​Degas is one of the most loved artists in the world, his recognisable style and ability to capture moments in time made him popular both during his lifetime and beyond. Degas painted scenes that were seemingly in motion with an air of spontaneity , creating snap shots of life before everyone had a camera in their pocket. Indeed he was very interested in the new art of photography which influenced his work. Degas is perhaps best known for his behind the scenes depictions of  ballet dancers, wonderful studies that gave the viewer an insight to a lesser seen world. He certainly captures the feel of class here at IAF!
​
Here are some of our favourites

Dan 12, Jim and Clara 9 (The Trinders!) have been coming to IAF for what feels like forever! They are a fantastic bunch and always a great asset to any art project they get involved in. We love them! Eleanor, our Director of Art and their sometimes teacher had a chat with them about what they get up to here...

​Who is your favourite Artist/Artwork?
Clara: My grandmother Wendy Trinder.
Jim: I like the art works that we have done here, my favourite was the Mr Hoppity sculpture from the Easter Workshop, that was the greatest thing I ever did, that was fun!
Dan: I agree with Jim, it was Mr Hoppity!

​Tell us something about IAF that might surprise people.
Clara: In December we have an exhibition of everything we have done in the year and the Mayor comes.

MakeArt, our annual children's exhibition, is definitely one of our favourite times of year. We get all our tutors and students together in one place and have a glass of kid friendly punch or parent friendly mulled wine, a mince pie or 2 and celebrate all their creativity and hard work and the Mayor of Islington comes, just look at those robes!
​
Check out some pics from the night.

What a talented lot of artists! We can't wait to see what the new term brings in January!

Last Friday we had an Art Sale here at IAF where we sold a collection of art works that have been very generously donated to us over the years by various supporters, as well as some new works from our resident artists. There were so many brilliant art works on sale and we also had a raffle with amazing prizes like a throwing lesson for two worth £110! The event itself was loads of fun, with mulled wine flowing and nibbles aplenty. We have now sold most of the art works and raised an fantastic £4500!!! Check out some pics from the event below.

We are so so grateful to everyone who came and bought and art work or a raffle ticket, and all the fab artists who donated work, Islington Arts Factory could not do it without you! 

One of the questions we get asked all the time around here is 'What is Contemporary Dance ?' With lot's of different modern dance forms around, especially in the street and urban genres it can all be a bit confusing and not that easy to explain!

Contemporary dance has its origins in ballet and developed to give choreographers and performers a greater sense of freedom for the interpretation of emotion.  Contemporary technique combines many aspects of ballet, such as strong and controlled legwork, but also emphasises the use of the back and incorporates floorwork and has greater versatility, freedom and fluid movements for jumping and turning. ​

​At IAF we place the same emphasis on teaching contemporary as ballet, one form supports the other, and enables children to progress more quickly through the levels, while giving them wonderful creative and imaginative performance opportunities.

It definitely feels like the end of the summer doesn’t it? Don’t despair though because autumn is a great time for new starts and offers loads of exciting exhibitions that are worth heading in doors for!

Not only is our exhibition programme going to be loads of fun, kicking off with a solo exhibition by the super talent that is Jamie Shaw and finishing the year with MakeArt our children’s annual showcase, but there’s an abundance of exhibitions in London at the moment to immerse yourself in. So get away from the miserable cold days and head to a gallery! Here’s a few that we are definitely going to check out.

Yayoi Kusama: The Moving Moment When I Went To The Universe Victoria Miro
Playful Kusama returns to Islington based Victoria Miro, it should be fun but may be hard to get a ticket!

Good Grief, Charlie Brown! Somerset House
Who doesn't love Snoopy? This exhibition looks great for all, young and old.

Dream On V & A Museum of Childhood
Explore your imagination in this free exhibitions for families.

And then of course our very own MakeArt!
​
There is no better way to explore London than through it's galleries so get wrapped up and go get inspired!

Montage is Islington Arts Factory's annual dance showcase and it is one of our events that everyone looks forward to the most. Everyone pulls together, every member of staff gets involved and we get to show off the super talented dancers, young and old who come to class at IAF.

This year we were up at Jackson's Lane, our Haringey neighbours, who we love. Here are some pics from this year's event.

Francis Angol our Director of Dance running the tech

One of the great things about about Montage is getting to see see our children grow up and progress. The Picture on the left is Rebecca (left) in 2009 as a cheetah and the one on the right is her from this year, on pointe! We are so proud of her.

And here are this years cheeky little ones as monkeys and chickens - too cute!

We were so pleased to have Maria's Ballroom group (left) join us for the first time and Saji's samba ladies (right) are always such a crowd pleaser, just look at those feathers!

Another fantastic year - well done everyone!

Every Tuesday and Friday our dance studio, hallways, changing room, cafe and, well, just about everywhere, fill up with a sea of pink leotards. Girls love ballet and our children's classes are full of wonderful, joyful dancers. This is great but we believe that ballet is brilliant for everyone whatever age or gender and here are just 5 reasons why...
​

​4: Creativity
Although ballet can seem more rigid than other forms of dance, with set rules, positions and structure it is actually an immensely creative art form. It is also constantly changing and choreographers like Matthew Bourne are at the forefront of keeping ballet fresh and relevant. Hana our children’s ballet teacher uses ballet to explore everything from myths to the seasons to geometry with our Children’s Ballet Company!

Bonus! You'll learn a bit of French so you know your Pirouette (turn) from your Plie (bend)

Feeling inspired? Check out our Children's and Adult Ballet classes

Islington Arts Factory is lucky enough to call itself home to a whole load of artists and creatives all working with different mediums, from photography to clay and contemporary dance to taxidermy. That's right! Taxidermy! Tonja Grung from Made From the Dead moved into her studio years ago and we are so glad she did, she's the best! We popped up to her studio to have a chat...

What do you do at IAF?
I am a professional Taxidermist and have my studio / workshop here. This is also where I run classes, both private and for groups and where I create my pieces of artwork
 
What’s your favourite thing about IAF?
That it is run like a family and is so welcoming. It offers such a broad scale of activities for all people of all ages and abilities.
 
How long have you been coming to IAF
Too long to remember!
 
Tell us what IAF means to you
A great deal. It’s where I run my business from. When I walk in it’s like walking into my own home and I always look forward to it.

Who is your favourite artist?
Darwin, Sinke, and Van Tongeren of Fine Taxidermy, their work is beautiful.

What’s a North London gem you think everyone should know about?
Highgate Woods as I like going for walks in the relaxing tranquillity of nature
 
What do you do when you’re not here?
When I’m not a full time Mum I enjoy lino printing, restoring furniture, sewing and bird watching to mention a few.

How cool is Tonja?! If you want to meet her yourself come along to one of her classes they are great fun!