The ‘Folklore on Screen’ conference will bring together scholars for two days of discussion about folklore in its many forms: its history, present and complex future in relation to cinema, television, photography, digital and online media studies. The conference aims to explores the meaning, import and relevance of folklore in the media and its representation, communication and perpetuation. The multidisciplinary nature of the conference is aimed at a broad spectrum of scholars with either a particular specialism in folklore or an interest in folklore studies as pertaining to their own subject. Featured confirmed speakers include folklorist and film scholar Mikel J. Koven (author of Film, Folklore and Urban Legends), television scholar Helen Wheatley (author of Gothic Television) and journalist Bob Fischer (writer of ‘The Haunted Generation’ in Fortean Times). Talks will present topics including: UFOs, hauntology, urban, digital and online contemporary legends and ‘creepypastas’, folklore in film, art and photograph, folk horror landscapes, folklore in British television and many more.
Recognising the popularity of field recordings (mainly transport and spoken word) respected sound recordist Eric Handfull founded Transpirit and released a series of ‘spirit recordings’ until arrested at an unregistered Exorcism.
One of a number of rare items from the Archive of Faux Horror collected by Andrew Robinson that will adorn our programme for the upcoming ‘Folklore on Screen’ conference, 13th – 14th September 2019 at Sheffield Hallam University – watch out for more!
Andrew Robinson (Sheffield Hallam University) – The Lord of Misrule: misbehaving badly in a Cornish town
Gail-Nina Anderson (Newcastle) – The Wicker Man and the misuses of Folklore
13:00-14:00 – LUNCH
SATURDAY AFTERNOON
14:00-15:30 – PANEL (3a) – Island of lost souls
Evelyn Koch (University of Bayreuth, Germany) – Cyclic Time in Folk Horror
Amy Harris (De Montfort University, Leicester) – Following the Wicca Man: Addressing the Invisible Women behind Contemporary British Folk Horror Cinema
Ceri Houlbrook (University of Hertfordshire) – Our Love Will Last Forever: The Love-Lock Motif on Screen
14:00-15:30 – Panel (3b) – At the Mountains of Madness: (Hollywood and Beyond)
Sandy Hobbs (University of the West of Scotland) – Val Lewton at RKO: Horror or Folklore?
James Williamson (Goldsmiths, University of London) – Challenging Sight and Sense: Tracking the UFO in Science Fiction Cinema
Ekaterina Netchitailova (Sheffield Hallam University) – Holy-foolishness in Russian Culture, from Holy Fool to the Modern God-driven Eccentric
15:30-16:00 – REFRESHMENTS
16:00-17:00 – CLOSING KEYNOTE – HELEN WHEATLEY (University of Warwick)
Haunted Landscapes: Trauma and Grief in the
Contemporary Television Ghost story
Hauntological music event featuring Sharron Kraus and Phil Tyler, 13th September 2019.
Visit the Heretic’s Folk Club Eventbright page HERE for tickets and their Facebook page HERE for further details.
New poster!
Poster designed by Diane A. Rodgers.
You can download a pdf of the draft programme HERE
Following the success of the inaugural symposium launching the Centre for Contemporary Legend research group in 2018, we are hosting a larger, themed, conference at Sheffield Hallam University “Folklore on Screen”, 13-14 September, 2019.
This conference will bring together scholars for two days of discussion about folklore in its many forms: its history, present and complex future in relation to cinema, television, photography, digital and online media studies. The conference aims to explores the meaning, import and relevance of folklore in the media, its representation, communication and perpetuation. The multidisciplinary nature of the conference is aimed at a broad spectrum of scholars with either a particular specialism in folklore or an interest in folklore studies as pertaining to their own subject. We seek papers that address the broad span of folklore on screen, from early film and photography, folk horror film, television and music video and forward into urban and online contemporary legends and ‘creepypastas’. Papers on related themes such folklore as relating to landscape or as connected with or the current difficult, shifting political climate and associated onscreen representations are also welcomed.
Proposals should be 200-300 words max for 20-minute papers, we also welcome suggestions for themed or grouped panels. Possible topics to be explored, but not limited to, include:
Folklore in Film
Folklore on television
Folklore and photography
Folk horror and the ‘wyrd’
Urban Wyrd
Urban legends
Hauntology, hauntological media
Earth mysteries on screen
UFOs, aliens and ancient astronauts
The occult in media
Ghosts and hauntings
Folkloric monsters and cryptozoology
Legend and belief
Cults and Moral panics
Fairies on screen
Memes, digital and online legends
Creepypastas
Folklore and social media
Folkloric landscapes onscreen
Proposals are due by 1st May 2019.
NB – Proposals are now CLOSED
We will provide speakers and delegates with information about location, refreshments and accommodation nearer the time.
The Cultural, Communication and Computing Research Institute (C3RI) at Sheffield Hallam University is inviting applications for TWO for two fully funded PHD studentships across a number of subject areas including “Folklore, Contemporary Legend and Media”
Application details: Start Date of studentship: 1 October 2019 Closing Date of Advert: 29th April 2019 Interview Dates: 22nd & 23rd May
The venue is in the main building at our Collegiate Crescent campus (Sheffield S10 2BP). The campus is short taxi journey from Sheffield train station lasting approx. 10 minutes and costing around £5. https://www.shu.ac.uk/visit-us/how-to-find-us/collegiate-campus-map
Please enter via the Oaklands entrance on Collegiate Crescent opposite Broomhall Road, where there is a main reception just inside the glass-fronted Helena Kennedy centre. Staff will be on hand to register you, direct you to nearby complimentary refreshments and then down into the main building. The room we will be in is D.008, on Level 0 of the main building (there are also toilets immediately outside room D.008).
Oaklands entrance off Collegiate Crescent, with the glass-fronted main reception just behind
Just right from the Helena Kennedy centre reception is the Heart of the Campus Atrium with toilets, and The Granary cafe open all day until 5:30pm and smaller classroom (HC.0.29) just to the right of the cafe where a complimentary lunch will be served for registered symposium delegates.
Welcome to the Centre for Contemporary Legend: led by David Clarke, with Andrew Robinson and Diane Rodgers
10:30 – 11:50
Panel 1: Archiving, Documenting and Photographing Folklore
John Widdowson – New Wine from Old Bottles: Re-evaluating and Reinaugurating Archives of English Folklore. Richard Bradley – Gas Fires, Plastic Dustbins and Robert Maxwell: Threats to Calendar Customs from the Domestic and Mundane World of Everyday Life. Andrew Robinson – Photographers, the English Calendar Custom and the Lure of the Wyrd.
11:50 – 12:50
LUNCH – Heart of the Campus HC.0.29
12:50 – 14:10
Panel 2: Folklore Studies: Past, Present & Future
Paul Smith – Contemporary legend Studies: Looking Backwards, Sideways and Forwards. Owen Davies & Ceri Houlbrook – Putting together a postgraduate programme of study centred on Folklore. Katy Soar – Developing a course and an integrated approach to combine the study of Archaeology and Folklore
14:10 – 14:40
Refreshments
14:40 – 16:00
Panel 3: Folk Horror: Folklore on Screen
Diane Rodgers – Something Wyrd: Folk Horror, Folklore and British Television Douglas McNaughton – Folk Horror in British Television Drama: The Pattern Under the Plough David Powell – Hesitation, Repetition and Deviation: The Temporal Nightmares and Haunted Landscapes of British Television.
16:00 – 17:00
Plenary session
Summary of the day, general group discussion of the day’s events and matters arising
A set of three new publicity flyers for the Centre produced for our visit to the Folklore Society Conference in Derby, UK, 29-31st March 2019 at which we presented a panel.
Centre For Contemporary Legend 