November gave us a preview of a possible new kind of event for The Blackden Trust.
It developed from the informal conversations volunteers often have as they relax after an event at Blackden. Elizabeth Garner was working on a book of folktales and talking to Tim Campbell-Green about the origins of the objects that occur in them. An idea emerged, ‘Do folk tales and archaeological finds combine to reveal traditions that have survived across centuries?’
This question developed into ‘Objects Tell Stories,’ a public event at the Macclesfield LIT Festival, where Tim would show archaeological objects and Elizabeth would give examples of their appearance in folktales.
David Heke filmed this short promotional video.
Lockdown prevented public gatherings. The event became a virtual one. This gave the audience an unexpected bonus. It had a close up view of the objects that Tim was talking about. He revealed how mundane objects were transformed by ritual into extraordinary objects of protection: a prayer held in the bent coin, and the placing of pins to keep the Changelings at bay. Elizabeth illustrated Tim’s research by reading extracts from ‘Lost and Found’, her collection of folktales.
Despite everybody being miles apart, the lively exchange between Tim and Elizabeth was inclusive. The virtual experience proved to be more intimate than the real event could have been, as you can see in this video of the event.
Objects Tell Stories online event
Within a week, an event that would have attracted a few dozen local people reached over five hundred viewers from several countries, a far wider audience in every sense. An event that would have been transitory has been recorded and has become part of The Blackden Trust archive.
This experience of the development of an event from the first glimmering of an idea to an accessible performance has stimulated our thinking about how the Trust might expand its presence in the future.