🎙️ Folklore, Ritual & Art: A Chat with Ben Edge
This week, we're joined by the incredible Ben Edge, artist, filmmaker, and author of Folklore Rising, for a deep dive into British folklore, ritual, and the role of art in preserving tradition. 🌿🎭
From Morris dancing in trainers to building new traditions, we explore how folklore shapes identity, community, and creativity. And yes, we get into the wildest traditions, including Padstow’s Obby Oss, the Garland King, and a Swiss festival of Pretty, Ugly, and Pretty-Ugly creatures. 🦴🐎
✔️ Folklore Revival or Renaissance? Why folk traditions are more alive than ever 🔥
✔️ Who 'owns' a tradition? How communities shape and reshape rituals 🤹
✔️ The Role of Art – Is capturing a tradition the same as being part of it? 🎨
✔️ Reinventing the Past – What happens when a ‘centuries-old’ tradition is actually Victorian marketing? 🤯
✔️ Morris Dancing & New Traditions – Wem joins a side, learns ‘Gingerbread’, and uncovers surprisingly modern origins 🕺
✔️ The Black Shuck Festival – How a modern event became instantly legendary 🐺⚡
✔️ Right to Roam & Common Ground – Land access, folklore activism, and reclaiming connection to place 🏞️
✔️ The Role of ‘Pretty, Ugly & Pretty-Ugly’ in Swiss Folklore – And why it speaks to all of us 😈🌸
Ben also shares stories from his upcoming London exhibition at Fitzrovia Chapel in November 2025, and his newly curated ‘Common Ground’ exhibition in Cheltenham – tackling land access, art, and our relationship to nature. 🎭🏕️
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🌱 Chris Holland’s Plant Guide – Get 15% off this essential nature ID guide using FORESTPOD via our exclusive affiliate link.
🔗 Follow Ben Edge: Instagram (@BenEdgeArt) & Website
🏛️ Common Ground Exhibition (Cheltenham, The Wilson Collection) – Opening Feb 21, 2025
🎨 Fitzrovia Chapel Solo Show (London, Nov 2025) – More details coming soon!
🎭 Black Shuck Festival – Suffolk’s newest old tradition 🐺
📖 Folklore Rising – Available in print, eBook & Audible
⏳ 00:00 – Intro: Trainers, traditions & sticky notes everywhere
🎭 05:00 – What is folklore ‘Renaissance’?
🌿 12:00 – Padstow’s Obby Oss: Madness or meaning?
🕺 18:00 – Morris Dancing: Ancient or invented?
🐺 25:00 – The Black Shuck Festival: The birth of a new tradition
🎨 35:00 – The role of art in folklore
🔥 45:00 – How do we start or revive traditions?
🎭 55:00 – Ben’s upcoming exhibitions & projects
🌿 What folk traditions do YOU love? Have you started or revived one? Let us know at admin@forestschoolpodcast.com or drop a comment!
🎧 Listen & subscribe on:
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📺 YouTube: shorturl.at/3qOUs
📻 Apple Podcasts: shorturl.at/FxfMF
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