The National Folklore Survey for England [Dr David Clarke]

This presentation will summarise the results from the National Folklore Survey for England that aims to capture an accurate snapshot of the traditions and beliefs of people who live in contemporary England. It is the first systematic survey of its kind since 1964 and aims to address the lack of data on the cultural value of folklore in post-Brexit, post-pandemic England as a source of resilience and community identity. It includes data on supernatural beliefs and experiences, contemporary legends and a range of folkloric traditions linked to the natural world, domestic life and the changing seasons. The 2-year AHRC-funded project is led by Dr David Clarke and a team of folklore specialists from Sheffield Hallam University, The University of Hertfordshire and Chapman University in California.

Dr David Clarke is Associate Professor at Sheffield Hallam University and is Project Lead for the AHRC-funded National Folklore Survey for England. He is co-founder of the Centre for Contemporary Legend at SHU and was curator for the release of the MoD’s UFO files archive at The National Archives 2008-13. His books include The Angel of Mons (2004), How UFOs Conquered the World (2015) and UFO Drawings At The National Archives (2017). His next book, Space Age Folklore, will be published by Reaktion books in 2027.