A festival celebrating all things gothic from architecture to film returns to Manchester this week.

The festival is held by The Centre for Gothic Studies and Manchester Metropolitan University to open the eyes of a non-specialist audience nationally and internationally to the wonders of gothic culture.

A double bill screening is opening the festival on Tuesday evening that is in collaboration with the Design Manchester festival of the Universal Studios gothic horror classics, ‘Frankenstein’ and ‘The Bride of Frankenstein’ starring horror icon, Boris Karloff.

These films, released in 1931 and 1935 respectively, were major players in creating the now familiar tones of mainstream gothic horror film. With an in person introduction by film writer Sir Christopher Frayling to coincide with the Halloween publication of his new book, ‘Frankenstein – The First 200 Years’, it is an event fans of the gothic cannot miss.

Gothic Manchester will also include art exhibitions, conferences, conversations, book readings and fashion shows that will display the wonders of gothic culture. The organisers aim to make this festival accessible for all, many of the events being completely free of charge. 

Perhaps the most intriguing event of the entire week takes place on Sunday. A walking tour of Manchester’s gothic history beginning at noon outside Manchester Cathedral. Organisers describe this event as “finding out what really happened on the streets of our so-called ‘modern’ city’ and promises to delve into the somewhat unknown macabre history of disease, violence and despair in the city”.

Tickets for the walking tour are priced at £9.00 and are available here.

For those interested in a unique, alternative angle on the clubbing lifestyle, the festival are offering what they are calling ‘ArA: Gravedance’. This event on Friday is priced at £5.00 and is a night packed with gothic, metal and punk music held in the 17th century Salford Trinity Church on Chapel Street.

For more information on the Gothic Manchester Festival and all that is going on there, visit the website.

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