Shropshire Star

Some Morris dancers to ditch black face make up at Shrewsbury Folk Festival

A Shrophire Morris dancing team says its members will be wearing a "mixture of facial disguises" for its performance at Shrewsbury Folk Festival this weekend - amid controversy over the use of black face paint.

Published
Morris dancers take a break at Shrewsbury Folk Festival

The Ironmen and Severn Gilders Morris Dancing team has traditionally performed in black face paint.

The group's secretary Ivor Phillips, said the decision over facial disguises for the performance would be up to individual members.

He said it was likely some would wear black face paint, while others would wear red, or a combination of both - the team's colours.

It comes after Shrewsbury Folk Festival announced that this would be the last year that it booked morris dancing sides that use black face paint.

The Ironmen are one of three groups that could perform while wearing black face paint at this year's event.

A statement from the group said they understood the festival's decision.

Mr Phillips said: "Our team consists of two separate sides based in Ironbridge. The Ironmen, who dance Welsh Border Morris and the Severn Gilders, a ladies team who dance North West Morris.

"The Ironmen have, for the last 35 years, worn the traditional 'border' costume which includes 'tatter' jackets and black face paint as a form of disguise. This tradition dates back hundreds of years.

"We are aware of the pressure which Shrewsbury Folk Festival has come under in being asked not to invite black faced teams from next year, and we fully understand their decision under the circumstances."

Mr Phillips said that there is no connection between the paint and black culture and that no one in the group had wanted to cause offence.

He said: "As a team we have never intended to give offence. There is nothing in our costume, dance style, music or songs which is remotely related to black culture. It is unfortunate that some people have just looked at the black face paint and taken offence, without engaging with us to seek an explanation.

"Where people have engaged, they have been satisfied by our explanations about the history and culture of Border Morris and the fact that there are no connections to black culture or racism in any way."

The tradition of morris dancers wearing black face paint dates back some 500 years, and has no racial connotations. Instead face paint was used as a way of disguising dancers, so they couldn't be recognised.

Organisers of Shrewsbury Folk Festival said they found themselves "caught between two sides" of the argument, and decided that this will be the last year it books dancers using full face black make up to perform.

Sorry, we are not accepting comments on this article.