Ayr's Fib group is great fun and that’s no lie!

Nov 14 2008 by Michael Pringle

YOUNG people in Ayr are being encouraged to break a leg, but parents need not worry as it’s in the showbiz sense and there will be no need for plaster or crutches.

The Fib theatre group has just moved to new premises in Elmbank Street.

Jaquii Gavigan is the founder and creative director of the group and the name literally means, little lie.

With the help of a grant from Business Gateway leaflets were printed and posted through doors in Ayrshire.

Initially, 42 youngsters joined up and they now have over 350 members attending classes over the course of the week.

The new centre is on the site of a former sewing factory and has a working 120 seat theatre, a dance studio, a music room and a film editing suite. Family and friends helped Jaquii out as they spent two weeks painstakingly decorating and fitting out the new studios in time for it opening at the end of September.

There are classes for all ages from the Creative Kids class for pre-school children through to Enable classes for adults with learning difficulties.

Some of the kids who started out attending the classes are now trainee drama workers who help out the younger members.

Heather McFadyen has been attending for over a year now and got involved in singing and drama. She is clearly enthusiastic about Fib.

She said: “It’s really good fun, I learn how to perform and it really builds my confidence up and when it comes to singing I’ve learned how to use my voice properly and how to project and improve.”

Drama workers are paid to come along and help with the little fibbers who are only two or three years old.

Heather added: “When it comes to drama it’s great to see the younger kids improving, I get to do stuff that I had never expected to.”

Fib performance parties are held where kids have one hour to prepare a show.

Jacquii revealed: “We have monthly presentations when parents come and watch and this means when we do bigger shows the kids don’t get stage fright.

“We're not a stage school, we teach them how to perform but it's not about being the biggest or best star. It’s somewhere you can come and chat and have fun with your friends. It’s a meeting place and a nice place for young people to be.”

Fib are currently working on their own Christmas pantomime, Cinderella. It will run for three weeks and every member from the ages of five to 18 will be involved.

They recently produced a road safety show and performed to nine local primary schools. Jaquii is hoping that the local schools and colleges will also see the benefit of the new premises by using them during the day.

As well as the drama side of things the kids are getting to grips with film making and editing. There are plans to make an educational video on being yourself and not getting involved in gang culture and other antisocial behaviour.

And the ideas don’t stop there for Jaquii plans to launch a new internet radio station at the start of the year.

Fib’s creative director explained: “One of our members Chris was interested in setting up the internet station so we looked into it and decided that Chris would run the station along with Andrew who works in hospital radio.”

Jacquii loves watching the kids’ development and if that situation changes she thinks that’s when the final curtain will fall, she admitted: “I know every child, if it ever gets to the stage where I don't know a child then that’s when it stops.

“I want the children to do as much as possible and if we don’t offer it then I want them to go on to other places and get that experience.”

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