From the outset the Instep Research Team made it one of their goals to collect together and make available as much original research material as possible. We are very fortunate that over the intervening thirty plus years many collectors and their familioes have entrusted their papers to us to allow digital copies to be made available through this website. It is appropraite that we should record our thanks to all of them here.
Below we list the major collections which are available though these pages and provide a link to our bibliography of published material.
The J.F. & T.M. Flett Collection
Tom Flett and his wife Joan amassed a huge collection of papers, notes and commenatries. Joan was always enthusiastic about ensuring the availability of their collection intitially by personal visits and subsequently by allowing the whole to be copied so that researchers could use it. Their collection formed the core of the Instep Research Team archive from its inception and inspitred us to digitise further collections, The collection covers the period 1953-1970 and covers the clog, step and social dances of Scotland and England. It is always the first port of call for material relating to Scotland.
The Instep Research Team Collection
The Instep Research Team's own collection covers both the background material for the Newcastle Series of booklets and also much of the research underpinning these webpages. The IRT has been conducting field research continuously since 1981 Many members of the IRT have contributed their notes and papers which form this collection.
In later years the IRT also undertook filming projects and, as with the paper collection, many other individuals have allowed us access to their collection of tapes. These can also be accessed through this link.
The Jennifer Millest Collection
Jennifer Millest was one of the leading figures in the clog dance revival. A pupil of Tom Flett she inherited his attention to detail and accuracy of recording. A founder member of the Reading Step and Traditional Dance Group she was able to pass on her skills and methodologies to many other researchers including the founder members of the Instep Research Team.
Unfortunately her papers, recovered after her death, are incomplete but nontheless hold much material not available elsewhere including a partial set of her field notes.