Newcastle Corn Riots - Food for Thought

01/12/2022

06/09/2021

Geordie Barelycorn on Blues and Roots Radio Tuesday 7 September between 6 & 8pm. Hurrah. http://bluesandrootsrsdio.com

03/09/2021

https://youtu.be/wOQDhZug6I4
The Ballad of Geordie Barelycorn - The Story of the 1740 Newcastle Corn Riots
There’s been a great response to our launch announcement and here is the video!
Featuring contributions (for charity) from:

Rosie Calvert and Will Finn (Teacups), Tim Dalling (Old/New Rope String band), Sally Jaquet (Caedmon), Appletwig Songbook, Jane Wade (Jazzawaki), George Welch and Christine Jeans, Fiona and Stu Finden (Whapweasel), Charlie Hardwick (Kissed), Johnny Handle (High Level Ranters), with instrumentation from Simon Jaquet (Caedmon), Paul Susans (Baghdaddies), Gavin Dudley, Chris Ord, Yousuf Ali Khan (Grand Union Orchestra) …….. brought together by Newcastle musician Ken Patterson.

Ken’s lyric is sung to the 1800 melody of 'We Plough the Fields and Scatter’ and inspired by various versions of the tradition John Barleycorn ballad.

The video features stop frame animation using cracked corn on a light table, some performances and old etchings filmed and edited by Ken.

It’s a Shoe Tree Arts project: they are a group based in Heaton, Newcastle upon Tyne. Watch out for more Corn Riots films, workshops and talks and performances to follow. Thanks to Heaton History Group for research and support.

Heaton is where the General Jane Bogey, a 1740 activist, helped to rouse action against merchants hoarding grain when there was famine in the town after a drought and a hard winter.
Miners and Keelmen joined to protest on the Quayside where ships were being loaded with sacks of corn bound for London and the Corn Riot took place outside the Guildhall, where the 1817 Riot Act was read and guns were fired (with injury and a fatality).

You can donate to the Trussell Trust who support food banks in the UK https://www.justgiving.com/fundraising/cornriots

A new eight verse ballad about the Newcastle Corn Riots of 1740. The story of food poverty, drought, famine and wealth is an allegory for our modern times. T...

11/06/2021

Free but ticketed performances - and they're going fast. Link in the comments.

26/05/2021

Tonight!

19/04/2021

Here's Ken Patterson's launch video for participation in four short animation videos. If you have ideas, drawing skills with charcoal, a camera and a deal of time and tenacity, sign up to join our group on novice animators.

05/04/2021

We'd love you to watch this video

Shoe Tree Arts, community arts group based in Heaton, Newcastle upon Tyne, embarks up a programme of participation and performance for local audiences and on...