Dragons: Music, Legends, Landscapes
Lead Research Organisation:
Durham University
Department Name: English Studies
Abstract
"Dragons: Music, Legends, Landscapes" will enhance the public impact of a completed AHRC project on the history of regional performance, "Records of Early English Drama North-East" (REED-NE). It will use the rich dragon lore of England's North East to consolidate and increase local interest in theatre history, music, and folklore. "Dragons" is also intended to alleviate hardships in the arts, crafts and heritage sector resulting from Covid-19.
Funded by the AHRC between 2013-18, REED-NE discovered and studied sources of early music, theatre, ceremony and popular festivity in England's North East up to 1642. REED-NE has now entered its legacy phase. "Dragons" is inspired by findings which emerged during the research on the REED-NE project, such as "worm" characters in medieval plays, and stage dragons used in festive pageants of the 16th and 17th centuries. The bid capitalizes on this element of REED-NE's discoveries because legendary dragons are also very present in the local culture of England's North East - in stories, songs, plays, poems, operettas and church ceremonial. In collaboration with community stakeholders, arts & crafts specialists, and international theatre professionals, we aim to deliver a programme that is related to, but distinct from, previous work on REED-NE, for general audiences across England's North East:
- A "Dragon Show", presented by regional artists, and touring England's North East (Hexham, Morpeth, Bamburgh, Ripon,
Durham, Whitby)
- Theatre and craft workshops
- Exhibition "Radical Dragons: Fiery Beasts and the Making of the North East" at Brancepeth Castle, Co. Durham
- Covid-resilient supplements: outdoor activities; elements of the exhibition and show available online
All activities will be extensively evaluated (e.g. with audience and participant questionnaires, interviews, and filmed documentation) to generate quantitative evidence on impact, and establish how forms of cultural and communal activity work in a pandemic context.
The project's long-term legacy will be:
1. Brancepeth Castle as a permanent, pandemic-resilient site to engage local communities and enhance the castle's touristic value and economic sustainability: with an exhibition space; a multi-purpose community atelier; and a small-scale permanent exhibition on the North East's dramatic heritage based on REED-NE research.
2. Establishment of a theatre company - "Hazelsong Theatre Company" - based in Hexham, whose mission will be to celebrate regional musical and dramatic heritage in the North East. The theatre company lead (Bates) can build on excellent regional connections and has recruited all project partners except Brancepeth Castle.
3. Quantitative and qualitative evidence on regional cultural activity in the field of intangible heritage (music, drama) and its effects in times of pandemic; a body of work of potential interest for future study of the pandemic (and its cultural and social impact) in the North East.
Funded by the AHRC between 2013-18, REED-NE discovered and studied sources of early music, theatre, ceremony and popular festivity in England's North East up to 1642. REED-NE has now entered its legacy phase. "Dragons" is inspired by findings which emerged during the research on the REED-NE project, such as "worm" characters in medieval plays, and stage dragons used in festive pageants of the 16th and 17th centuries. The bid capitalizes on this element of REED-NE's discoveries because legendary dragons are also very present in the local culture of England's North East - in stories, songs, plays, poems, operettas and church ceremonial. In collaboration with community stakeholders, arts & crafts specialists, and international theatre professionals, we aim to deliver a programme that is related to, but distinct from, previous work on REED-NE, for general audiences across England's North East:
- A "Dragon Show", presented by regional artists, and touring England's North East (Hexham, Morpeth, Bamburgh, Ripon,
Durham, Whitby)
- Theatre and craft workshops
- Exhibition "Radical Dragons: Fiery Beasts and the Making of the North East" at Brancepeth Castle, Co. Durham
- Covid-resilient supplements: outdoor activities; elements of the exhibition and show available online
All activities will be extensively evaluated (e.g. with audience and participant questionnaires, interviews, and filmed documentation) to generate quantitative evidence on impact, and establish how forms of cultural and communal activity work in a pandemic context.
The project's long-term legacy will be:
1. Brancepeth Castle as a permanent, pandemic-resilient site to engage local communities and enhance the castle's touristic value and economic sustainability: with an exhibition space; a multi-purpose community atelier; and a small-scale permanent exhibition on the North East's dramatic heritage based on REED-NE research.
2. Establishment of a theatre company - "Hazelsong Theatre Company" - based in Hexham, whose mission will be to celebrate regional musical and dramatic heritage in the North East. The theatre company lead (Bates) can build on excellent regional connections and has recruited all project partners except Brancepeth Castle.
3. Quantitative and qualitative evidence on regional cultural activity in the field of intangible heritage (music, drama) and its effects in times of pandemic; a body of work of potential interest for future study of the pandemic (and its cultural and social impact) in the North East.
| Title | Radical Dragons: Fearsome Beasts of the North East |
| Description | Short video documenting engagement activities on the project in 2022 (craft workshops, show, and a family event), with interviews of PI, project partner (Brancepeth Castle) and members of the audience. |
| Type Of Art | Film/Video/Animation |
| Year Produced | 2023 |
| Impact | Too early to say; however, the audience interviews show very plainly an appetite for similar events of the same kind - events combining heritage, crafts, theatre and audience participation. |
| URL | https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1XHaPRALKKw |
| Title | Radical Dragons: Fearsome Beasts of the North East (Brancepeth Castle, 20 June - 17 July 2022, and online version) |
| Description | The exhibition "Radical Dragons" was produced in two versions. The first, "Radical Dragons: Fiery Beasts and the Making of the North East" was presented in the Armour Gallery of Brancepeth Castle, Co. Durham, on 20 June - 17 July 2022. The exhibition showcased the rich traditions of dragons across the North East, their uses in politics, and their presence in popular culture and the collective imaginary. It brought together sources from the REED-NE project, material on legendary "worms" as well as local stories. It drew on political pamphlets, music scores, plays, and poems, including Lewis Carroll's "Jabberwocky". Visitors could study panels charting a cultural history of Dragons in England's North East, from the Middle Ages to the present. Display cases held books and a replica of the so-called "Conyers Falchion", which was supposedly used to slay a local dragon and still plays a role in religious ceremony at Durham Cathedral. The original is displayed at Durham Cathedral. The exhibition was complemented by the so-called "Dragon's Den" in the adjacent Constable Tower, a large atelier. This atelier was available for specific crafts and costume workshops while the exhibition was ongoing: professional designers Niels Badenhop, Andy Bates and Emma Berry offered demonstrations and tuition on making theatre costumes, animated puppetry, embroidery, paper automata, etc. Exhibition visitors could see local artists make objects inspired by local legends: Bamburgh's Laidly Worm, the Sockburn and Lambton Worms, etc. Visitors were invited to leave ideas about designing these "worms": a seating area with tables, drawing materials and a guest book offered opportunities for sketches and written comments and suggestions. An online version of the exhibition is still available at https://radicaldragonsnorth.wordpress.com/the-exhibition/. Exhibition panels also remained at Brancepeth Castle for permanent display. |
| Type Of Art | Artistic/Creative Exhibition |
| Year Produced | 2022 |
| Impact | "Dragons" proved an excellent vehicle to increase interest in the cultural heritage of the North East. Visitors learned more about local legends and their legacies in music, drama, literature, folklore and regional tales. Many visitors left contact details. They appreciated the combination of studying historical information alongside practical elements as offered in a crafts atelier. Overall, feedback expressed a wish for more cultural offers of this kind, especially activity that directly involved visitors. |
| URL | https://radicaldragonsnorth.wordpress.com/the-exhibition/ |
| Title | Stage dragons |
| Description | Project collaborator Emma Berry designed 6 stage dragons of various sizes and materials (paper, canvas, leather, recyclable material). These are now on site at Brancepeth Castle for future events along the lines piloted during the project. |
| Type Of Art | Artefact (including digital) |
| Year Produced | 2022 |
| Impact | Audiences reported an increase in knowledge about dramatic devices and local history. Audiences also reported increased well-being, owing to an opportunity to experiencing first-hand, even handling, these stage dragons, which were displayed at various theatrical shows, as well as a family afternoon. The stage dragons were also in use at the Exhibition "Radical Dragons" at Brancepeth Castle, providing, in tandem with the exhibition panels, a hands-on didactic experience particularly useful for younger visitors. This became evidence when a study group (about 20, aged 10-12) from Whitworth Park Academy, Spennymoor, Co. Durham, visited for a guided tour. Their teacher attested that the pupils' interaction with the stage dragons had improved their engagement with, and interest in, their local heritage; furthermore, the devices helped shy students to gain confidence. |
| URL | https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1XHaPRALKKw |
| Title | Theatre costumes |
| Description | Project designers Lieven Baert and Niels Badenhop produced, together with local volunteers, six costumes and related props for engagement activities: two based on Renaissance costume designs for a monster and a dragon queen with wings, and four further costumes custom-designed for Hazelsong Theatre Company. |
| Type Of Art | Artefact (including digital) |
| Year Produced | 2022 |
| Impact | The costumes, used at the project engagement activities, contributed to the cultural and social enrichment of regional audiences in the North East. These audiences were mainly from the general public, who learnt more about performance traditions through revival of popular forms of music and theatre, and the creation of historically inspired material. The volunteers working on the costumes benefited from upskilling (input by professional costume designers). |
| URL | https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1XHaPRALKKw |
| Description | Over 6-months, the "Dragons Project" conducted a suite of engagement activities to consolidate the public impact of the AHRC project "Records of Early English Drama North East" (REED-NE). Its chief three aims were all achieved. (1) We retained current and won new audiences for past research on REED-NE. The project led to a fuller understanding of the post-pandemic role of the performing arts in a regional context, thanks to numerous and varied audience feedback. (2) We piloted post-pandemic engagement measures at one particular location, Brancepeth Castle, Co. Durham. The site now has a better equipped, multi-purpose exhibition space and community atelier. (3) The project also succeeded in helping a new theatre company of regional artists, "Hazelsong Theatre Company", to establish themselves in the public. The company celebrates England's musical and dramatic heritage, utilizing REED-NE's records. It toured the North East with a show developed during the project. The "Dragons Project" capitalized on 'dragons' as theatrical devices, found on REED-NE, and linked this with legendary 'dragons' in present-day regional culture of the North East. In collaboration with community volunteers, arts & crafts specialists, and international theatre professionals, we delivered a programme on 'dragons' as a common theme, between May and November 2022, for general audiences across England's North East. Further to the above chief aims, the "Dragons Project" resulted in these main outputs: (1) Show "Sigurd and Fafnir" by Hazelsong Theatre Company; (2) Crafts & performance workshops (Brancepeth, Durham, Morpeth); (3) Exhibition "Radical Dragons: Fiery Beasts and the Making of the North East" (Brancepeth Castle and online). Additional outputs and activities are listed in the report. REED-NE's legacy was comprehensively consolidated. Beyond that, the project delivered innovative approaches to the region's "intangible cultural heritage", which UNESCO defines as: "the practices, representations, expressions, knowledge, skills - as well as the instruments, objects, artefacts and cultural spaces associated therewith - that communities recognize as part of their cultural heritage. This intangible cultural heritage is constantly recreated by communities in response to their environment and their history, and provides them with a sense of identity and continuity, thus promoting respect for cultural diversity and human creativity." (Convention for the Safeguarding of the Intangible Cultural Heritage, 2003, Art. 2). |
| Exploitation Route | Across our events, visitors and audiences were extremely impressed by the cultural legacies of dragon legends of the North East. Especially family events which allowed regional visitors to handle artefacts produced on the project connected people tangibly with their cultural heritage; this proved wildly popular across all age groups. Feedback was gathered in the form of questionnaires, a visitor book, and filmed interviews. Comprehensively this feedback demonstrates that there is overwhelming support for producing more events based on regional "dragons". The findings may prove useful for the heritage/tourism sector in England's North-East. They show that economic and mental well-being in the region could be promoted by (1) signposting the many sites connected with dragon legends; (2) offering venues for musical/theatrical/social activities, and family activities; (3) marketing and publicity assistance. |
| Sectors | Communities and Social Services/Policy,Creative Economy,Education,Leisure Activities, including Sports, Recreation and Tourism,Culture, Heritage, Museums and Collections |
| URL | https://radicaldragonsnorth.wordpress.com |
| Description | 1. The general public of the North East learnt more about performance traditions, through the revival of popular festivity in our events, and benefited from the creation of local resources (our exhibition). Overall, our events were felt to be instructive, culturally and socially enriching, and beneficial for mental well-being. 2. Participants in workshops and performances honed motor, social, and intellectual skills: from learning to speak and move more confidently in public, to crafts techniques. Disabled individuals overcame difficulties and extended their awareness of theatrical heritage. 3. Practitioners in music, drama, design, and crafts benefited from upskilling in crafts and design, and theatrical management and practice. 4. Our project partner Brancepeth Castle used the project to test and implement a new visitor strategy with a flexible use of visitor space and facilities. A new permanent community atelier was equipped on site. This has helped the Castle to become economically more resilient. |
| First Year Of Impact | 2022 |
| Sector | Communities and Social Services/Policy,Creative Economy,Education,Leisure Activities, including Sports, Recreation and Tourism,Culture, Heritage, Museums and Collections |
| Impact Types | Cultural,Societal,Economic |
| Description | Craft Workshop, Morpeth, 16 Sept 2022 |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | Participation in an activity, workshop or similar |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | Local |
| Primary Audience | Patients, carers and/or patient groups |
| Results and Impact | Around 10 disabled participants (learning disabilities; autistic spectrum) attended a crafts workshop run by project collaborators Andy Bates and Linda Richardson in Morpeth on 16 September 2022. Participants made dragon puppets and heard about regional legends. The workshop was facilitated by project partner Twisting Ducks Theatre Company. It improved the participants' understanding and knowledge of regional cultural heritage; it also improved the confidence of performers in the autistic spectrum regarding social interaction. |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2022 |
| Description | Exhibition: Radical Dragons, Brancepeth Castle, 20 June - 17 July 2022 |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | Participation in an activity, workshop or similar |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | Regional |
| Primary Audience | Public/other audiences |
| Results and Impact | Several hundred visitors came to see the Exhibition "Radical Dragons: Fearsome Beasts and the Making of the North East", at Brancepeth Castle, Co. Durham, 20 June to 17 July 2022. The exhibition showed the rich traditions of dragons in North East England, from the Middle Ages to the modern day, and the way in which dragon tales have fed into the cultural history of the region. The exhibition offered the backdrop for a range of engagement activities: (1) several workshops on making costumes; embroidery; animated puppetry; paper toys; (2) family afternoon with stage dragons in action, a cafe, music, and a seating area with drawing materials where visitors could settle down to make sketches and leave feedback in a guestbook. See also "Creative Product: Artistic Exhibition" and "Engagement Activities: Family afternoon at Brancepeth Castle, 24-25 Sept 2022". |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2022 |
| URL | https://radicaldragonsnorth.wordpress.com/ |
| Description | Theatre performance and family afternoon: Dragon Weekend at Brancepeth Castle, 24-25 Sept 2022 |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | Participation in an activity, workshop or similar |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | Regional |
| Primary Audience | Public/other audiences |
| Results and Impact | Several hundred members of the public joined for a "Dragon Weekend" at Brancepeth Castle, on 24-25 September 2022. On Sat 24 September, a "Dragon Show" was presented. Participants were local volunteers, local schoolchildren, students and academics from Durham University, and professional musicians directed by a professional theatre director. The show was by ticket (because the Castle also provided catering on that evening, which was not budgeted for by the project). However, Sun 24 September was entirely free. On both occasions, members of the public were able to see the exhibition "Radical Dragons"; they were able to see the stage dragons produced as part of the project, and children of all ages were invited to manoeuvre these dragons. A guestbook was available for comments. The show attracted about 60-100 visitors; the family afternoon around 200 visitors. |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2022 |
| URL | https://www.brancepethcastle.org.uk/dragons.html |
| Description | Theatre performance with lecture: "Beowulf" and "Whiteblade" at Durham Town Hall, 20 June 2022 |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | Participation in an activity, workshop or similar |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | Regional |
| Primary Audience | Public/other audiences |
| Results and Impact | Around 70 members of the public attended a public lecture on "Beowulf" (by Prof. Shaw, Durham University), followed by the show "Whiteblade" (presented by project collaborator Hazelsong Theatre Company) in Durham Town Hall on 20 June 2022. The show drew on dragon legends of the North East and their legacies in theatre, music, and folklore. The audience learnt more about cultural heritage of Anglo-Saxon Britain and the North-East more specifically. |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2022 |
| URL | https://www.durham.ac.uk/research/institutes-and-centres/medieval-early-modern-studies/events/perfor... |
| Description | Theatre performance: "Sigurd and Fafnir" show at Hexham Abbey, 4 Nov 2022 |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | Participation in an activity, workshop or similar |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | Regional |
| Primary Audience | Public/other audiences |
| Results and Impact | Around 50 members of the general public attended the show "Sigurd and Fafnir" presented by Hazelsong Theatre Company (our project collaborator), at Hexham Abbey on 4 November 2022. The show offered a gateway to regional music, folklore and dramatic traditions of the North East and improved the audience's understanding and knowledge of regional cultural heritage. |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2022 |
| URL | https://hexhamabbey.org.uk/events/sigurd-and-fafnir-legendary-tale-hero-versus-dragon |
| Description | Theatre performance: "Sigurd and Fafnir" show at Jarrow Hall, South Tyneside, 6 Nov 2022 |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | Participation in an activity, workshop or similar |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | Regional |
| Primary Audience | Public/other audiences |
| Results and Impact | Around 50 members of the public attended the show "Sigurd and Fafnir" presented by Hazelsong Theatre Company (project collaborator) at Jarrow Hall, South Tyneside, on 6 November 2022. Jarrow Hall showcases Anglo-Saxon history in the North East, with an Anglo-Saxon Farm, a Village and a Bede Museum. The show was based on regional dragon myths and their legacies in drama, music, folklore and legend. The audience learnt more about regional cultural heritage and its modern creative impressions. |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2022 |
| URL | https://www.facebook.com/JarrowHallOfficial/ |
| Description | Theatre performance: "Sigurd and Fafnir" show at Newcastle Cathedral, 5 Nov 2022 |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | Participation in an activity, workshop or similar |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | Regional |
| Primary Audience | Public/other audiences |
| Results and Impact | Around 50 members of the general public attended the show "Sigurd and Fafnir" presented by Hazelsong Theatre Company (our project collaborator), at Newcastle Cathedral, on 5 November 2022. The show offered a gateway to regional music, folklore and dramatic traditions of the North East and improved the audience's understanding and knowledge of regional cultural heritage. |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2022 |
| URL | https://newcastlecathedral.org.uk/event/sigurd-and-fafnir-at-newcastle-cathedral/ |
| Description | Theatre performance: "Sigurd and Fafnir" show at St James's Church, Morpeth, 15 Sept 2022 |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | Participation in an activity, workshop or similar |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | Regional |
| Primary Audience | Public/other audiences |
| Results and Impact | Around 50 members of the general public attended the show "Sigurd and Fafnir" presented by Hazelsong Theatre Company (our project collaborator), at St James's Church, Morpeth on 15 September 2022. The event was facilitated by the Morpeth Northumbrian Gathering Committee. The show offered a gateway to regional music, folklore and dramatic traditions of the North East and improved the audience's understanding and knowledge of regional cultural heritage. |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2022 |
| URL | https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/sigurd-and-fafnir-with-hazelsong-theatre-tickets-400129948447 |
| Description | Theatre performance: "Sigurd and Fafnir" show at St John's Church, Sharow, Ripon, 12 Sept 2022 |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | Participation in an activity, workshop or similar |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | Regional |
| Primary Audience | Public/other audiences |
| Results and Impact | Around 50 members of the general public attended the show "Sigurd and Fafnir" presented by Hazelsong Theatre Company (our project collaborator), at St John's Church, Sharow, Ripon, on 12 September 2022. The show offered a gateway to regional music, folklore and dramatic traditions of the North East and improved the audience's understanding and knowledge of regional cultural heritage. |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2022 |
| URL | https://stjohnssharow.org.uk/event/hazelsong-theatres-sigurd-and-fafnir/ |
| Description | Theatre performance: "Sigurd and Fafnir" show in Whitby, 12 Nov 2022 |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | Participation in an activity, workshop or similar |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | Regional |
| Primary Audience | Public/other audiences |
| Results and Impact | Around 50 members of the general public attended the show "Sigurd and Fafnir" presented by Hazelsong Theatre Company (our project collaborator), at the Flowergate Hall Community Arts Centre in Whitby, on 12 November 2022. The event attracted a full house. The show offered a gateway to regional music, folklore and dramatic traditions of the North East and improved the audience's understanding and knowledge of regional cultural heritage. |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2022 |
| URL | https://flowergatehall.art/2022/10/31/490/ |
| Description | Theatre performance: Puppet show at Flowergate Community Arts Centre, Whitby, 25 Sept 2022 |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | Participation in an activity, workshop or similar |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | Regional |
| Primary Audience | Public/other audiences |
| Results and Impact | Around 50 members of the general public attended a dragon puppet show presented by Andy Bates and Linda Richardson (project collaborators), at the Flowergate Hall Community Arts Centre in Whitby. The event attracted a full house. The show offered a gateway to regional music, folklore and dramatic traditions of the North East and improved the audience's understanding and knowledge of regional cultural heritage. |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2022 |
| URL | https://flowergatehall.art/ |
| Description | Theatre workshop and lecture: Commedia dell'arte, Durham Town Hall, 28 June 2022 |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | Participation in an activity, workshop or similar |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | Regional |
| Primary Audience | Public/other audiences |
| Results and Impact | Around 60 members of the public attended a lecture given by Perry Mills, director of the theatre company Edward's Boys, on Renaissance drama. The lecture was followed by a workshop on Commedia dell'arte, given by project collaborator Niels Badenhop, a professional dancer, actor and theatre designer, and two boy actors from Edward's Boys theatre company. The workshop was free to the public, who received a practical introduction to commedia dell'arte movements. Comprehensively, the audience/participants learnt more about England's dramatic cultural heritage and its continental connections, and those members of the public who then continued in the workshop improved their knowledge of dramatic movement in a hands-on fashion. They also reported increased well-being due to physical activity and the social nature of the event. |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2022 |
| URL | https://www.durham.ac.uk/research/institutes-and-centres/medieval-early-modern-studies/events/perfor... |