This is the programme for the 5th academic symposium held in association with the Stroud International Mummers Festival on Friday 8th January 2016, at Stroud Museum in the Park, Stratford Road, Stroud GL5 4AF.

Details for the symposium and the Festival's other activities on the 8th and 9th January 2016 can be found on the Festival website.
9.30-10:00 Registration and Coffee
10.00-10.05 Steve Rowley Welcome and Housekeeping
10.05-11.15 Panel 1
• Ronald Hutton Keynote Speech on mid-winter traditions
• Paul Smith 'A missed encounter: Dr James Scott, MD. RN. and the Papa Stour sword dance'
11.15-11.30 Coffee and Refreshements
11.30-1.00 Panel 2
• Lynn Lunde 'The recreation of the mummers play in St John's, Newfoundland'
• Ron Shuttleworth 'Distortion. mis-hearing, transplants and rationalisation: Insights into some causes of textual differences in mummers' plays'
• David Lock 'Out of the woodwork - The Green Man as a symbol of the Environment'
1.00-2.00 Lunch
2.00-3.30 Panel 3
• Richard Sermon 'WASSAIL from Heorot to Hastings - The origins of an ancient salutation'
• Richard Chidlaw 'Collecting wassail traditions in South Gloucestershire'
• Gwilym Davies 'Wassail songs of Gloucestershire' [title TBC]
3.30-4.15 Open Forum and Close