Step into the strange pull of places that won’t quite let you go. This atmospheric talk explores why derelict mansions, half-forgotten towns and uneasy rural landscapes get under our skin — and why “the eerie” is having a moment again.

Led by Dr Mary Steadman, artistic director of Dust Ensemble, the evening unpacks that familiar shiver of recognition when something feels off, but you can’t quite explain why. The eerie doesn’t jump out like horror. It lingers. It whispers that things are not what they seem. And once you notice it, it’s hard to shake.

Drawing on influences from M. R. James to David Lynch, PJ Harvey, and thinkers like Mark Fisher and Robert Macfarlane, Mary weaves together cultural history, personal storytelling and performance footage. Expect folk horror, abandoned edges, and the quiet power of landscapes that seem to remember more than we do.

Mary also shares insights from her own creative practice and recent PhD, revealing how the eerie shapes performance-making and how it connects deeply to English identity, memory and place.

It’s thoughtful, unsettling and quietly thrilling — perfect for anyone drawn to the haunted margins of culture, landscape and imagination.