifully tailored tops and vintage pieces. The look is comfortable, unisex and utilitarian.

And it is not wasteful. While everyone will have some special pieces in their wardrobe for occasions, no one needs a closet jammed with clothes they rarely wear. Children are no different, and if you’re like me, you can do with reducing your washing! When faced with too many options from which to choose, children can become overwhelmed and this can lead to problems getting them dressed.

‘The Fableists’ Wardrobe’ reduces waste but it also makes the lives of parents and children easier. You can add to it and accessorise it but it won’t go out of style, will suit all occasions, is not seasonal, is made well – to last, and since it is mostly unisex, it can be passed on to a sibling, family member, or friend. It also helps children to learn to buy what they ‘need’, not just what they ‘want’.

Reducing consumption and waste by investing in good quality, durable pieces that will have a longer life and caring for them to prolong their use is at the heart of The Fableists’ Wardrobe. But we also want to make sure the clothes look great. We were inspired by vintage looks that took us back to our own childhoods, when kids were allowed to be kids for longer. Kids shouldn’t be worrying about the latest fashions, they should be climbing trees and wading in puddles! We keep the look simple, authentic, kid friendly and practical.

But we didn’t want to stop there. The idea that somewhere, a child could be making the clothes that we would sell to other children was intolerable. We didn’t want to support anyone who would use children in their factories, or slave labour – that was a given. And no way did we want to use toxic dyes that could be dumped in to the ecosystem in the area surrounding the factory, poisoning the rivers and land, and therefore the people who live and farm there. Most importantly, we began to realise that if small companies like ours didn’t start to make changes in the way that we produce clothing, then the big companies would never change either. We are making clothes for children who will be the consumers of tomorrow, so it’s crucial that they learn to shop well. We want the tribe of ‘Fableists’ to learn to buy well, wear well, care well and dispose well. It’s pretty simple, really.

So, we made a commitment to ensuring that all of our clothes were produced in factories that pay fair wages, offer benefits to their employees, provide safe working conditions and where no children are employed. The cotton we use is organic, grown in monsoon-fed regions of India and produced by a collective working with over 15,000 small hold or marginal farmers. The collective allows the farmers to negotiate fair and often premium market prices for their crops. It educates the farmers on crop diversification and maintains organic farming standards. The collective has saved most of these small, traditional farms from a cycle of debt from which they would not have escaped. Organic farming eliminates the toxic chemicals from the lives and lands of the farmers as well as from the crops they produce, which eventually end up on our plates and in our clothes.

For our t-shirt collections, we collaborate with well-known artists to create limited edition runs of their artwork on our tees. We pay the artists a fair price for their work and don’t take advantage of them, or take away from their amazing work by printing endless versions of each print. Each design has a limited print run of only 500 t-shirts. The tees come numbered like a the pieces of art that they are. This also ensures that your children will own a unique item that will help them to stand out from the crowd in a mass-produced-fashion obsessed world.

Every item in our collection comes with its own passport where your child can record their name and the dates they owned the clothes. This passport gets passed on with the clothes and there is space for another child to write their name. This will help encourage children to be excited by hand me downs, treasure their clothes and passport and give it to someone else when they are done.

We tell the whole story – or Fable – of our clothes and hope that both we and consumers will learn more about how, where, why and by whom clothes are made and strive to make positive changes in the way that fashion is produced, consumed and disposed of.

The clothes never fail to impress in person. The current collection consists of thirteen artist-designed t-shirts, straight-legged jeans, denim skirt, Breton top, baseball tee, western shirt, smock top, tunic dress and a ‘chore coat’ in two colours. See them at our online shop http://www.TheFableists.com.

Sarah Cooper
The Fableists

Tickets on Sale for ‘My First Ballet – Swan Lake’

Posted on November 13, 2014 by TheFableists

To help introduce children – and their parents – to the beautiful art form that is ballet, The English National Ballet launched My First Ballet a few of years ago with Sleeping Beauty. They followed that up with Cinderella and Coppélia. By using fairy tales, the audience is familiar with the stories, which helps them to understand the action. The ballets are danced by second year students of the English National Ballet School in performances produced by English National Ballet.

This year, English National Ballet and English National Ballet School present arguably the most famous ballet, Swan Lake. Based on Russian folk tales, Swan Lake tells the story of Odette, a princess turned in to a swan by an evil sorcerer. It was first performed in 1877, when it received universal criticism for the dancers, storyline, sets, decorations, orchestra, score and more. Swan Lake has a long and complicated performance history and it underwent several changes but it continued to run and grew in popularity. Now, major companies around the world sell out tickets every year when they include it in their new seasons. It is one of the world’s best loved ballets, with its stunning and recognisable Tchaikovsky score and moving dances.

In the My First Ballet series, the score is accompanied by a narrator, who begins with a lesson in ballet miming and continues to help translate what is happening throughout. She or he also encourages the children to participate. At the My First Ballet presentations, children are not expected to sit quietly. They are encouraged to get involved and noisily munch on bags of sweets during the shows. If they get up from their seats for a little stretch, no one is going to mind. What is amazing is to watch their enthralled faces during the performance. The majority of kids are swept away by the emotions of the ballet. It’s a pretty amazing thing to watch.

My First Ballet: Swan Lake debuts 2 April 2015 in London. This is followed by a mini tour to Poole, Woking, Manchester, Brisol and Leicester. Tickets are very reasonable and a fraction of the cost of the premiere ballet companies. Buy your tickets here.

Credits:

Choreography: George Williamson after Marius Petipa and Lev Ivanov
Concept and Direction: George Williamson
Music: Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky
Musical Arrangement: Gavin Sutherland
Original Design: Peter Farmer
New Design: Louie Whitemore

The Fableists Are Taking Part in Evergreen Clinics’ Christmas Shopping Night

Posted on November 12, 2014 by TheFableists

Evergreen Clinics in Earls Colne, Essex is hosting a Christmas shopping evening on Thursday November 13th. The event is a fundraiser, with all proceeds going to The Sick Children’s Trust.

Evergreen offer therapies, including physiotherapy, osteopathy, sports massage and acupuncture. They also have small and private yoga and pilates classes and sessions.

Entry is £5 and includes a glass of bubbly. It’s a great chance to do a little Christmas shopping as items ranging from ladies fashion to cooking equipment will be available – as well as some of The Fableists’ collection.

We hope to see you there!

TheFableists

Play hard, live forever

Monthly Archives: November 2014