KIDS CAN GLORY IN ALL THINGS GOTHIC AT HISTORIC LIBRARY

IF you have little ones who aren’t easily spooked, then you might want to pencil in a visit to the historic John Rylands Library, on Deansgate this weekend, where curators have turned the horror of the Gothic into a family-friendly fun day.

Dr Xavier Aldana Reyes and Dr Linnie Blake of the Manchester Centre for Gothic Studies at Manchester Met have come together to create Darkness and Light – an ever so spooky exhibition that explores how the kind of Gothic architecture found at the library, and the then growing interest in human anatomy, fuelled a literary genre and later a fashion subculture.

John Rylands has allowed the two professors access to its special collections to explore the topics that fascinated writers: the gender question, medical science and relationships and romance.

The centre was set up in 2013, but the library has been keen to work with the academics to explore the treasures of its own collection.

“It was clear from our first meeting that we wanted the exhibition to have a special flavour and that the themes for the displays cases needed to be intrinsically connected to the building hosting them,” says Dr Reyes.

“Hence the focus, for example, on architecture, such a characteristic aspect of the Rylands, or anatomy, as the library hosts a significant collection of medical books.

“The focus on the local Goth community was also fundamental, as it is such a huge and important part of Manchester life.”

Should all this be starting to sound a bit dark, then take a look at these two events.

First, the Children’s Spookily Gothic Tour, tomorrow (August 1) (11am-12pm), which takes kids aged five and over an a behind the scenes tour of the iconic neo-Gothic building.

And the Gothic fun day that follows it on August 6 (1pm-4pm) with a host of arts and crafts activities aimed at ages three and over.

On display are Horace Walpole’s The Castle of Otranto (1764), the first Gothic novel, as well as artwork by students from the University of Salford and a gallery of photographic portraits of Mancunian Goths.

Classic horror movies are also being screened during the event in the Historic Reading Room, including W Murnau’s Nosferatu.

John Rylands Library, Deansgate / library. manchester.ac.uk/rylands / 0161 306 0555 / Until December 20 / 10am-5pm (noon on Monday and Sunday) / Free / @ TheJohnRylands SARAH WALTERS