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Between 2006 and 2012 Director/Producer Dave Brewis filmed over 70  gatherings across the UK and built a compelling video archive featuring customs, traditions and folklore. In 2024 / 25 Dave returned to film six selected events in depth. The result is  ‘Gatherings’,  a 6 x 30 minute documentary series.

Each documentary shifts the audience through time, explores how customs have been handed down through generations, and tells the inside story of mounting this year’s event.

Being a custodian is challenging . Barriers may be physical, legal or cultural in nature, and failure to overcome them may have existential consequences. 

Our films' central protagonists are therefore the organisers of the events - nearly always the people who care most about keeping their custom alive. Each story arc begins in the run up to the event and continues with the spectacle.

At the appropriate point in each film we deal with the ‘why?’ and that’s an opportunity to visit the past. Some of these practices and rituals have a very specific purpose, while some are ‘open to interpretation’ and will tap into our viewers sense of wonder. Some speak to our relationship with nature. Most involve regional identity. All are tribal. What drives folk to come together in this way is varied, but the series inherently exposes universal themes.

"This is not a series of films which attempts to tell the audience how to react to what they're seeing. It is observational and experiential. Well researched and accurate - but not overtly academic. The story is told by the protagonists themselves, with no on-screen presenter and no voice over. Audience barriers are reduced to zero, because the subject matter demands an authentic approach. In a sense, that's the entire reason I'm making the series.

Traditionally in TV and media, folklore is often treated as ‘offbeat' and given a relatively short window, but I believe our annual customs warrant much closer examination and are vehicles to explore embedded themes. Many are deeply rooted in our past and refuse to die. They say something about what we value over time, which in turn reveals something of ourselves. My goal is to do justice to the integrity of these events and my goals are ‘accurate representation, artistically shot’, while tapping into the natural sense of wonder audiences have around this subject matter. I would like the viewer to feel the energy and atmosphere of each gathering, and of course witness the spectacle. But I expect watching the films will also necessitate asking questions of oneself."

"During research for this series I’ve noticed a growing interest around this subject matter among youger generations. Perhaps they are searching for alternatives to digital experiences, looking for something they regard as ‘real’ given the overwhelmingly digital culture, now further punctuated with AI-generated content. By contrast, very few of these gatherings feature any real use of technology. Many of our customs stand in contrast to technological ‘progress’ and often actively resist change, and to many that is their appeal.

However, 'tradition' is not always the primary driver to why folk come together in these ways. Many gatherings actively encourage a deeper relationship with nature. Younger generations are hyper-aware of the broken bond between nature and ourselves, so it’s perhaps unsurprising that folk traditions are on their radar. There are also broader questions about the UK and its place in the world, and although this is not a series about national identity, folklore does raise debate around collective values. These are contemporary and urgent themes, and the views of our younger generation will be represented in the films wherever that makes sense. After all it is they who will decide whether or not to carry on these customs - or indeed be inspired to invent new ones.

Among older generations too there appears to be renewed interest in this subject matter. Many media outlets are reporting a 'folklore revival'. Certainly on the ground,  numbers of attendees are swelling. It's interesting to witness the sense of wonder on the faces of those who attend. A sense of wonder which typically begs self analysis and the question ' how does this relate to me?' - a question I hope the audience for my films will feel compelled to ask. This is where deeper engagement will lie. "

- Dave Brewis, Director.