What exactly is NADFAS?

NADFAS stands for the National Association of Decorative and Fine Arts. It has thousands of members in the U.K., meetings in Australia and New Zealand and has three branches in Spain. The Nerja branch is part of the NADFAS international organisation.

How does NADFAS Spain differ from its larger British sister?

We are basically the same - we offer a monthly talk which can also be supported by a morning study group. The main difference is that we fly the lecturers out and share the costs with the Fuengirola branch. They visit Fuengirola on a Monday and come to us on a Tuesday. Other than that it is exactly the same format as in the U.K. The lecture programme consists of eight speakers from the NADFAS directory and three local ones. We also organise an annual trip in Spain, which may be extended to other parts of Europe soon, and lots of local excursions. And then there is also a monthly lunch, which is becoming more and more popular with the members.

How do you decide on the lecturers and organise the year?

NADFAS has a very complete directory of lecturers which we consult. Every branch is responsible for planning their own agenda. Once a year, the Programme Secretary and the Chairman go to the U.K. and attend a series of conferences, where basically the experts are trying to offer their services to the different NADFAS societies. Once we have seen a lot of speakers, we decide on who will be the most interesting for our members. It takes a lot of planning ahead, we already have this year’s programme worked out and also the 2008 – 2009 schedule. We are off to Great Britain in April to decide on the subjects for the 2009 – 2010 meetings.

The word “lecture” might bring to mind for some people a rather stuffy academic atmosphere. What are your lectures like?

There is a great atmosphere. We meet at the Villa de Nerja Cultural Centre at 6 p.m., but people usually get there earlier so they can talk to the other members. We usually do sit in the theatre and listen to the lecturer because they are so good. We have very few that we make adverse comments about. We also have slides which breaks it up a bit. And once the lecture is over we have drinks in the foyer of the Cultural Centre. So there is a real social side to the meetings.

I am sure you are aware that some people may think that NADFAS is a bit elitist.

Not at all! I knew nothing about NADFAS and the arts when I arrived in Spain. I just felt there was so much more to life here than just lying in the sun. I find that NADFAS fills a very important part of my life. It really helps you to find out about the culture of Spain, Europe and the rest of the world. It’s fantastic. And you really need no previous artistic knowledge. There is nothing elitist about our branch, we welcome everyone from all walks of life and of all ages. That’s what it is all about, learning. Learning is a life long process. There’s more to retirement in Spain than the wonderful weather and the beach. When I joined I had very few ideas about art but I found that the association was fascinating and I quickly became chairman.

Do you think starting a new life abroad makes you more open to new interests and hobbies?

I think a lot of people, like myself, didn’t have time when we were living in England. I was working and bringing up a family and didn’t have a lot of spare time for other activities. This is a problem that NADFAS has in the U.K., they find it difficult to find members who have enough free time to attend the meetings.

What do you hope people find in NADFAS?

I would hope that when they see our programme they find a lot of subjects that interest them. And I would hope that after the season they feel that they have an opinion about a variety of artists and can make informed decisions about their work. The best part about NADFAS is that it broadens your circle of friends, informs you about things you didn’t know and also helps you to have a great time. As the founder, Patricia Fay, said, “Above all NADFAS must be fun”.