Post by Saviya on Mar 17, 2004 14:12:12 GMT -5
Each of the major heritage organisations in the UK has it's own set of 'guidelines' pertaining to re-enactment events and each re-enactment society, in turn, has its own set of regulations regarding authenticity, historical accuracy etc... Some of them might seem quite nit-picking, draconian or un-necessary but there are many examples of incidents where these rules have had to be 'pointed out' to people.
I was sometimes on the production team at Hastings (Battle of... 1066 etc... not really my fave period) and one particular year, an invited group turned up on the field wearing, amongst other things, black spandex leggings, over the knee boots, bits of fur and one was carrying a large LRP 'war hammer' type thing. We had about 750 combatants, 42(?) cavalry, an audience of thousands, TV, radio, a 7 mile tailback of traffic waiting to get in to see the show and a lot of VIP's around and these people did not want to leave the arena. Most of the audience have some idea of what soldiers of the period looked like (if only from things like Noggin the Nog!!) so regulations have to be in place to stop such embarrassing incidents.
Here's a few that we would have to take into account:
a) No anachronistic behaviour within sight of the public. e.g. no drinking coffee in a medieval camp, no eating ice-cream, no drinking from bottles, no visits to the burger van in kit and no discussions about last night's Eastenders within earshot of the public
b) No cross-dressing!!! If you dress as a soldier - try to look like a man. Don't obviously be a female in male clothing in view of the public (historically accurate anyway as women generally tried to disguise themselves in combat after about 500AD)
c) No mix of 21st-century kit with authentic kit. So no slipping your shoes on to go to the loo (which is invariably standing the other side of a large patch of gravel with thistles growing out of it!!)
d) No anachronistic pots/pans/furnishings in the camp
e) Fires have to be made in boxes filled with sand (instead of digging pits in the archaelogy!)
f) Every living history unit has to have a firepoint. Buckets of water or an extinguisher is enough.
There are lots more but they can wait!
As for finances. Most people in the UK do these things as a hobby, some set up businesses within that hobby, eg casting authentic buckles, but the larger events are never, to my knowledge, done to enrich the re-enactors. It would be highly unlikely that we would ever be paid for our performances. Some societies don't 'sub-contract' at all but it is possible to become a member for a weekend which also gives you the benefit of public liability insurance (usually up to a million quid or so) if you accidentally brain somebody with a zill! However, if we found a society with whom we could regularly do shows, it might be worth joining as many of them pay van hire costs, fuel and also give 'grants' for living history equipment. Money is made for the group or the individuals through independent shows and film/TV work.
The first thing we need to do is find a period into which we can 'fit' and develop a historically accurate group profile, generate characters, find some musicians and, once we're able to put on a show, find a society we can work with. There are probably people out there who would love to do this sort of living history but don't want to dance or play drums - I think that'd be great as we really need people to watch over things while the show is happening and we're distracted. Anyway, historically, armies have been based on the ratio of 6 support staff to every 4 combatants so why shouldn't dancers be the same?).
What we'd be doing is developing a re-enactment group as an off-shoot of Dwyfeindawnsi and that's the frame of mind we'd need to be in to make it a success.
Well, considering I did it for over 15 years, I've made it sound like a really miserable hobby!!! To reassure you though, there are tens of thousands of historical re-enactors in this country alone and every weekend between Easter and October you can find at least one event per historical period taking place. They can't all be mad can they.........? (nervous giggle)
I was sometimes on the production team at Hastings (Battle of... 1066 etc... not really my fave period) and one particular year, an invited group turned up on the field wearing, amongst other things, black spandex leggings, over the knee boots, bits of fur and one was carrying a large LRP 'war hammer' type thing. We had about 750 combatants, 42(?) cavalry, an audience of thousands, TV, radio, a 7 mile tailback of traffic waiting to get in to see the show and a lot of VIP's around and these people did not want to leave the arena. Most of the audience have some idea of what soldiers of the period looked like (if only from things like Noggin the Nog!!) so regulations have to be in place to stop such embarrassing incidents.
Here's a few that we would have to take into account:
a) No anachronistic behaviour within sight of the public. e.g. no drinking coffee in a medieval camp, no eating ice-cream, no drinking from bottles, no visits to the burger van in kit and no discussions about last night's Eastenders within earshot of the public
b) No cross-dressing!!! If you dress as a soldier - try to look like a man. Don't obviously be a female in male clothing in view of the public (historically accurate anyway as women generally tried to disguise themselves in combat after about 500AD)
c) No mix of 21st-century kit with authentic kit. So no slipping your shoes on to go to the loo (which is invariably standing the other side of a large patch of gravel with thistles growing out of it!!)
d) No anachronistic pots/pans/furnishings in the camp
e) Fires have to be made in boxes filled with sand (instead of digging pits in the archaelogy!)
f) Every living history unit has to have a firepoint. Buckets of water or an extinguisher is enough.
There are lots more but they can wait!
As for finances. Most people in the UK do these things as a hobby, some set up businesses within that hobby, eg casting authentic buckles, but the larger events are never, to my knowledge, done to enrich the re-enactors. It would be highly unlikely that we would ever be paid for our performances. Some societies don't 'sub-contract' at all but it is possible to become a member for a weekend which also gives you the benefit of public liability insurance (usually up to a million quid or so) if you accidentally brain somebody with a zill! However, if we found a society with whom we could regularly do shows, it might be worth joining as many of them pay van hire costs, fuel and also give 'grants' for living history equipment. Money is made for the group or the individuals through independent shows and film/TV work.
The first thing we need to do is find a period into which we can 'fit' and develop a historically accurate group profile, generate characters, find some musicians and, once we're able to put on a show, find a society we can work with. There are probably people out there who would love to do this sort of living history but don't want to dance or play drums - I think that'd be great as we really need people to watch over things while the show is happening and we're distracted. Anyway, historically, armies have been based on the ratio of 6 support staff to every 4 combatants so why shouldn't dancers be the same?).
What we'd be doing is developing a re-enactment group as an off-shoot of Dwyfeindawnsi and that's the frame of mind we'd need to be in to make it a success.
Well, considering I did it for over 15 years, I've made it sound like a really miserable hobby!!! To reassure you though, there are tens of thousands of historical re-enactors in this country alone and every weekend between Easter and October you can find at least one event per historical period taking place. They can't all be mad can they.........? (nervous giggle)
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