A Multimedia Exploration of the Story of Vulcan, Blending Film, Poetry, Sound, Music, Art and Science
We’re delighted to announce the forthcoming launch of The Cradle of Fire film, supported by an Arts Council England development grant. This event is in association with Sheffield Museums, taking place at Kelham Island Museum, on Thursday 7 November from 6.00 to 9.30PM.
Most of The Cradle of Fire team will be in attendance, including our lead artist, multimedia filmmaker Diana Scarborough, together with writer and co-director Carolyn Waudby.
Cradle of Fire film, work in progress, Will Hill graphics screenshot 2024-10-16 at 11.06.37
Cradle of Fire is a re-imagining of the story of Vulcan, Roman god of fires, furnaces and volcanoes, and an icon adopted by Sheffield at the height of the city’s steelmaking industry. The film has a poetry base and combines song and spoken word with an original score. This includes sound recordings created by musicologist and composer Kim Cunio. Diana has blended all these elements with her own visuals, graphics by Will Hill, archive footage and stills photography.
Our gallery shows a few screenshots from the work in progress. Will these images appear in the final take? Find out at the film première…
Cradle of Fire film, work in progress, Vulcan screenshot 2024-10-16 at 11.20.58
We’re excited to have the celebrated Grenoside Sword Dancers performing at the event. We also hope to add other activities closer to the time. Keep an eye on the blog and follow our social media for updates and extra news.
For those of you not familiar with the Sword Dancers, we’re sharing a little bit of history, some drawn from the Grenoside Sword Dancers’ website.
The Grenoside Sword Dancers performing
This is a tradition emerging from the mining villages and towns of the North East of England. As well as offering entertainment, sword dancing performances were often a means to earn money, or food and drink, during the Christmas holiday period, when most of the mines shut down and workers were left unpaid.
“It is known that, from at least the late 19th century, the team undertook walking tours, some by request to perform at local grand houses for beer and sandwiches but other tours were for the enjoyment of the local people.
The Grenoside sword dancers mid-performance
In 1910, Cecil Sharp, the folk song and dance collector and the founder of the English Folk Dance and Song Society (EFDSS), came to Grenoside to ‘collect’ the dance which was then published in his book ‘The Sword Dances of England.’ The interlocking swords became the symbol of the EFDSS. In 1933 the EFDSS presented the Grenoside Sword Team with new swords which are used to this day.”
Grenoside Sword Dancers’ late great Captain Dave Brookes, who had danced on 50 consecutive Boxing Days. The photo was taken by Georgia Stone, and managed to frame the sword lock against the pub name perfectly.
The integration of a sword dance performance into the Cradle of Fire film launch pays homage to the steelmaking industry and community, while reflecting local customs. It also highlights our project’s exploration of the mythology and folklore in Sheffield and the surrounding areas.
The Millowners Arms will be supplying food and drink on the evening, with traditional pie and mash, served with mushy peas and loaded chips as a separate option.
Kelham Island Museum, home of The River Don Engine © Andy Brown
Join us for the night! Entrance is free, with donations to the Kelham Island Museum welcome.
Book your tickets via this link.
Cradle of Fire Film World Premiere at Kelham Island Museum – 7 November 2024
We’d love to hear from you as we develop the Cradle of Fire project. Please use the contact page to get in touch.
Cradle of Fire is a research and development project, supported by public funds from Arts Council England. We are also grateful for support from our partners and creative collaborators. Read more on the dedicated About pages.
Check our progress to date and future plans via the timeline