21st Century Folk Culture

A great new online initiative by the Museum of British Folklore.

There first entry looks at the Saddleworth Rushcart festival:

Saddleworth Morris Men are a group of traditional folk dancers from the north of England. Saddleworth is a valley in the Pennine hills between Manchester and Leeds, and each of the six villages in the valley has its own unique dance. Like other Morris dances from the north-west of England, they are performed in Lancashire clogs, shoes with leather uppers, wooden soles and shod with iron. The Saddleworth dances are noisy, complex and not done by any other dance groups anywhere. The team, or 'side' as it is known, are also famous for their spectacular hats, stacked high with fresh flowers.

Rushcarts are an old tradition in the region, but died out in the early 20th Century. In 1975, the Saddleworth men again built a cart, and one has been built each August since. The wooden cart, ladened with 3 tonnes of carefully cut fresh rushes stacked 5 metres high, decorated with banners and with one lucky dancer sitting on the top, is pulled around the villages by over a hundred dancers from all over England, preceded by a large band. The rushes are taken to the church and afterwards there is wrestling, gurning (face pulling), song and dance.

Photo by Bob France

Triangulated City: Beirut - Show Images

Site A: Zoukak (alleyway)

Site B: Central Parking, B7 (-7 underground)

Site C: Luna Park

Created with Admarket's flickrSLiDR.

Zoukak Theater and Cultural Association, Beirut Lebanon 2009

In Beirut currently developing the performance project Triangulated City. In collaboration with and hosted by Zoukak along with members and associate members of Lotos Collective. Beirut is a fantastic city and if you have never been to the Middle East, I recommend Lebanon as a great starting point for further exploration. Charismatic, chaotic, passionate Mediterranean both remembering its recent scars and celebrating it continual future.

For project information check out: www.zoukak.org

'Play Me, I'm Yours' strangers around a melody

Recently observed a a variety of everyday virtuosos belting out tunes on a piano in central London. Though I had seen the piano before I assumed it was some sort of glorified busking. But when I stopped to watched I realised something very special was happening, creative talent was emerging from strangers in the middle of the city. First a jazzy tune, followed by a young girl playing a melody, then her brother who belted out a blues tune that inspired impromptu partner dancing by a couple, then a young boy in his uniform played a simple yet beautiful tune. It was a great moment of participation and creativity in the old smoke.

'Play Me, I'm Yours' is an arts project by Luke Jerram

Hastings Jack in the Green Festival

Had a fantastic trip to visit Hastings, the first stop on the tour of the Museum of British Folklore, and witness the unleashing of Jack in the Green who gets slaughtered to release the spirit of summer. Legend says Jack began as a sweep garland that gradually grew to cover an entire man. Accompanied by Black Sal, the Bogies and the Giants check out the images of this great spring awakening!

Click for slideshow of the festival