Conference of the Vaughan Williams Memorial Library, English Folk Dance and Song Society
Saturday 11 and Sunday 12 November 2023
The Vaughan Williams Memorial Library’s 2023 conference examines folk dance in its wide ranging forms, and asks speakers and delegates to consider the meaning of tradition, both historically and in the present.
Papers will be framed around a set of words which are at the same time related and distinct: revival, reproduction, reimagination, re-creation, reformation, refashioning and reconstruction. We will invite you to unpick these and consider what each suggests in relation to folk dance, whether it is possible, whether we should attempt it, how, and why. How can one reconstruct historical forms and why should we? How do reconstruction and reimagination collide or collude? How does tradition sit in the 21st century and what should we do with (or to) it? To what extent is reimagination the same as invention, and does this matter?
In person
Full weekend: £60
One day only: £35
Saturday 11 November
9.30am
REGISTRATION, TEA AND COFFEE
9.55am
Welcome (Tiffany Hore, Library and Archives Director)
10-11.30am
SESSION 1. A Question of History (Chair: Professor Theresa Buckland)
• Mike Heaney – Morris dance in theatre and community
• Sue Allan – ‘Whorray! here th’ Maskers cumman’!: re-visiting the evidence for Cumbrian sword dancing
• Phil Heaton – Rapper, DERT and DART
11.30am–12 noon
COFFEE BREAK
12 noon – 1pm
SESSION 2. Refashioning (Chair: Elaine Bradtke, VWML)
• Bryony Kummer-Seddon – Maypole dancing in England: Revivals past, revivals present.
• Derek Schofield – Folk Dance and the new Northumbrians
1–2pm
LUNCH
2–3.30pm
SESSION 3. Re-enactment (Chair: Malcolm Barr-Hamilton, VWML)
• Chloe Middleton-Metcalfe – How do we strip back the willow? Traditionality, familiarity, and the ‘living tradition’ in English social folk dance
• Grace Redpath – ‘The magic was still in my heart like an old sweet pain’: Revisiting longsword in East Cleveland and prospects of revival
• Sean Goddard – Tunes and dances: Is there a risk to using new tunes?
3.30–4pm
COFFEE BREAK
4–5.30
SESSION 4. Participation (Chair: Alex Burton, VWML)
• Lisa Heywood – Queering social dances: The case for an evolving tradition
• Kerry Fletcher and Natasha Khamjani – Folk Dance Remixed
• Wendy Timmons and Iliyana Nedkova – Pomegranates – sowing the seeds of international traditional dance across Edinburgh: Thriving not surviving
Sunday 12 November
9.30am
REGISTRATION, TEA AND COFFEE
9.55am
Welcome (Tiffany Hore, Library and Archives Director)
10–11am
SESSION 5. The 21st Century Dancer (Chair: Mike Heaney)
• Peter Harrop – Dancing with tradition: grappling with ‘folk’.
• Liz Scholey/JMO EDI group – An examination of the songs used in morris dance
11–11.30am
COFFEE BREAK
11.30am–1pm
SESSION 6. Performance (Chair: Nick Wall, VWML)
• Lally Macbeth – The Mock Morris
• Clare Bowyer – Authenticity of British folk costumes: A classification of authenticities.
• Deborah Ward – From Elva Hill to Loch Sunart: Adapting folk tales into folk ballets whilst exploring the traditional balletic and folk dance language.
1–2pm
LUNCH
2–3pm
SESSION 7: Boss Morris
• Alex Merry and Stephen Rowley: Dancing on the shoulders of giants – a discussion, with the participation of Boss Morris
3–3.30pm
COFFEE BREAK
3.30–5pm
SESSION 8 – Reinvention, reconstruction (Chair: Martin Nail)
• Simon Harmer – The Sailor and the Paramedic: my step dance heroes
Reconstruction and reimagination in action
• Lisa Sture – Devon stepdancing: tradition as framework, not set-piece.
• Elaine Bradtke – Reinventing tradition: Molly dancing in the late 20th century
5pm
Final remarks (Tiffany Hore)
Promoted by EFDSS
The London Barndance Company
Saturday 11 November, 8pm
Conference delegates in search of evening entertainment are invited to book for the London Barndance Company’s event which takes place in Kennedy Hall on Saturday evening.
To get your discounted rate, book here and add VWML Delegate Ticket to the basket when placing your order.
Great Library Sale of Book and Recordings
The Library will be selling unneeded stock and duplicate copies downstairs in Storrow throughout both days, so pop down in the conference breaks to pick up a bargain!
- Books
- Vinyl
- CDs
- Cassette tapes
