National Folklore Survey

New survey aims to explore the cultural value of folk traditions and beliefs in 21st century England

I am pleased to announce that I will be leading the National Folklore Survey project funded by UKRI Arts & Humanities Research Council.

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 Far from being outdated and trivial, folklore is, he says, ‘very much alive and thriving on social media’.

Image copyright Andrew Robinson 2024

The #NFS addresses the lack of robust research evidence into the cultural value of folklore in post-Brexit, post-pandemic multicultural England. It aims to create new data to answer two research questions: ‘How have folkloric beliefs and practices shaped England’s social, cultural and spiritual identity?’ and ‘To what extent are ideas of nationalism and colonial attitudes informed by contemporary notions of English folklore?’. I am Project Lead and Co-leads include Dr Diane Rodgers from Centre for Contemporary Legend at SHU along with Dr Ceri Houlbrook and Professor Owen Davies, who founded the MA Folklore Studies at the University of Hertfordshire. The project’s international Co-Lead is Professor Christopher Bader, chair of the Department of Sociology, Chapman University, California, who has directed two large belief surveys in the USA.

#NFS aims to capture an accurate snapshot of the folklore of multicultural England and gain a new understanding of the impact of colonial and empire narratives on previous surveys. The timing is important as 2024 marks the 60th anniversary of the original Survey of Language and Folklore at the University of Sheffield and the ratification by the UK Government of the UNESCO convention for Safeguarding of the Intangible Cultural Heritage (ICH).

The new survey will produce new knowledge, insights and understanding of contemporary English folk culture at a time when many individuals and communities feel what historian and broadcaster David Olusoga describe as ‘a conflicted sense of identity’. The overarching project aim is to provide an empirical evidence base for the analysis of contemporary English folklore through the development and deployment of a national survey, commissioned from IPSOS-UK, in the first year of this project. The rich dataset will be used to develop a range of accessible outputs for the academic, policy, heritage sectors and wider general publics that will raise awareness of the value of folklore as a cultural asset. This will be accessible via an online platform for data gathering, along with open data analysis after the initial survey is completed. This will be followed, in the second year of the project, by a public engagement/outreach programme to create and capture evidence of impact.

Direct beneficiaries include The Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, via the planned ratification of UNESCO Convention on Intangible Cultural Heritage; the AHRC-funded Folklore Without Borders network that is working to develop greater diversity within folklore; and the GLAM sector (galleries, libraries, archives and museums) via our knowledge exchange with project partners The Folklore Society, The Folklore Library and Archive and the Folklore Museums Network. 

The strong evidence basis produced by this project is designed to create better understanding and awareness of the cultural value of folklore as a source of resilience and community identity. The potential applications, highlighted in the DCMS public consultation, include raising awareness, building participation, ensuring sustainability and supporting the passing on of traditional knowledge.