Diane Rodgers to give talk at the Centre for Folklore, Myth and Magic in Todmorden, 1st October 2022
Diane A. Rodgers, a member of the Centre for Contemporary Legend and also the CCMS Cultural Heritage Research Group has been invited to speak about her research at the Centre for Folklore, Myth and Magic in Todmorden, on Sat 1st October.
The talk, titled ‘Generation Hexed‘, will examine television in the 1970s, bursting at the seams with weirdness, eeriness, supernatural folklore and contemporary legend. The effect of ‘wyrd’ programming on those who grew up with it should not be underestimated in terms of its influence on Generation X, (which Bob Fischer aptly terms the ‘haunted’ generation) who I refer to here as Generation Hexed. The importance and value of children’s television has been an area traditionally overlooked, which modern scholars aim to redress not only in relation to screen studies but also with reference to folklore studies and wider social and cultural implications. This presentation considers why supernatural folklore was so prevalent in 1970s media, why it emerged then, and how it has been represented on screen. Using Children of the Stones as a case study example of “the scariest programme ever made for children”, this talk will look at how television has horrified children and the ways in which such programming impacts upon generations of audiences far beyond the reach of television itself.
The Centre for Folklore, Myth and Magic’s activities, based in Todmorden, benefit the local community through education opportunities, links to well-being through exploration of landscape-walking and the benefits of storytelling, community cohesion and economic regeneration. The centre promotes intercultural and intergenerational understanding, preservation of heritage and environment, including the wider community to engage with storytelling, art, drama, music, dance and craft, and recognition for Todmorden through the setting up of an academic research centre, archive and resource unit.
Visit the Folklore, Myth & Magic website for more information.