THE TRANSATLANTIC MAGAZINE
THE TRANSATLANTIC MAGAZINE
One of the great joys of being an American in the UK is exploring this new home. But how do you get beyond the castles and manor houses of the National Trust and the re-enactments and docent tours of English Heritage? How to get a sense of the living soul of Britain? How to bring the authentic past to life? How to bring it into one’s life? How to take a deep dive into living traditions and find your way to the heart of British communities?
A perfect place to begin this adventure is the Making Mischief: Folk Costume in Britain exhibit at Compton Verney in Warwickshire (https://www.comptonverney.org.uk/). It is a wonderful introduction to the folk celebrations that are woven into the fabric of communities across the country. With costume as the focus, the exhibit explores a variety of groups, festivals and events. It sheds light on aspects of British life and identity and serves as an entry point to ancient colorful celebrations of the land, the seasons, the history and the people of what Shakespeare’s John of Gaunt hailed as “this sceptred isle,/ This happy breed of men, this little world,/ This precious stone set in a silver sea”.
Making Mischief includes more than 40 costumes representing a broad cross section of Britain’s folk life. Some of these are very old but fiercely modern, such as the tradition of Hoodening in Kent (http://hoodening.org.uk/) which often includes a humorous play with a new script written each year that incorporates topical local, national and international references.
The section on Morris dancing features Boss Morris, the all-women side (like cricket, Morris dancers form a ‘side’) from Stroud, Gloucestershire. Boss Morris recently accompanied the Grammy-winning indie band Wet Leg as it performed its hit song ‘Chaise Longue’ at the Brit Awards. (https://www.nme.com/news/music/wet-leg-enlist-morris-dancers-giant-owl-debut-brits-appearance-3396632)
The first exhibit ever of UK folk costumes, Making Mischief goes big on Morris dancing. Nearly 30 dolls are on show, wearing the costumes of currently active Morris dancer sides. They represent less than 10 per cent of the number of sides that submitted their unique costumes for inclusion in the exhibition.
Other costumes showcase events that celebrate the natural world, such as Jack in the Green, Hastings and Cornwall’s Padstow Obby Oss, historical markers such as north Yorkshire’s Haxey Hood game and immigrant communities such as the Notting Hill Carnival and Chinatown New Year Dragon Parade.
The show is more than clothing under glass. As a part of a series that includes public programmes, new artistic commissions with local groups, practical workshops and communal events, Making Mischief is a multi-media invitation to explore the richness of British culture. And in that exploration, one learns about dwelling in a place, rather than just passing through.
Having waxed and waned over the years, sometime for centuries, folk traditions are continually being revitalized and kept relevant. These are living cultural practices that have developed organically from an inherent need for ritual. They are bottom up rather than top down, springing from communities rather than being imposed upon them by church or state. And they are currently undergoing a resurgence with Morris dance sides multiplying and old rituals gaining larger audiences.
To accompany your trip around Britain you may want to pack Dorothy Hartley’s book The Land of England: English Country Customs Through the Ages (https://www.abebooks.co.uk/servlet/BookDetailsPL?bi=31306400088&searchurl=an%3Dhartley%2Bdorothy%26sortby%3D17&cm_sp=snippet-_-srp1-_-title3). And it you need any more incentive to head out, you can listen to the Folkways podcast, Folklore, Why bother? (https://podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/s2e3-folklore-why-bother-part-1-the-land/id1520027020?i=1000559256866)
The exhibition is open from February 11 to June 11, 2023. It will also be shown in London at the University of the Arts, London in the Olympic Village, Stratford (DTBD).
