Photographs of traditional English folk events have been given trigger warnings over fears that images of people in blackface costumes could offend (Telegraph).
The 700-year-old game of Haxey Hood and Christian agricultural celebrations known as Plough Plays both historically involved some revellers using blackface make-up.
However, images of these rural events, which continue to the present day, on the website of the North Lincolnshire Museum have now been issued with content warnings over their potential to cause “hurt”.
The museum, operated by the Tory-controlled North Lincolnshire council, will also add warnings in local history galleries and remove a large image of a reveller in blackface from its displays.
It is the latest in an ongoing debate over whether blackface make-up used in Morris dancing and Mummers’ plays are historically racial in nature, or derived from a form of “disguise”.
The online warnings from the museum, which is in Scunthorpe, states: “It is recognised that whatever its origins, today blackface has the potential to cause offence or hurt.”
The make-up has traditionally been worn by the “fool” who commences the Haxey Hood, a game which may have been played as far back as the 14th century.
The event, which is played in the village of Haxey in North Lincolnshire, involves participants forming a giant rugby scrum while attempting to push a leather rod or “hood” in the direction of one of the local pubs in the area.
North Lincolnshire council has also indicated that it is seeking to remove a large image of the event, featuring the “fool” in blackface, from the local museum.
North Lincolnshire council said museum staff were looking into adding similar trigger warnings to displays at the site.
It comes after the Joint Morris Organisations (JMO), which promotes and regulates groups engaging in activities like Morris dancing, banned the use of blackface make-up among its members in 2020.
The decision came amid the Black Lives Matter protests that year. Those who refused to comply were warned they would lose their events insurance.
