Culture and community hold the keys to shaping a better future
Together, we can break down barriers, embrace new ideas, and build cultural futures that are inclusive, equitable and innovative.
Speakers
Dee Chainey-Jones is a cultural consultant and storyteller with a background in heritage education and engagement. She was co-founder of the #FolkloreThursday global hashtag day community project, and now runs the Cultural Futures Hub VR event space. She has previously spoken for the Library of Congress and BBC, and her work has been discussed in The Economist.
Matthew Cheeseman is a writer and researcher. In 2024 he co-convened the Folklore Without Borders research network with Paul Cowdell. This is still active and seeks to embed greater diversity into UK folklore and folkloristics. He is the Principal Investigator of the AHRC-funded Dracula Returns to Derby. He works as Professor of Writing and Folklore at University of Derby and posts on social media as @eine. He runs Spirit Duplicator (@sduplicator).
Paul Cowdell researches, writes on and talks about folklore. A Council member of The Folklore Society, he is Associate Editor of its journal Folklore. In 2024 he worked with Matthew Cheeseman on the Folklore Without Borders research network. This has continued beyond its funding period and continues to seek ways of embedding greater diversity in British folklore and folkloristics. He also writes poetry and collages objects.