Chalke History Festival 2024: A Week of Discovery and Delight
Emily Barrett, a student from Queen Elizabeth’s School in Wimborne, Dorset, recently had the extraordinary opportunity to spend a week immersed in the vibrant atmosphere of the Chalke History Festival.
As part of her work experience, Emily delved into the rich tapestry of historical events, engaging talks, and immersive performances that make the festival a unique celebration of our past. Her journey through the festival not only broadened her understanding of history but also provided her with invaluable insights into the world of historical research and public engagement. Here, she shares her reflections and highlights from an unforgettable week at Chalke.
Monday Highlights
With talks ranging from coastal waters to Stalin, I hope it’s not too cliche to say that there was something to interest everyone on Monday at the Chalke History Festival. One of my favourite events of the afternoon was Estelle Paranque and Shalina Patel’s talk on the life of Anne Boleyn, based on Paranque’s book ‘Thorns, Lust and Glory: The Betrayal of Anne Boleyn’. Delivered with charisma and passion, the talk spoke to the opportunity for a deeper understanding of Anne, humanising her beyond just the title ‘beheaded’ to look at the influence of her formative years at the French court and the causes of her downfall and eventual death. The living history was also (as always), both informative and fun, immersing you in the time period with each sense, from taste with the Time Traveller’s Kitchen to sound with the historical musicians. With all of this – and some beautiful weather- on offer, what’s not to enjoy?!
Tuesday Highlights
Tuesday has been another stunning day in the Wiltshire countryside, the sights of Chalke only adding to its delights. A talk I really loved was Nicola Tallis’s on Queen Elizabeth I, though I may be a little biased towards the topic of the Tudors. Based on Tallis’s book ‘Young Elizabeth’ the talk let you take a peek into Elizabeth’s formative years and gave an emotive re-examination of her vulnerable position after her father’s death: daughter of a traitor and rival claimant to her sister Mary. On the topic of emotive talks, Foreign Field’s D-Day paratrooper performance was surprisingly moving whilst also being informative and widely entertaining. Covering all you could need to know, from the kit of a paratrooper and its differences across nationalities to stories of the soldiers themselves, this really was a joy of an event.
Interview with Musicians
Across Chalke History Festival, tunes from the historical musicians really bring to life the archaic mood of the sights, allowing you to almost imagine yourself whisked back in time. One of the groups that provide this soundtrack are the minstrels A Merrie Noyse. Performing a range of pieces across the week, the members – Sue, Rod and Barry- have had varied and fascinating paths into historical music, from lifelong passions for history and music to accidentally stumbling into the art. I really loved the way that they talked about music as a way to build community and understanding: between the individual musicians but also across time with musicians of the past, music acting as a ‘vehicle’ to bring history to us today in a way that feels real and tangible. Sue in particular spoke to me about her passion for history, about how the reflective nature of it is fascinating in letting us realise how similar we are to our ancestors despite differences in society.
Ultimately our conversation moved to their advice for younger musicians or people who simply found an interest in the practice, and this was their advice: find a good teacher, start as soon as possible and most importantly, give it a go.
Wednesday Highlights
This morning’s talk on contemporary archaeology by Raksha Dave, Richard Osgood and Alex Langlands was one of my favourites of the festival so far, looking at the importance of archaeology in modern society and the need for people working within history to open up, to educate and to involve the public. Within the same vein of maintaining the importance of history, the rescheduled talk on heritage and its future was really another star of the festival so far. With a panel of heritage crafters, the talk looked at the future of crafts, from government protection to the importance of training the next generation to continue these practices. Both talks were compelling and passionate, leaving me asking, is our history the secret to our future?
Interview with RattleBox Theatre
When we look for something that has been ever present in history what immediately springs to mind?
Though there are many valid options, for me it’s the stories that we tell. Across time characters, tales and the emotions that they provoke have unfailingly provided us with entertainment and an escape from the realities of our daily lives. In this way they link us across time and space, almost between worlds.
The Rattlebox Theatre is a group here at Chalke that have brought that joy of the ancient art of storytelling to the public today with their performance of the story ‘Beowulf’ (accompanied with live music) as well as other tales throughout the day. Dave Oliver and Steve Tyler (not to be confused with the musician from Hammersmith) provide a portal through which the public can enjoy tales in a similar way that people of the past would have. They spoke on their love of history, exploring the ‘known and unknown’ past through hearing the things that historical figures would have heard and being able to imagine what they felt and thought in those moments.
An element that really seemed to be important to both of them in their art was how their performances brought people together. The personal act of performance, from their experience, really seemed to forge interpersonal bonds with Steve noting the ‘immediacy’ of the art form and how that allows for connection between people. To round it all off, Dave spoke to me about the ‘buzz’ of performing. Both seemed to agree that the feeling of the story coming together around them and the impression that it makes on others is a fantastic feeling, and after seeing the performance earlier this week I can confirm that it really will leave you feeling both transported and inspired.
Thursday Highlights
With a slight dip in temperatures and some light drizzle in the morning, I’m happy to report that there was no dip in the mood of the festival today, with the D-Day morning really drawing in the crowds. Moving into the afternoon, Kate Morgan’s talk with Trevor Dolby, based on her book ‘The Walnut Tree’ was really informative, looking at the history of women’s rights and their treatment by the law across time. Talking passionately and eruditely about specific cases across time and their impression on the status of women under the law, the talk was a real treat for anyone with any level of interest in the history of feminist law.
Friday Highlights
As the excitement for the weekend builds, Chalke became host to many a famous name this Friday. Giant crowds swarmed into the valley for some of the most highly anticipated talks of the festival so far, from the Ghosts talk with cast members Ben Willbond and Laurence Rickard to the incredibly popular Histrionics in the evening. The returning history quiz was both educational and hilarious, with the two teams (Alice Loxton and Laurence Rickard vs Dan Snow and Anuvab Pal) battling it out for ultimate historical glory and respect. Through rounds including guessing historical figures from their baby photos and history-themed charades both teams valiantly persevered, much to the amusement of the audience. The crowds were let out to a tranquil and enchanting evening in the cool countryside air, the weekend arriving with a promise of even more history and fun!
