The Global Heartbeat of a Small Town
Billingham, despite being a small town in the north-east of England, is well known all around the world as a vibrant hub for the celebration of traditional arts and cultures through its annual ‘Billingham International Folklore Festival of World Dance’ (BIFF) and through the ‘International Council of Organisations of Folklore Festivals and Folk Arts’ (CIOFF), of which BIFF is a founding member.
2025 marked the 60th Anniversary of Billingham Festival
To clelebrate the 60 years of Billingham Festival we explored how Billingham’s cultural heartbeat reverberates around the world, through creative special messages from Dance and Music Companies who appeared at Billingham Festival.
Here are the messages from accross the Globe to Billingham Festival audiences and volunteers:
Alaykoy Association from Northern Part of Cyprus
Grupo Folklorico Costa Rica
CIOFF Indonesia
Dance Company ‘Dream’ from Russia
Ballet Folklorico La Grana Beatriz Romirez, Autlan, Jalisco, Mexico
National Ensemble Georgian Folklore
Nina Ulanova and Kinzy
Peru Multicolor
Hiro Hayashida and his student, CIOFF Japan
Fosbrooks Educational Trust
Gary Beacom
Ballet Folklorico Tupa Marka, Chile
La Capoiliero Dance Company, France
Grupo Aruanda from Brazil
Ballet Folklorico Ritmos y Raices Panamenas from Panama
Instrituto El Cimarron, Argentina
Absolutely Leggless Irish Dancers and Musicians
Balbir Singh Dance Company
Danza Libre from Colombia