<![CDATA[Folklore Matters]]>a2bbc73c-d40e-5a1d-87d0-76ab0f42b1eaThu, 30 Jul 2026 07:00:18 +0000Captivate.fmNational Folklore Survey: Englandhttps://artwork.captivate.fm/ecf06dc0-6a70-4147-970d-71410950b3ab/k_X1C9QS6kIyppm0mN8iJ_ul.pngFolklore MattersNational Folklore Survey: EnglandNational Folklore Survey: EnglandThe profile of folklore in England has never seemed higher. The team behind the National Folklore Survey for England project speak to a variety of people working with or researching folklore to understand why folklore is so compelling, find out more about their work, and to discover their hopes for the National Folklore Survey for England. https://www.nationalfolkloresurvey.co.uk/falseepisodicnopodcastMike Hankin and The Folk UnionMike Hankin and The Folk UnionWhy is folk culture in the spotlight in the UK at the moment? What are the most exciting things going on? Do we have to think about how folk culture is organised and presented, and what are the differences between folk culture and the folk scene?

The Folk Union is a fascinating project that has grown exponentially. You can read more about it here, and buy some of the pamphlets Mike discusses: https://thefolkunion.com/

The Offbeat Folk Film Club is here: https://offbeat.film/

And you can find out more about Mike, his research and his other work here: https://mikehankin.com/

You may find that Mike is a little quiet in this episode. Apologies! Please crank up your volume to eleven, as he has some great things to say!

]]>Why is folk culture in the spotlight in the UK at the moment? What are the most exciting things going on? Do we have to think about how folk culture is organised and presented, and what are the differences between folk culture and the folk scene?

The Folk Union is a fascinating project that has grown exponentially. You can read more about it here, and buy some of the pamphlets Mike discusses: https://thefolkunion.com/

The Offbeat Folk Film Club is here: https://offbeat.film/

And you can find out more about Mike, his research and his other work here: https://mikehankin.com/

You may find that Mike is a little quiet in this episode. Apologies! Please crank up your volume to eleven, as he has some great things to say!

]]>1514822d-90c0-4065-8c29-214a722c9617Thu, 30 Jul 2026 08:00:00 +010001:10:10falsefull2442Jack Werner, Uncanny and contemporary legendJack Werner, Uncanny and contemporary legendDave and Diane had the pleasure of meeting Jack Werner at the International Society for Contemporary Legend Research (ISCLR) annual conference in Stockholm and knew he’d made a fascinating future guest for Folklore Matters. Jack is the presenter of the Swedish version of Uncanny – he tells us how to pronounce the Swedish title properly in the episode! – and has been researching contemporary legends in Sweden, or Vandringssägen, for many years. Jack’s newsletter can be found here: https://vandringssagen.se/

There were several things we discussed in the episode that will be easy to look up, but we thought it would be worth including the link to the archival reconstruction of ‘Ted's Caving Page’ that Jack mentioned as one of his favourite creepypastas: https://teds-caving-page.netlify.app/ and the Wikipedia page about it here: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ted_the_Caver

]]>Dave and Diane had the pleasure of meeting Jack Werner at the International Society for Contemporary Legend Research (ISCLR) annual conference in Stockholm and knew he’d made a fascinating future guest for Folklore Matters. Jack is the presenter of the Swedish version of Uncanny – he tells us how to pronounce the Swedish title properly in the episode! – and has been researching contemporary legends in Sweden, or Vandringssägen, for many years. Jack’s newsletter can be found here: https://vandringssagen.se/

There were several things we discussed in the episode that will be easy to look up, but we thought it would be worth including the link to the archival reconstruction of ‘Ted's Caving Page’ that Jack mentioned as one of his favourite creepypastas: https://teds-caving-page.netlify.app/ and the Wikipedia page about it here: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ted_the_Caver

]]>a4521367-c1d0-4ca1-b3d8-eea8a8b5f2dbThu, 23 Jul 2026 08:00:00 +010001:10:19falsefull2332Klára Feikusová and folk horrorKlára Feikusová and folk horrorKlára Feikusová is a Czech scholar with a penchant for horror on screen, especially folk horror, so we were delighted when she stopped by Sheffield on her trip to the UK and agreed to appear on the podcast.

Klára mentions legendary Czech film director František Vláčil in the podcast. If you’d like to know more about him and his works, please visit: https://www.bfi.org.uk/sight-and-sound/features/frantisek-vlacil

Klára also talked about the legend of the horse that appears on a building near to where she lives. This following site explains the legend in Czech, but there is an option to translate the page to English: https://www.moravskyturista.cz/2014/10/olomouc-dum-u-cerneho-kone.html

]]>Klára Feikusová is a Czech scholar with a penchant for horror on screen, especially folk horror, so we were delighted when she stopped by Sheffield on her trip to the UK and agreed to appear on the podcast.

Klára mentions legendary Czech film director František Vláčil in the podcast. If you’d like to know more about him and his works, please visit: https://www.bfi.org.uk/sight-and-sound/features/frantisek-vlacil

Klára also talked about the legend of the horse that appears on a building near to where she lives. This following site explains the legend in Czech, but there is an option to translate the page to English: https://www.moravskyturista.cz/2014/10/olomouc-dum-u-cerneho-kone.html

]]>a77e3ce6-8cc2-47f4-9f2e-3f7ba64788a0Thu, 16 Jul 2026 08:00:00 +010043:43falsefull2222Dave Brewis and GatheringsDave Brewis and GatheringsWelcome back to Folklore Matters! We're delighted to be bringing you more compelling interviews with people working with folklore in myriad ways, from academic research to popular culture.

To kick off series two, we meet Dave Brewis, a filmmaker with over two decades of experience in filming calendar customs in the UK and in France. His recent series, Gatherings, examines six UK customs in detail. We wanted to know how this came about, and why calendar customs are so important to communities.

To find out more about Gatherings, and how to watch it, please visit: https://gatherings.tv/

]]>Welcome back to Folklore Matters! We're delighted to be bringing you more compelling interviews with people working with folklore in myriad ways, from academic research to popular culture.

To kick off series two, we meet Dave Brewis, a filmmaker with over two decades of experience in filming calendar customs in the UK and in France. His recent series, Gatherings, examines six UK customs in detail. We wanted to know how this came about, and why calendar customs are so important to communities.

To find out more about Gatherings, and how to watch it, please visit: https://gatherings.tv/

]]>04e85e86-b663-4c06-815a-465bba91abf4Thu, 09 Jul 2026 08:00:00 +010052:26falsefull2112Series One digestSeries One digestNow that our first ever series of Folklore Matters is out there, hosts and researchers, Diane Rodgers and Sophie Parkes-Nield, give a quick overview of their favourite moments.

]]>Now that our first ever series of Folklore Matters is out there, hosts and researchers, Diane Rodgers and Sophie Parkes-Nield, give a quick overview of their favourite moments.

]]>0de4eaba-86b8-4652-a271-c42229ebf5a3Tue, 31 Mar 2026 17:00:00 +010002:54falsefull1771Helen Wheatley and Spooky TelevisionHelen Wheatley and Spooky TelevisionProfessor Helen Wheatley is a legendary television scholar who has published seminal books, such as Gothic Television, the award-winning Spectacular Television: Exploring Televisual Pleasure, and more recently Television/Death, a study of death, bereavement and dying on television. In this episode of Folklore Matters - the final episode of series one - Helen joins Diane Rodgers in the studio to talk about folk horror (especially when it wasn't really known as folk horror), gothic television, and why television makers in the late twentieth century scared children.

]]>Professor Helen Wheatley is a legendary television scholar who has published seminal books, such as Gothic Television, the award-winning Spectacular Television: Exploring Televisual Pleasure, and more recently Television/Death, a study of death, bereavement and dying on television. In this episode of Folklore Matters - the final episode of series one - Helen joins Diane Rodgers in the studio to talk about folk horror (especially when it wasn't really known as folk horror), gothic television, and why television makers in the late twentieth century scared children.

]]>98264b0b-2dab-40ec-b615-9442f25b7d21Thu, 05 Mar 2026 10:00:00 +010048:47falsefull1661Lucy Wright and Creating FolkloreLucy Wright and Creating FolkloreFolklore is massive on social media, and around May Day and Halloween, you may have seen films and photographs of people dancing on their own or in small groups to celebrate seasonal change. If so, it may have been at the instigation of artist and activist, Lucy Wright, our guest in this latest episode of Folklore Matters. Lucy is a prolific polymath: academic, musician, artist, and writer. In this episode, she discusses who gets to participate in folklore, and how and why creation matters.

]]>Folklore is massive on social media, and around May Day and Halloween, you may have seen films and photographs of people dancing on their own or in small groups to celebrate seasonal change. If so, it may have been at the instigation of artist and activist, Lucy Wright, our guest in this latest episode of Folklore Matters. Lucy is a prolific polymath: academic, musician, artist, and writer. In this episode, she discusses who gets to participate in folklore, and how and why creation matters.

]]>b56067d1-a219-49ab-bc13-db64eb5ae06fThu, 26 Feb 2026 10:00:00 +010050:49falsefull1551Owen Davies, Ceri Houlbrook and Folklore: a journey through the past and presentOwen Davies, Ceri Houlbrook and Folklore: a journey through the past and presentThis special episode of Folklore Matters is a recording of a live event at Off The Shelf 2025, at the Millennium Gallery in Sheffield. Part of the National Folklore Survey for England team, Professor Owen Davies and Dr Ceri Houlbrook published a groundbreaking book in 2025, entitled Folklore: a journey through the past and present. This episode presents Owen and Ceri live in conversation with David Clarke, speaking about their book, the decision to write it and their introduction to folklore, but also their involvement in the Survey project. As some of the audience questions couldn't be heard very well in the recording, Diane Rodgers interprets so Owen and Ceri's answers can be contextualised.

]]>This special episode of Folklore Matters is a recording of a live event at Off The Shelf 2025, at the Millennium Gallery in Sheffield. Part of the National Folklore Survey for England team, Professor Owen Davies and Dr Ceri Houlbrook published a groundbreaking book in 2025, entitled Folklore: a journey through the past and present. This episode presents Owen and Ceri live in conversation with David Clarke, speaking about their book, the decision to write it and their introduction to folklore, but also their involvement in the Survey project. As some of the audience questions couldn't be heard very well in the recording, Diane Rodgers interprets so Owen and Ceri's answers can be contextualised.

]]>a4007466-38f4-4015-9abe-716a03561458Thu, 19 Feb 2026 10:00:00 +010056:37falsefull1441Dominic Hardy and Children of The Wicker ManDominic Hardy and Children of The Wicker ManContemporary discussions of folklore soon arrive at cult film The Wicker Man. In this episode of Folklore Matters, David, Sophie and Diane meet Dominic Hardy, son of Robin Hardy, director of The Wicker Man, to learn about the film's lasting cultural legacy, but also the film's impact on Dominic's family. Dominic, with his brother, Justin, produced a film and recently published a book, both entitled Children of The Wicker Man, that interrogates their experiences.

]]>Contemporary discussions of folklore soon arrive at cult film The Wicker Man. In this episode of Folklore Matters, David, Sophie and Diane meet Dominic Hardy, son of Robin Hardy, director of The Wicker Man, to learn about the film's lasting cultural legacy, but also the film's impact on Dominic's family. Dominic, with his brother, Justin, produced a film and recently published a book, both entitled Children of The Wicker Man, that interrogates their experiences.

]]>84ba3401-5d27-4e9a-a023-5bcd0438d6f0Thu, 12 Feb 2026 10:00:00 +010001:19:29falsefull1331Andrew Robinson and the Ritual YearAndrew Robinson and the Ritual YearIt's time to catch up with another Sheffield Hallam colleague, this time photographer, folklore researcher and lecturer, Andrew Robinson.

Andrew’s fascinated by the visual representation of custom and tradition in England, along with the folklore, myth and legend associated with photographs and photographers. He's recently been working with David on the Calvine UFO - more in this episode - and has been documenting calendar customs in England since the 1990s.

]]>It's time to catch up with another Sheffield Hallam colleague, this time photographer, folklore researcher and lecturer, Andrew Robinson.

Andrew’s fascinated by the visual representation of custom and tradition in England, along with the folklore, myth and legend associated with photographs and photographers. He's recently been working with David on the Calvine UFO - more in this episode - and has been documenting calendar customs in England since the 1990s.

]]>88c4a4bf-58a3-445e-9a96-bec3b52072d0Thu, 05 Feb 2026 10:00:00 +010025:24falsefull1221Richard Bradley and Weird DerbyshireRichard Bradley and Weird DerbyshireRichard Bradley is a librarian at Sheffield Hallam University, where Folklore Matters hosts, David Clarke, Sophie Parkes-Nield, and Diane Rodgers, are based. But in the world of folklore, Richard is known as 'Weird Derbyshire' and has been researching, attending and documenting the folklore and customs of Derbyshire for the past decade. He's published four local history books including 'Secret Chesterfield' and 'The A - Z of Curious Derbyshire', and writes a monthly feature on the folklore of Derbyshire for Derbyshire Life magazine since 2020. It's about time we sat down with Richard to learn more about his work, his interests, and how he discovered Weird Derbyshire.

]]>Richard Bradley is a librarian at Sheffield Hallam University, where Folklore Matters hosts, David Clarke, Sophie Parkes-Nield, and Diane Rodgers, are based. But in the world of folklore, Richard is known as 'Weird Derbyshire' and has been researching, attending and documenting the folklore and customs of Derbyshire for the past decade. He's published four local history books including 'Secret Chesterfield' and 'The A - Z of Curious Derbyshire', and writes a monthly feature on the folklore of Derbyshire for Derbyshire Life magazine since 2020. It's about time we sat down with Richard to learn more about his work, his interests, and how he discovered Weird Derbyshire.

]]>6209a62f-07ae-44de-86ce-648d7f2e219bThu, 29 Jan 2026 10:00:00 +010042:16falsefull1111Introducing Folklore MattersIntroducing Folklore MattersThe profile of folklore in England has never seemed bigger. In Folklore Matters, folklore researchers, David Clarke, Sophie Parkes-Nield, and Diane Rodgers, want to find out more about people’s interests in the folklore of the country, how they’re working with it, collecting or documenting it.

This introductory episode sets out what listeners can expect from Folklore Matters, and a little more about the National Folklore Survey for England project on which David, Sophie and Diane are working.

]]>The profile of folklore in England has never seemed bigger. In Folklore Matters, folklore researchers, David Clarke, Sophie Parkes-Nield, and Diane Rodgers, want to find out more about people’s interests in the folklore of the country, how they’re working with it, collecting or documenting it.

This introductory episode sets out what listeners can expect from Folklore Matters, and a little more about the National Folklore Survey for England project on which David, Sophie and Diane are working.

]]>cf889d53-019d-44e7-8f81-27f5c181af18Thu, 29 Jan 2026 10:00:00 +010001:17falsefull11