9 min readExploring and expanding definitions and perceptions of the Gothic was the focus of a fascinating two-day Conference taking place on the 27th and 28th June at Manchester Metropolitan University: ‘Absent Presences – shifting the core and peripheries of the Gothic mode’.
Organised by a dedicated group of PhD students from the Manchester Centre for Gothic Studies (the biggest research centre of its kind), the conference marked a refreshing approach to an area that has time-long been fraught with arguments about categorisation; with some people having a very specific view of what ‘Gothic’ constitutes. Instead, Absent Presences sought to shift this, inviting scholars to submit papers from a range of disciplines – therefore not just Literature, but also fields like Game Design, Sociology and Science. This allowed questions to be explored and opened such as: how has the Gothic emerged in new media? How can we challenge what constitutes the ‘Gothic canon’ (i.e. cultural material perceived to be Gothic)? Which groups have been previously misrepresented or under-celebrated in the Gothic?
The latter question was indeed the focus of an insightful keynote from Professor Maisha Wester (Indiana University Bloomington) who spoke on the topic of race and representation in the Gothic, with a focus on women of colour. Whilst Professor Wester provided an introductory keynote in the morning, the afternoon also featured a fascinating keynote from Professor Fred Botting, of Kingston University: “Infinite Monstrosity: Empire, Terror and Trauma in ‘Frankenstein in Baghdad’”.
Over the course of the two days, the format of the conference then consisted of a number of paper presentations, with scholars from across the world presenting on everything from the impact of location, to technological cross-over and links with Game Design – highlighting innovative approaches to the Gothic. The afternoon of the second day also featured Workshop sessions, allowing attendees to further enquire and see practical examples for stimulating renewed engagement with the Gothic here at Manchester Metropolitan University.
This included an hour-long workshop titled ‘HAUNT and Impact’, with three members of the Research and Knowledge Exchange team at Manchester Met discussing how exploring the Gothic in an academic context can still have prospect for public engagement and wide-ranging impact.
The first to discuss these ideas was Emily Goodier, Faculty Impact Capture Assistant in the Faculty of Arts and Humanities at Manchester Met. Here she is also Unit Leader for a module on Impact for the Masters in Applied Criminology; considering impact via case studies. Emily works with a number of academics across the Faculty of Arts and Humanities to ensure that their research can demonstrate sustained impact outside academia and that this is appropriately recorded, in accordance with REF 2021 guidelines.
Her insight and expertise therefore proved highly significant, Emily urging attendees to be thorough in aiming for long-term impact of their research. As she explained, this involves taking into consideration factors such as the importance of public engagement events, a consideration of who is going to benefit, and ensuring a productive, engaging method of evaluation – with ‘graffiti walls’ and vox pops increasingly appealing methods of gathering evidence for impact.
Therefore Emily’s talk was highly constructive, especially considering that the prospect of opening up the Gothic requires refreshing reconsideration of what constitutes the genre, how it is perceived across society and resultant impact. She reflects:
“I work with a small group of researchers, including colleagues from the Manchester Centre for Gothic Studies, within the faculty whose research is benefitting groups outside of academia. More specifically, I work with the centre to evaluate their wide-ranging public engagement activity, from public events, to the Gothic Manchester Festival, to HAUNT. The centre’s activities offer great examples of how to communicate research to a non-academic community, and has a lasting legacy of making Manchester gothic.”
Giving a sustained example of public engagement in the Gothic was RAH! (Research in Arts and Humanities at Manchester Metropolitan University) Festival Co-ordinator and Public Engagement Assistant in the Faculty of Arts and Humanities at Manchester Met Lucy Simpson, who works to create public events stimulating engagement with a range of academic research. Public engagement is also a key method of allowing academic research to be impactful, with Lucy drawing on concepts presented by Emily, to emphasize the strong framework for communicating quality research here at Manchester Met.
Lucy is involved in organising and executing a range of events, including the processes of promotion and co-ordination: in-conversation events, film screenings, exhibitions, fashion shows and so much more.
Her presentation focused specifically on the Gothic Manchester Festival: which has been running annually in Manchester since 2013, celebrating the excellent work of the Manchester Centre for Gothic Studies. Lucy's work has been integral to logistically underpinning the festival both with quality research and public appeal, explained how the festival had evolved; from originating at the beginning of the Manchester Centre for Gothic Studies in 2013, to becoming themed by 2016 (that year focusing on ‘The Gothic North’) to expanding to operate across the space of a whole month – which it will for October 2019: on the subject of ‘Gothic Times’. The expansion and evolution of the festival highlights its significance and success in nurturing public engagement with the Gothic, as highlighted when the International Gothic Association (IGA) chose to have its annual conference in Manchester in 2018, with many delegates staying on to engage with festival activities (which co-ordinated at the time).
Lucy reflected on her role:
“I’m involved in the planning and co-ordination of public engagement events across the Arts and Humanities Faculty at Manchester Met. A particular highlight of my year is the planning of the Gothic Manchester Festival, which I’ve worked on for 4 years now. Since its beginning in 2013, the Gothic Manchester Festival has established itself as a key event in Manchester’s cultural calendar. This year the festival is bigger than ever, featuring a huge range of events about all things gothic over the whole month of October – including our annual symposium, film screenings, lectures and performance events.”
In April 2019, Lucy also launched the exciting RAH! Podcast, which she has co-ordinated; showcasing the research taking place within the Faculty of Arts and Humanities at Manchester Met - thus contributing further to the impact recording process. A recent episode focused on HAUNT Manchester, a website and network operating out of Manchester Metropolitan University, which seeks to celebrate the mysterious side of Greater Manchester. HAUNT is underpinned by three research areas here at Manchester Met: the Manchester Centre for Public History and Heritage, Encountering Corpses and of course, the Manchester Centre for Gothic Studies.
Hosted as a sub-section of the Visit Manchester site, HAUNT Manchester seeks to provide an alternative angle on the area, whilst also celebrating the work of the research centres wherever possible and communicating this to the general public in a highly engaging way. Since its launch in June 2018, content has included the likes of; extensive coverage of the aforementioned Gothic Manchester Festival and the Manchester Centre for Gothic Studies’ events, articles on heritage locations such as Rochdale Town Hall with academic insight, and article series’ such as ‘The Weird World of Manchester Music Venues’. (The picture below features from left to right: Lucy Simpson, Emily Oldfield, Emily Goodier).jpg)
HAUNT Manchester Editor Emily Oldfield was the last to speak in the workshop. She discussed the importance of wide-ranging content across the site – demonstrating the impact and public engagement prospects of the Gothic in various cultural fields. The Manchester Centre for Gothic Studies is one of the key Manchester Met research centres informing the site, aftter all. A wide-ranging approach also challenges limiting definitions of ‘the Gothic’ and allows for insightful exploration, whilst also building up a strong network of contacts who can benefit from this alternative engagement with place. Emily reflected:
“Connecting both the local public and visitors to Greater Manchester with Gothic research-fuelled insight into the county, is a key objective of HAUNT Manchester, which I work on with Academic Lead Dr Matt Foley. We have worked with academics from the Manchester Centre for Gothic Studies and beyond, as well as various city infrastructure, businesses and creatives – providing a platform that gives something different by revealing Greater Manchester’s mysterious side. The excellent work of the Manchester Centre for Gothic Studies, for example, has allowed for plenty of alternative approaches to writing about the city... from Ghost Stories at Ordsall Hall to theatre reviews with a twist!
“HAUNT has also been involved in curating events and then recording them on its online platform, therefore demonstrating public engagement and impact. This has included an academic panel on Hauntology at Not Quite Light Festival, a similar panel at Manchester Folk Horror Festival and story-telling at Stockport Market.
“The site also provides a place for Manchester Met academics and students to contribute, showcasing their research to a large public audience. It is my role as Editor to co-ordinate this and ensure variety on the site – as ever-broadening its appeal – as well as generating content, ensuring strong network connections and maintaining an engaging presence on our social media. HAUNT is also involved in the Gothic Manchester Festival 2019; with a network fair open to all at The Peer Hat on the 19th October, whilst also co-curating (with MASS Mcr and Flange Circus) a Rural Eerie event in the same evening at the venue. There is plenty to be excited about!”
The workshop session as part of Absent Presences underlined a strong focus on demonstrating impact and public engagement connected with the Gothic at Manchester Metropolitan University, with the conference itself providing another high-quality example of this.
By Emily Oldfield
Photographs thanks to Helen Darby (Research Impact and Public Engagement Senior Manager at Manchester Metropolitan University)
