Broadsides were one of the most common forms of printed material between the sixteenth and nineteenth centuries, particularly in Britain, Ireland and North America and are often associated with the most common forms of traditional music from these countries, the ballad.
These ballads shed light on historical conceptions of gender difference and our unconscious understanding of our identities. From depictions of disorderly women, and the dangers that women pose to the structure of patriarchal society, they inform our understanding of political and social order.
We will be focusing on the Molly’s Masquerade themes of gender, sexuality and identity, and the cultural understanding of the sexual body.
Each fortnight we will explore a couple of ballads and learn a song. These workshops will take place online until we are officially allowed to sing together.
These workshops are a part of the Heritage Lottery and Arts Council England funded project ‘Molly’s Masquearade’ at St. Margaret’s House, Bethnal Green. In memory of our 18th century queer ancestors the sessions will work towards a sharing at the Molly’s Masquerade Spring Gathering on April 1st, and the Molly’s Masquerade ball in summer 2021