Keith Leech
Actor, barn dance caller, musician, model.
Embedded Files
For Keith's acting and modelling work please click here. Keith's Acting and Modelling page
Keith Leech MBE B.Sc. M.A.
Keith is internationally acclaimed for his knowledge of English Traditional customs and has written widely on the subject. He has published works on tradition and carnival extensively. In 2020 he submitted a paper about the inception of drumming groups in street carnival. He is a consultant to the BBC and others on May Day and Bonfire festivals.
In Hastings he is perhaps most well-known for researching, setting-up and sustaining the Hastings Traditional Jack in the Green in 1984, a weekend long event. He repeated his actions in 1995 this time to set up Hastings Bonfire Celebrations. For creating two large-scale street events at either end of the tourist season he received the Order of 1066, the highest honour the borough of Hastings can bestow.. He is currently chairman of Hastings Traditional Jack in the Green, former chair of the Hastings Old Town Carnival Association and President of Hastings Borough Bonfire Society.
He was a trustee of local arts centre Saint Mary in the Castle and regularly put on Music and Arts events.
In 2014 Keith received an MBE for his services to heritage in East Sussex.
Events management includes:
2020 Consultancy for Extinction rebellion
2015 to present Director 1066events/Gleowit productions
1995 to present Hastings Bonfire Celebrations
1980-90 George Street Hall ceilidhs
1985 to present -Hastings Traditional Jack in the Green
Performance work
· Acclaimed caller of ceilidhs
· Musician/caller in three leading folk dance bands- Banjax, The Sugar Loaf Band and The Catsfield Steamers, playing button melodeon and bass trombone.
· Folk singer
· Supporting actor
Keith is a street performer, supporting actor, model, musician, photographer and producer. He is co-founder of Gleowit Productions.
Publications.
The Oldest Guy in the World English Dance and Song vol 49, no 2, September/October 1976, p. 2-4
Jack in the Green in Tasmania 1884-1873 Folklore society Publication No.2 1989.
ISBN 1 8671903 00 9
The Hastings Jack in the Green. Wealden Folk project / SE Arts, 1989. ISBN 0 9514498 0 X
Marbles on the Dance Floor.-Leech and Roberts. (Six new ceilidh dances for Hastings) 2000, Greenman Publishing 1990 ISBN 09514498 18
Folklore of the Sea : the earring. Folklore Society News, 1996
The Sussex Bonfire Ribbon Dance, English Dance and Song vol 64, no 4, Winter 2002, p. 19-20
The Hastings Traditional Jack in the Green. Hastings Borough Council, 2008, ISBN 978 0 901536 10 5
‘Carnival, Tourism and Regeneration’ (Ed. Cuffy) awaiting publication
Discography
Marbles on the dancefloor. Banjax 1989
Chaos in One, Banjax 1992 (no 2 in the folk charts)
Education Work
Keith is a fully qualified science teacher specialising in biology and environmental sciences. He has taught Biology to ‘A’ Level. He is a fully qualified and experienced teacher of science in further education and currently is an examiner, writes materials for and trains teachers for the examination board Pearson. He has taught at the University of Brighton.
Keith is committed to renewable energy and the use of sustainable resources. He has guided students through seashore studies as he is expert in seashore ecology.
A short biography of his work on folk customs appeared in Living Tradition magazine August 2020.
For Keith's acting and modelling work please click here. Keith's Acting and Modelling page
Google Sites
Report abuse