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Thursday 12th August 2010 The museum has recently teamed up with a leading London fundraising company, in order to move the project on to the next level. • Strategy and messaging • Audiences • Delivery and Business model • Planning The meeting was incredibly rewarding and much came out of it that was useful. A report is now being drafted which will then go on to be implemented. Over the next 12 months the museum will mount a whole raft of regional exhibitions across the UK. Funding will be sought to produce them and cover the production costs. The first will be shown as part of the The Royal National Mòd in Caithness, Scotland 8th – 16th Oct 2010. http://www.caithnessmod2010.co.uk/ As well as the regional shows the museum is involved with an exhibition being mounted at Compton Verney in 2011.
On Saturday 19th the touring museum was invited to appear at the Ditchling Fair in East Sussex. With the weather staying dry it was very busy and the caravan had many visitors throughout the day including the Kettle Bridge Clog team amongst others. The fair did much to raise funds for the village and has been a feature of life there since 1947. The museum would like to extend their thanks for being asked to take part in such a well organised and fun day out.
This weekend saw the opening of the Folklore, Myth's and Legends of Britain exhibition in Hexham, Northumberland. The museum commissioned eight artists to create work in response to various aspects of the UK's rich folkloric history. Tamsin Abbott looked at the tale of Tamlin and his rescue from the fairy realm as well as the Green Man, Waylands Smithy and Herne the Hunter. Rose de Borman examined the rites and rituals surrounding death and mourning from telling the Bee's first of a death in the family to the contemporary practise of ghost bikes. Clare Curtis Looked at the Green Man, Hares and the tale of Edmund and the Wolf. Hannah Firmin wove images from various folk tales from Mermaids to the Far Travelled Fiddler. Jonny Hannah chose to illustrate some traditional folk songs, among them The Unquiet Grave and Oh My Donald. Mark Hearld showed prints taken from paper-cuts and a lively linocut of a Cockerel. Yasemen Hussein created an enormous pair of antlers for Herne the Hunter out of copper. Finally David Owen made a series of prints based on the Hand of Glory. All works are for sale except those few owned by the museum. Any interested parties should contact the museum for a price list and details of how to contact the Queens Hall, Hexham. scostin@dircon.co.uk
Tuesday 18th May 2010 As part of the current exhibition running at Port Eliot, the graphic artist, Kate Burn has produced this wonderful edition of 50 A3 size posters made on a letterpress. They can be purchased through the website for £15 + £2.75 p&p. Should you wish to purchase one please email the museum director at - scostin@dircon.co.uk
Apologies for the lack of postings recently but there have been so many things happening that it's been hard to keep track. The museum has been asked to be involved in a range of upcoming events over the next twelve months, ranging from an appearance at the Ditchling Festival on the 19th June, a talk at the Port Eliot Festival in July and involvement in several exhibitions next year at Pallant House and the Whitechapel Gallery in London. We have also been asked to host a seminar around the notion of 'Britishness' at the South Bank in September. Plans are moving ahead to mount an exhibition on the history of the UK's Fireworks industry for 2011 on November 5th in London. This will mainly feature one individuals unique collection of fireworks gathered over the past forty years. The exhibition will also examine the folklore surrounding Bonfire Night and associated fire festivals which take place around that time of year. Further postings will appear as events get confirmed. Wednesday 5th May 2010 The museum director once again took part in the Hastings Jack in the Green festival on the 3rd May. Simon met and chatted with Chris Walton who has set up the Company of the Green Man website. Both were interested in the ways in which the image of the Green Man now seems to be linked so closely with contemporary Jack in the Green festivals even though there are no direct links originally. Another case of the mutating nature of folk practise. www.thecompanyofthegreenman.co.uk If one image epitomises the spirit of the day it is this one. Mr Costin caught one of the Jack's attendants unaware (Marti Bogie), as the Jack was released from the Fisherman's huts. Thursday 8th April 2010 On Saturday 3rd April the first of the Museum of British Folklore's mini exhibitions opened. The owners of Port Eliot, Lord and Lady St Germans kindly loaned the space in one of the Gatehouses for the summer period while the main house is open to the public and also for the Port Eliot Festival period. On the ground floor the exhibition looks at the Padstow May Day tradition and features a replica of the current Old Oss mask which is flanked by fabric designed by Mark Herald and sponsored by St Jude's Gallery. Visitors can dip beneath the skirt of the Oss and read about the festival as well as view archive images collected and shot by the archivist Doc Rowe. http://www.docrowe.org.uk/ There is also a small display of Corn Dollies which are specific to Cornwall which were made especially by Gillian Nott of the Guild of Straw Craftsmen and the museums thanks go to her for her continued support. http://www.strawcraftsmen.co.uk/resource.php The upstairs space has cabinets looking at curious remedies and cures, such as wearing the key of a church around the neck whilst sleeping to cure heartache. The legend of Dando, the dissolute 14th-century priest of St Germans, who is said to haunt the area, is told with an engaging film piece by Tom O'Reilly. Lastly, a fairy bower is displayed with a piece about the Cornish Piskies. For opening times and information, please visit - http://www.porteliot.co.uk/opening_times_admission.php
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