Project Detail

A Small Quiet English Town

Synopsis

It all started in 1955, when 100 English folk dancers responded to a simple newsprint advert announcing a 'seaside holiday with dancing'. Little did this small gathering know that this was the genesis of the 'longest running folk festival in Europe', growing into one of the most important events in the English folk calendar, boasting up to 55,000 attendees across a full week of music, international dancers and song from all over the world.
This documentary takes audiences back in time, remembering how Sidmouth Folk Festival began and why it grew exponentially at times, how Prince Phillip and Princess Elizabeth helped the explosion of interest in English folk dance and also eventually folk song, alongside exploring English folk traditions and their place in England and the UK today. Featuring Ralph McTell, Martin and Eliza Carthy, India Electric Co., and using unseen film and photographic archive, live performance and interviews with original attendees from 1955 and recent years audiences are invited to relive the highs and lows of this jewel in the English folk crown.

Details

Year: 2023
Type of project: Features
Running time: 70 min
Format: S8mm, S16mm, HD Video.
Director: Andy Baybutt
Producer: Paul Tully, Alison Tully
Co-Producer: Justin Hankinson
Executive Producer: John Braithwaite, Chris Burhop
Editor: Paul Tully, Tim McGill
Screenwriter: Paul Tully
Director of Photography: Justin Hankinson
Sound: Justin Hankinson, Wounded Buffalo, Bristol
Principal cast: Martin Carthy, Eliza Carthy, Ralph McTell, Steve Knightley

Genre

Music Dance

Production Status

Complete

Production Company

TPLfilms

Clarks House
4 Alexandria Road
Sidmouth
Devon
EX10 9HB

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