Black Faced Morris Dancers Banned at ShrewsburyFolk Festival

Forgot to say, it's a tradition and should not be banned as no racist undertones.
there is a hilarious episode of Jeeves and Wooster, set in Devon, that features a blacked up minstrel band ( but that was set in1920's)

Apparently the complaint came from an organisation called F.R.E.S.H. Not a clue what it stands for but the spokesperson was a Jeremy Corbyn lookalike in a flat hat. To the best of my knowledge no person from an ethnic minority has complained. Just some patronising middle class twerps who need to do their research.

https://www.gransnet.com/uploads/talk/201608/medium-310974-img-5816.jpg https://www.gransnet.com/uploads/talk/201608/medium-89872-img-5820.jpg

I'm sure someone from an ethnic minority would have more sense than to meet someone like this and immediately think 'they're ridiculing me'...and these people love dogs so they can't be that bad..

Could you write to (or email) the Shrewsbury Folk Festival organisers, with the historical info you gave us, tegan? Then they'd have a reply to whoever complained and could unban the Morris dancers.

I'm a bit surprised the Morris dancers who black their faces didn't explain the history of the face-blacking to the festival organisers.

If they painted their faces BLUE , would anybody object? Apart from Smurfs?

the Smurfist PC Police are on your tail DB

Better not try to ban them herd at our Folk Festival as this year at least two of the dancers didn't actually need to black up

The green faced Mollie dancers should be banned, just in case they offend any visiting Martians.

They know all this bags and say the decision hasn't been made lightly. It was only one member of the public that complained and that was taken up by FRESH. I did try to make a comment on the Shrewsbury Echo site but my technical skills let me down. I did vote though; I think it's 90% in favour of allowing the Border Morris dancers being allowed to continue.

"It is probable the term morris developed from the French word morisque (meaning a dance, the dance), which became morisch in Flemish, and then the English moryssh, moris and finally morris. Flanders in the fifteenth century was an innovative cultural centre, and strongly influenced European culture in general. The earliest confirmation of a performance of morris dancing in England dates from London on 19 May 1448, when Moryssh daunsers were paid 7s (35p) for their services." Taken from themorrisring.org/publications/morris-tradition
Seems like an over zealous 'liberal' twerp has caused this rumpus...or it is a right wing stirrer trying to cause a rumpus. Either way it is ridiculous.

www.independent.co.uk/life-style/health-and-families/features/black-faced-morris-dancers-traditional-disguise-or-simply-racist-9794704.html Seems it is not a new issue though!!

This is really stupid. As Tegan says this sort of dancing is traditional and almost certainly has it's roots in pagan times.
I do sometimes wonder if such ideas are partly the result of real ignorance on a lot of people about what racial offence actually is.
Like trying to change the words of Baa Baa Black sheep. which the link below explains

www.facebook.com/notes/vexen-crabtree/baa-baa-black-sheep-some-ridiculous-stories-about-it-being-banned-are-obviously-/215918456342/

Political correctness gone crazy. Do these jobsworths have nothing better to worry about?

Ah well, thanks for trying, tegan. It definitely seems like PC gone mad. One complaint and a troop of dancers gets banned. Madness.

Out of interest, do people agree that the black and white minstrels should not have been allowed to stay?

I agree with the poster[sorry, cant find it now] who said write an official complaint back.

It seems to me that people can do all the chat and emails etc they like, but no one official does anything unless there is an actual official complaint.

Since there has only been one offical complaint against this, perhaps a small number of official complaints the other way might overturn the decision.

AS I commented down line this is ignorance on the part of a complainant and an official somewhere.
This is a morris dance festival from Sandbach. It made a lovely day out and livened up the town.
So I am showing a picture of these guys enjoying themselves.

Obeione No. The singing blacked up white men and white singers was a whole different political frame work.
The Morris men blacking up has been discussed down the tread.

I guess I'm a bit biased. A few years ago I had a temporary [thank goodness] estrangement from my DD and the children. I was so wretched during that time. But two things cheered me up. One was the gransnet meet up in Birmingham which was something to look forward to and which I thoroughly enjoyed, and the other was a day out at Southwell when the streets were full of Morris dancers. For the first time in ages my feet were tapping, I was smiling and, had my knees not been so awful would have wanted to join in. And it was the Border Morris that really made my heart sing.

Not quite sure on this one Tegan. On the one hand, I agree with you- because of the history of it all- unlike black and white minstels and gollywogs.

However, many of the people watching, of all ethnic backgrounds- may not realise this and feel really uncomfortable. We have to remember that slavery, discrimination (apartheid ended very recently), etc- some people are really sensitive to this kind of representation.

Would the Morris dancers have been any less enjoyable and talented, and having massive fun- had they chosen to colour their faces blue or green. This especially post Brexit and the rise in racist attacks in the streets, schools, workplaces, etc.

Nelliemoser, re the black sheep. Sadly, the name black sheep still has very unplesant connotations, in more ways than one.

And no, I don't think the song should be changed either- this is how I taught it to ma grandchildren.

But your comment made me think. In Switzerland over past 10 years or so, the UDC/SVP party- somewhere half way between Ukip and the National Front- used posters all over Switzerland in their campaigns- showing a big army boot kicking out black sheep out of Switzerland, whilst white sheet smile and approve.
So for me, because of this- the black sheep symbol is very strong.

Having thought about this thread, have now come back to it to post more or less what granjura has posted ( blacked up faces).There well may not be many/any black people in this town watching the Morris Men, but if there were visitors, how would they feel ( try and imagine it's you, and how you would feel.) So, although it is an old tradition, remember that when it was started, and for maybe centuries, there were no black visitors watching, but now there may be.Just a thought.

There are tribes in Africa, and aboriginal peoples in Australia, who ceremonially paint their faces white. No-one queries why they do it - they have been doing it for centuries - or sets up a hue and cry about that being offensive to some group or other (who probably couldn't care less anyway)! For Heavens sake, why are people allowed to let things get so out of proportion?

greyduster- the aborigines have never had white slaves, have they? Can't you perceive the difference?