Question Time

In continuing news of the National Folklore Survey, which is looking at broad aspects of folk culture in modern England, and which was first covered by my colleague Sophie Parkes in Songlines #206, development of the survey questions themselves is now well underway. Writing the questions themselves proved trickier than one might imagine, especially when trying to include a broad range of topics that will be answered by a representative cross-section of the general public in England.

But, after only two months since the project’s launch, we were able to trial our first rough survey draft on friends and family as guinea pigs. The themes covered range from customs in daily and domestic life through to connectivity with nature and landscape, and beliefs relating to luck, nationality and even the influence of modern media. One of our first challenges was to work within the time restrictions and deadlines we have in terms of how long it might take people to actually fill in the survey on an individual basis, and how we will work with Ipsos MORI, a global leader in market research, who will be undertaking the survey. The first test runs took between 30 and 60 minutes – something we need to cut down to 15–20 minutes for the general public!

Significantly, we held a day-long symposium, inviting folklore experts from across the UK to look at the survey draft and offer feedback. Attendees included project partners from The Folklore Society, the Folklore Archives and the Folklore Museums Network, representatives of Folklore without Borders (who strive for greater equality, diversity and inclusion within UK folklore) and eminent folklorists in their own right like Paul Smith, Doc Rowe and Julia Bishop. Generously chaired by Professor Vanessa Toulmin from the University of Sheffield, the day began with presentations from the project lead, Dr David Clarke (who set out a historical context and scope for the survey), and Professor Chris Bader who (based on extensive experience of large scale surveys, such as on paranormal belief) set out some of the more practical considerations and limitations of the project.

It was daunting to reveal our survey draft to this room of venerable guests, whom we divided into small workshop groups to scrutinise individual sections of the survey and give us their detailed feedback. Our apprehension proved unfounded, however, as we received the most generous, practical and supportive advice from the group – in as much comprehensive detail as we’d hoped. Taking their constructive encouragement on board, our second survey draft has already improved by leaps and bounds. Our next step is to workshop this new draft with focus groups without specialist knowledge of folklore, which we anticipate will entirely reshape our work once again – but all for the better!

The National Folklore Survey of England team is led by Dr David Clarke, co-founder of the Centre for Contemporary Legend (CCL), with myself Dr Diane A Rodgers (also a CCL co-founder) and Sophie Parkes (postdoctoral researcher; known academically as Sophie Parkes-Nield) at Sheffield Hallam University, along with Dr Ceri Houlbrook and Professor Owen Davies at the University of Hertfordshire, with the expert guidance of Professor Chris Bader at Chapman University in California.

+ More information at nationalfolkloresurvey.co.uk or on social media via Bluesky (@nfsengland.bsky.social) and X (x.com/nfsengland)