Traditional Drama Conferences 1978-2002

At its meeting on the 12th June 2004, the Traditional Drama Research Group's committee initiated a project to ensure that all the papers from our Traditional Drama Conferences are publicly available, either on paper or online. As a first step, we have listed all the items from the programmes, indicating those papers we know have been published, and if so where.

Help Wanted

We would appreciate it if authors (or anyone else) could check the list and notify us of any of the following:

• Availability of those published, either on paper or online, papers we don't know about - to be indicated where on the list. Please also note if the text has been updated, extended, revised or otherwise changed since presentation at the conference.

• Availability of abstracts - preferably in an electronic format - for inclusion on the list.

• Availability of electronic versions of the unpublished papers that could be converted for the Web. (Please note in what format - e.g. WordPerfect, etc.).

• Availability of typescripts / transcripts of the unpublished papers that could be scanned for the Web.

• Availability of example diagrams / illustrations that are in digital form (e.g. jpeg, etc.), or that could be scanned for inclusion with the papers on the Web.

• Availability of audio / video examples that are in digital form (e.g. mp3, wmv, etc.), or that could be converted for inclusion with the papers on the Web.

• Any other pertinent information.

Please send information and contributions to the Webmaster, at webmaster@folkplay.info, and copy to Ron Shuttleworth at mumminguk@mail.com.

Background

Delegates at the first conference in 1978 were issued with preprints of the papers. However, these are not readily available, and this approach was not repeated at later conferences. The proceedings of the 2002 conference were published as a dedicated volume in a limited edition. Some of the other conference papers were published in our journal Traditional Drama Studies, and several more have appeared in other peer-reviewed folklore journals. Additionally, a few authors have published their own papers, either as pamphlets or online. Otherwise, a significant proportion of the papers remain unpublished, an omission we wish to rectify.

This list has been adapted from information kindly prepared by Ron Shuttleworth, keeper of the Morris Ring Folk Play Archive. He included every conference item, although some, either plenary (such as formal discussions) or non-plenary (such as informal discussions, film sessions, etc.), may not be relevant to the project. Ron holds abstracts of, and handouts from, most of the papers. For many of the papers, Ron also holds copies of audio tape recordings held by Doc Rowe, who has recorded every conference other than 1979, as well as transcripts of the papers that have not been published. These holdings in his Collection are indicated on the list. Asterisks (*) indicate unpublished papers which he would like and might be available.