Tag: Dr David Clarke

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 Far from being outdated and trivial folklore is, he says, ‘very much alive and thriving on social media’.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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SHU Researchers involved in recent mass UFO sighting at Todmorden, Yorks

On Saturday 11th May 2024 SHU researchers Dr David Clarke (CMS) and Andrew Robinson (A&D) hosted an event at the Centre for Folklore, Myth and Magic in Todmorden to a sold-out audience of over 50 people where they introduced who their research into visual representations and public perceptions of UFOs and UAPs (Unidentified Anomalous Phenomena). The research, titled ‘In The […]

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In The Eye of the Beholder: Research Talk by Dr David Clarke and Andrew Robinson, Saturday 11 May 2024

The Mysterious Art of the UFO!   This Saturday, 11th May, SHU academics David, Clarke and Andrew Robinson are presenting a paper entitled ‘In The Eye of The Beholder’ exploring the visual representation, in eyewitness drawings, photography, film and popular culture, of an unidentified, anomalous phenomena (otherwise known as UFOs) at The Folklore Centre in Todmorden, West Yorkshire. The talk […]

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A brief history of UFOs by Dr David Clarke

Dr David Clarke, co-founder of the Centre for Contemporary Legend, has written an article for BBC History Extra outlining a brief history and a list of the top ten notable sightings of UFOs in the UK from the bast century. He says that the birth of the modern UFO era can be traced to 1946-47 when media interest coalesced around the first […]

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Dr David Clarke discusses the launch of the UK’s first telescope dedicated towards searching for extra-terrestrial life

Associate professor David Clarke has been quoted in the Daily Star and Sunday Express talking about the launch of the UK’s first telescope dedicated towards searching for extra-terrestrial life. The project will signal a dramatic step-up in the search for extra-terrestrial activity by developing tech that will detect sound waves from space. He says: “The desire to find evidence that […]

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UFOs: Dr David Clarke featured on Talk Radio and in the Mirror

Dr David Clarke, who teaches media law, regulation and ethics at the University and who has been a consultant for the National Archives UFO project, has had his comments featured on Talk Radio. These comments were used in a discussion about school children in 1977 who drew images of UFO’s they thought they saw. These images would then go on to […]

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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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