Katharine Briggs Folklore Award, Runner-up
"Folklore, myth and tradition mingle" The Guardian
"Old rituals are once again modern" ZEIT
“Sara Hannant’s remarkable photographs convey, with joy and compassion, the mystery, charm and exuberance of traditional English ritual.” Shirley Collins, President of the English Folk Dance and Song Society
“Sara has a rare gift for capturing peak moments in such celebrations … the human participants emerge as vivid characters in their own right, adding depth to the drama and humour of the local seasonal rites in which they are involved” Professor Ronald Hutton, University of Bristol
“Wonderful photographs – funny, moving, lovely and very human” Mali Morris RA
"The pictures are artistic, stylish, insightful, intimate and thoughtful." Fact and Fiction
“Hannant’s charming and informative photo essay brings to life this quintessentially English obsession…and she captures the warmth, drama, humour and emotion of these quaint events with an artist’s eye” F22 (Eyes Wide Open)
“Mummers, Maypoles and Milkmaids” … is the first exhibition to represent the increasing normalisation of Paganism within English society." Ethan Doyle White, The Pomegranate
“Hannant’s eye-catching, reportage-style photographs capture the mystery and eccentricity of customs which are for her integral to the cultural identity of present-day England” The Countryman
Alongside exploring the mystery and excitement of seasonal rites my work also considers our relationship to the natural environment. The regenerative cycles of growth and decay underpin many seasonal customs. From 2006-2010, I travelled to rural and urban locations in England to photograph more than fifty rites that celebrate the wheel of the year. I discovered an upsurge of interest in folklore revealing a growing trend and desire for people to reconnect with the seasons, the land and community.
While some customs claim ancient origins, others are re-inventions or modern revivals, taking ideas from many different sources, both international and local. Rather than present these collective observations as ‘vanishing’ the images show traditional culture in contemporary contexts.
The dramatization of natural phenomena through movement, traditional dance, mumming plays, costumed processions, and fire rituals also has a deep connection to one’s own body and phases of life. The immersive experience of the folk ritual establishes a communal belonging to time and place. Similarly, the enduring repetition of rites deepens an interaction between past, present and future.
Mummers, Maypoles and Milkmaids: A Journey Through the English Ritual Year is a Horniman Museum touring exhibition. The exhibition informed The Royal Shakespeare Company production of As you like it in 2013 and inspired Trinity Laban Conservatoire of Music and Dance performances in 2012. Images also featured in Lodestar performances by Shirley Collins at the Barbican in 2016 and UK tour.