This year’s schedule for the Shelley Frankenstein Festival includes a wide range of conferences, a writing competition, a Gala Festival Dinner, innovative music and film productions, the launch of a locative app, among others. The events planned will begin on 30th of October and extended until 8th of December, taking place in different sites.
Big news
On the 31st of October (Halloween), will be launched the big surprise for this year – The Shelley’s Heart App. Created by, Brad Gyori – BU Senior Lecturer in Digital Storytelling – with BU staff and students, this App links 4 story-paths to St Peter’s Churchyard featuring modern visions of Mary Shelley, Lord Byron, John Keats and the ghost of Percy Shelley (Mary’s husband).
Last year, the festival helped book the theatrical version of Shelley’s Heart into the Shelley Theatre.
“We filmed that production and elements of it have been used to flesh out the interactive multi-media interface of Shelley’s Heart App”, explained Brad.
Also on Halloween’s Day there will be a live round table radio broadcast, hosted by BU, in St Peters Church.
“It will be a mixed panel of experts and practitioners who are making media content for the festival” said Jo Tyler, BU Lecturer in Radio Production and responsible for this radio session.
From scratch to reality
Four years ago, Ian Terry – Rector of St Peter’s Church and the Councillor Rod Cooper discussed that the 200th anniversary of the publication of Mary Shelley’s novel, in 2018, should be an occasion to be marked and celebrated in many cultural ways in Bournemouth.
The festival brings collaboration around literary and cultural questions
Together, they formed a committee in order to organise the Shelley Frankenstein Festival. Over time, it drawn in representatives from AUB and BU, along with Bournemouth Library, the Council, some schools and local musicians and dramatists. For Ian, “the festival brings collaboration around literary and cultural questions”.
“Bournemouth is a richly diverse community and discussions about Frankenstein raise many ethical issues and the central question of what it is to be human in community with others”, said.
For more information visit www.shelleyfrankfest.org .
