Tag: Contemporary Legend and Folklore

National Folklore Survey (#NFS) – Dr David Clarke on the exciting new project that provide insights into beliefs, customs and traditions in contemporary England

In Charlie Cooper’s new series Myth Country (streaming on BBC I-player) the actor and writer reveals his passion for folklore and how the peculiar rituals and traditions of this country ‘bring people together’. Far from being outdated and trivial folklore is, he says, ‘very much alive and thriving on social media’. The National Folklore Survey funded by UKRI Arts & […]

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‘In multicultural Britain, local folklore is just as important as ever’ – The Centre for Contemporary Legend at Sheffield Hallam University to conduct the UKRI-funded National Folklore Survey.

‘Robin Hood, Morris dances and UFOs: English folklore survey gets post-Brexit reboot. A fresh look at cultural identity will follow outline of 60-year-old Survey of Language and Folklore, conducted by two academics driving a red Mini’ As seen in The Guardian. The Centre for Contemporary Legend at Sheffield Hallam University, is to conduct the UKRI-funded National Folklore Survey, to discover […]

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Perspectives on Contemporary Legend 2023 – A summary of the 40th anniversary conference of the International Society for Contemporary Legend Research (ISCLR)

Written by Dr Diane A Rodgers During 26-30 June 2023, this prestigious event was held at Sheffield Hallam University, hosted by the Centre for Contemporary Legend (CCL) in the Dorothy Fleming lecture theatre, Charles Street. Dr David Clarke, Andrew Robinson and myself, Dr Diane Rodgers, co-founders of the CCL, were privileged to welcome ISCLR to Sheffield where the very first […]

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40th International Perspectives on Contemporary Legend Conference

Perspectives on Contemporary Legend - ISCLR Conference banner

Read more about the conference coming to Sheffield on its 40th anniversary here and in the Sheffield Star. We’re pleased to open registration for the 40th International Perspectives on Contemporary Legend Conference, held this year June 26-30, 2023 at Sheffield Hallam University, and hosted by the Centre for Contemporary Legend. There will be a series of themed panels including: Body […]

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Diane Rodgers Researcher Blog: Reflections on the Centre for Folklore, Myth and Magic in Todmorden, Sat 1st October 2022

About the Author Diane A. Rodgers is a Senior Lecturer in Media, Arts and Communications at Sheffield Hallam University and a CCRI PhD candidate conducting doctoral research relating to folklore and folk horror in ‘wyrd’ 1970s British Film and Television. As a co-founder of the Centre for Contemporary Legend (CCL) and part of the CCMS Cultural Heritage Research Group, I was honoured to be invited to speak […]

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New book co-authored by Dr David Clarke shows Sheffield is true home of Robin Hood

New book shows Sheffield is true home of Robin Hood

A new book co-authored by Sheffield Hallam’s Dr David Clarke exploring the region’s Robin Hood folklore has been published. Dr Clarke, from the University’s Culture and Creativity Research Institute, is one of the authors of Reclaiming Robin Hood: Folklore & South Yorkshire’s Infamous Outlaw. It has been launched with Sensoria Festival and Loxley Primary School as part of a campaign to reclaim […]

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Diane A. Rodgers brings us Perspectives on Contemporary Legend: reflections on an international contemporary legend conference

For the week of Monday 28 June – Friday 2nd July 2021, I was in virtual attendance at Perspectives on Contemporary Legend, the 38th International conference of the International Society for Contemporary Legend Research, postponed due to coronavirus restrictions and necessarily shifted online. Over the course of my PhD, I have presented work at a vast array of conferences, including […]

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Dr David Clarke: Secret UFO probes ‘hidden from UK Government’ as military ‘didn’t trust’ them

Contemporary legend expert, Dr David Clarke, has been quoted in a Daily Star article saying that the Ministry of Defence’s secret extra-terrestrial investigators “didn’t trust” civil servants with their information. Lecturer and investigative journalist, David Clarke, uncovered the Defence Intelligence Staff’s 400-page study into 10,000 UFO sightings in 2005. He has now said its military officials often kept their findings secret […]

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HALLOWEEN: 10 things you didn’t know about Halloween

Every year Halloween provokes controversy and divides opinions: what is the history of Halloween and when was it first celebrated? Why do we trick or treat? Why do we carve pumpkins? Most people see Halloween as just as a bit of harmless fun, while others say it marks an ancient pagan festival – and some evangelical Christians claim it is […]

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