The Bats Project: Conversation on Darkness, Bats, and Poetry

Description

Part recital, part lecture, and part conversation, this event is an invitation to critically and creatively reflect on our relationships with darkness and bats.

We will delve into themes of dark aesthetics in the horror genre, question the notion of the monstrous, and explore how cultural interpretations of darkness might shape human behaviours toward these species. The conversation also aims to highlight the ecological significance of bats. It will consider what their decline reveals about the fragility of the environments we share.

Event schedule:

Readings by artist and writer Noam Toran and poet Briony Hughes, while listening to the tunes of sound artist Ronnie Deelen
A short introduction to Nestor Pestana’s research titled New Dark Aesthetics: The Bats Project
Conversation with bat expert Stephanie Holt and poet Briony Hughes, drawing on insights from ecology, literature and cultural ecologies
This event is part of New Dark Aesthetics: The Bats Project, a research project created and led by Nestor Pestana. The project is kindly supported by the Royal College of Art, London Borough of Richmond upon Thames and the Henry Moore Foundation.

Period	2 Aug 2025
Event title	New Dark Aesthetics: The Bats Project
Event type	Other
Degree of Recognition	National