The Reason Why by Seamas Carey

Welcome to Cornwall; a land of contradictions. Seamas Carey takes a deep dive look at the social issues, housing crisis, hidden history and culture wars of contemporary Cornwall.

  1. Crisis, What Crisis
  • Why did Cornwall become the most searched place on Rightmove.com during the first lockdown?
  • Do second homeowners ever feel guilty about leaving a house unoccupied for most of the year?
  • And will Seamas ever be able to afford a house, in the place where he grew up?

Seamas Carey looks at the social issues, hidden history and culture wars  in contemporary Cornwall.

  1. Pornwall
  • Cornwall is at a tipping point.
  • House prices soar, the population shifts, tensions rise.
  • Seamas Carey is fascinated by how people see Cornwall as a fantasy from the outside, and what the reality is like on the inside.

He also explores 'rural gentrification' and whether incoming hipsters with overpriced sourdough is always a bad thing, or just a sign of progress.

  1. Overexposure
  • Seamas Carey looks at the effect that social media can have on a fragile, rural place and asks;
  • What kind of responsibility do we have as individuals, when it comes to tagging locations on Instagram? Is it OK to make secret, secluded places more accessible? And what happens when we don't respect the landscape?

Then he looks at how Cornwall is represented in the mainstream media and tries to hunt down the TV cookery poster boy himself - Rick Stein. 

  1. A Hidden History
  • Some people say that Cornwall is just another part of England. But is it really?
  • Seamas Carey looks at the hidden history and asks why it was never taught to him at school?

From the early Celts to the prayer book rebellion, Episode four proves that Cornwall does have a rich past with a distinct identity. But why did the Cornish language (Kernewek) decline, who revived it and how far did the Cornish people travel during the 19th century, when the mining industry spread across the world?

  1. Harking Back
  • Seamas Carey is on a quest - to define what the culture of Cornwall actually is (and if there is such a thing) ?
  • Firstly, he looks at the impact of the Cornish mining industry on the rest of the world, particularly within the homelands of indigenous peoples.
  • Then he investigates the Gorsedh Kernow, who maintain the Celtic spirit of Cornwall by giving out bardship for truly Cornish endeavours.

However, Seamas proves that a lot of Cornish culture has recently been invented, which begs the question; what makes something Cornish?

  1. Nationalism
  • It's a BIG word with many meanings and different connotations. But what defines Cornish nationalism and is it OK to call yourself a nationalist?
  • Seamas Carey talks about pride, identity and oppression with several Cornish nationalists. Along the way he starts to wonder whether he might be one too…

He asks - what does it actually mean to be Cornish, where’s the line between pride and power and what happens when it all goes too far?

  1. Rural Racism
  • Perhaps Cornwall isn't as welcoming and inclusive as Seamas Carey would like to think it is? But then again, how would he know?
  • This episode features four, honest conversations with people of colour, who have either visited, grown up, or moved away from Cornwall.

Is this a racist place? Can the word "emmet" be an othering term? And what does the future hold,  for a more inclusive Cornwall?

  1. Queer Cornwall
  • Seamas Carey begins to look at the queer community of Cornwall and what it's like if you don't fit the "gender or sexual norms".
  • In no way does he claim to feature all the voices of LGBTQIA, yet this episode does address the lack of representation, role models and services within Cornwall and asks; are there any specifically gay venues here? How progressive is this place? And can it feel unsafe if you don't fit the status quo?
  1. Holding Steadfast
  • In the penultimate episode to this series, Seamas Carey looks at the Muslim community of Cornwall and investigates whether there's a mosque in this dominantly Christian place?
  • Then he compares the absurd media frenzy of the G7 Summit in Carbis Bay to the actual lived reality of many people in 21st Century Cornwall - food banks, low wages, unemployment and suicide.
  1. Truly Local
  • The final episode of The Reason Why asks what it means to have a 'sense of place' and how to be truly local?
  • Seamas Carey investigates the social impact that Kneehigh Theatre had on Cornwall during the 1990's and how their work was shaped by the unique circumstances of a rural place. Then, after they achieved worldwide fame (thanks to Emma Rice) Seamas wonders if people got left behind in the wake of ambition?
  • He also looks at the work of Cornish playwright and lobster fisherman Nick Darke - a good example of someone who was passionately local and universal.

The Reason Why by Seamas Carey

  1. Crisis, What Crisis
  • Why did Cornwall become the most searched place on Rightmove.com during the first lockdown?
  • Do second homeowners ever feel guilty about leaving a house unoccupied for most of the year?
  • And will Seamas ever be able to afford a house, in the place where he grew up?

Seamas Carey looks at the social issues, hidden history and culture wars  in contemporary Cornwall.

The Reason Why by Seamas Carey

  1. Pornwall
  • Cornwall is at a tipping point.
  • House prices soar, the population shifts, tensions rise.
  • Seamas Carey is fascinated by how people see Cornwall as a fantasy from the outside, and what the reality is like on the inside.

He also explores 'rural gentrification' and whether incoming hipsters with overpriced sourdough is always a bad thing, or just a sign of progress.

The Reason Why by Seamas Carey

  1. Overexposure
  • Seamas Carey looks at the effect that social media can have on a fragile, rural place and asks;
  • What kind of responsibility do we have as individuals, when it comes to tagging locations on Instagram? Is it OK to make secret, secluded places more accessible? And what happens when we don't respect the landscape?

Then he looks at how Cornwall is represented in the mainstream media and tries to hunt down the TV cookery poster boy himself - Rick Stein.

The Reason Why by Seamas Carey

  1. A Hidden History
  • Some people say that Cornwall is just another part of England. But is it really?
  • Seamas Carey looks at the hidden history and asks why it was never taught to him at school?

From the early Celts to the prayer book rebellion, Episode four proves that Cornwall does have a rich past with a distinct identity. But why did the Cornish language (Kernewek) decline, who revived it and how far did the Cornish people travel during the 19th century, when the mining industry spread across the world?

The Reason Why by Seamas Carey

  1. Harking Back
  • Seamas Carey is on a quest - to define what the culture of Cornwall actually is (and if there is such a thing) ?
  • Firstly, he looks at the impact of the Cornish mining industry on the rest of the world, particularly within the homelands of indigenous peoples.
  • Then he investigates the Gorsedh Kernow, who maintain the Celtic spirit of Cornwall by giving out bardship for truly Cornish endeavours.

However, Seamas proves that a lot of Cornish culture has recently been invented, which begs the question; what makes something Cornish?

The Reason Why by Seamas Carey

  1. Nationalism
  • It's a BIG word with many meanings and different connotations. But what defines Cornish nationalism and is it OK to call yourself a nationalist?
  • Seamas Carey talks about pride, identity and oppression with several Cornish nationalists. Along the way he starts to wonder whether he might be one too…

He asks - what does it actually mean to be Cornish, where’s the line between pride and power and what happens when it all goes too far?

The Reason Why by Seamas Carey

  1. Rural Racism
  • Perhaps Cornwall isn't as welcoming and inclusive as Seamas Carey would like to think it is? But then again, how would he know?
  • This episode features four, honest conversations with people of colour, who have either visited, grown up, or moved away from Cornwall.

Is this a racist place? Can the word "emmet" be an othering term? And what does the future hold,  for a more inclusive Cornwall?

The Reason Why by Seamas Carey

  1. Queer Cornwall
  • Seamas Carey begins to look at the queer community of Cornwall and what it's like if you don't fit the "gender or sexual norms".
  • In no way does he claim to feature all the voices of LGBTQIA, yet this episode does address the lack of representation, role models and services within Cornwall and asks; are there any specifically gay venues here? How progressive is this place? And can it feel unsafe if you don't fit the status quo?

The Reason Why by Seamas Carey

  1. Holding Steadfast
  • In the penultimate episode to this series, Seamas Carey looks at the Muslim community of Cornwall and investigates whether there's a mosque in this dominantly Christian place?
  • Then he compares the absurd media frenzy of the G7 Summit in Carbis Bay to the actual lived reality of many people in 21st Century Cornwall - food banks, low wages, unemployment and suicide.

The Reason Why by Seamas Carey

  1. Truly Local
  • The final episode of The Reason Why asks what it means to have a 'sense of place' and how to be truly local?
  • Seamas Carey investigates the social impact that Kneehigh Theatre had on Cornwall during the 1990's and how their work was shaped by the unique circumstances of a rural place. Then, after they achieved worldwide fame (thanks to Emma Rice) Seamas wonders if people got left behind in the wake of ambition?
  • He also looks at the work of Cornish playwright and lobster fisherman Nick Darke - a good example of someone who was passionately local and universal.