Currently, many in the UK feel disconnected from the land and isolated from each other; the Museum of Roadside Magic is a travelling archive that envisions a future that foregrounds community and nature connection, and encourages people to find magic in mundane environments through interweaving everyday experiences with ceremony, herbalism, dance and song. In doing so, the museum breathes ritual and storytelling into urban and neglected landscapes, using imagined histories to enable shared narratives to emerge and new inclusive traditions to begin.

At its core, the Museum of Roadside Magic imagines another Albion, where folk customs, herbalism and magical practice have long been essential factors in the repair and maintenance of vehicles. At first, this may seem absurd. However, a few generations ago, folk practices were an intrinsic aspect of agricultural life, with rituals for every harvest and seasonal festivities to celebrate the turning year. Look further back, and charms and herbal remedies were used as practical solutions to everyday problems. Worldwide, we create agricultural songs, dances and rituals to thank the ecological process that sustains us - is it that strange to think we might create similar acts for our beloved chariots or the winding roads that carry us?

This presentation will delve into the museum's archive, sharing the customs, costumes, songs, and stories of roadside magic with the audience, both traditional and modern.