The Box is a major cultural and heritage attraction and archive, which opened in Plymouth’s city centre in September 2020. Its collection, formally the South West Film and Television Archive (SWFTA), is the regional film archive for the South West of England, comprising the combined programme libraries of Westward Television and Television South West (TSW). It also includes a significant number of donated film collections dating back to the early 1890s.
This film is part of Free

Early Gorsedh Procession
An Early Meeting of the Bards of Cornwall
In partnership with:

Overview
The Meeting of the Bards of Cornwall is held annually on a high-place of Celtic worship such as Boscawen Un or Padderbury Heights. The horn is sounded to the four corners of the compass. Fruits of the earth are presented. They join in songs in the Cornish language to the music of the harp. Orations are given in Cornish and there is a great procession of the Bards in their blue mantles headed by the Arthurian sword-bearer and the Grand Bard Morton Nance.
The Bards of Cornwall are a society for the revival and preservation of the ancient language of Cornwall, the study of ancient rites and history and they are banded together to promote the Spirit of Cornwall. To be made a Bard of Cornwall is an honour only given to men and women of Cornish blood who have done or are doing worthy work in literature research or art especially in connection with Cornwall. The motto in the old Cornish language, Bedheugh Benytha Kernewek means Remain Forever Cornish and is a stated aim. This is filmed by Major Gill and part of the Royal Cornwall Museum’s collection.
Related

Good Strong Coffee Good Strong Coffee
Advert 1968 2 mins Silent
Far-out guys and groovy gals drop doses of good strong coffee in this psychedelic 1968 ad for the hot black stuff.

Glastonbury Festival and the First Pyramid Stage Glastonbury Festival and the First Pyramid Stage
Current affairs 1971 5 mins Location: Glastonbury
Glastonbury ley lines for iconic pyramid stage to heighten a festival-goer’s experience

Punk In 60 Seconds Punk In 60 Seconds
Promotional 2016 1 mins
Anarchy in the UK… This rare footage presents a short blast of the punk energy that took over the streets of Britain in the late 1970s.

Burn Your Bra! Burn Your Bra!
Current affairs 1968 2 mins Location: Truro
The Women’s Liberation movement’s burn your bra campaign hits Truro.

Discomania Discomania
Drama 1979 24 mins Location: London
Nerdy teenage mummy's boy David dreams of wowing the girls with his disco dance moves - but alas he was born with two left feet.

Dr Turner's Mental Home Dr Turner's Mental Home
Amateur film 1929 8 mins Silent Location: Ham Spray Ho
The wilder fringes of the Bloomsbury Group are exposed in this dark amateur film starring Dora Carrington.

Jubilee Jubilee
Current affairs 1977 13 mins Location: Bath
A special report looks into the preparations for the Queen’s Silver Jubilee and her subsequent tour of the South West.

Jeremy Thorpe and Peter Bessell 1964-1967 Jeremy Thorpe and Peter Bessell 1964-1967
Current affairs 1964 15 mins Location: Devon
The 1964 election of Liberal MPs in the South West is celebrated but beneath there is another side to the high level affairs of the Liberal Party.

Just the Job Just the Job
Current affairs 1980 29 mins Location: Devon
If you weren’t a yuppy you were a yoppy on the government Youth Opportunities Programme aimed at placing sixteen to eighteen year-olds in the workplace.

Friday the Thirteenth Friday the Thirteenth
Current affairs 1963 2 mins Location: Cornwall
On the eve of Friday the 13th the camera captures Cornish thoughts about superstitions.

Holiday in Catalonia and Beach Scenes Holiday in Catalonia and Beach Scenes
Home movie 1950 12 mins Silent Location: Cornwall
Catalonia is one of the destinations in Lewis Rosenberg's original home-movie which features beaches, bullfights and Barcelona

Cornwall Cornwall
Home movie 1930 10 mins Silent Location: Cornwall
1930s Newquay is the setting for Lewis Rosenberg's film - with horse riding, tennis, girlfriends, much tickling and glorious Cornish beaches

Alexandre Desplat (Masterclass) Alexandre Desplat (Masterclass)
Inside Film 2011 33 mins
Over 30 years and 150 projects, the composer shares, with humour and passion, the intricacies of making film music.

Ian Neil (Masterclass) Ian Neil (Masterclass)
Inside Film 2012 74 mins
Neil selected soundtracks for 127 Hours, Shame, Kick Ass, Control and many more. He discusses the job and its complexities, referencing his own work.

Screenwriters' Lecture: Peter Straughan Screenwriters' Lecture: Peter Straughan
Inside Film 2012 mins
Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy's adapter reveals his quest for "the poem of the book" and the importance of simplicity: 'Drain the pond to find the fish'.

Gabriel Yared on composing for film Gabriel Yared on composing for film
Inside Film 2013 11 mins
Composer of The Lives of Others, The English Patient and Betty Blue on intimacy and experimentation.

Lois Burwell on movie makeup Lois Burwell on movie makeup
Inside Film 2013 17 mins
Lincoln, Braveheart and Magnolia make-up artist Lois Burwell explains how she created some of her most iconic looks, as part of a BAFTA Masterclass.

Barry Ackroyd (Masterclass) Barry Ackroyd (Masterclass)
2013 61 mins
British cinematographer of The Hurt Locker, Captain Phillips, Hillsborough and Riff Raff reviews the art of the moving image.