Imagining Beyond: The Eeriness of Place – A Talk with Mary Steadman of Dust Ensemble

What is going on in the landscape?
Why do we feel a shudder, a sensation of dread, in abandoned sites?
What fascination draws us to these liminal places?

With the recent resurgence of “Folk Horror” gaining momentum and the eerie creeping ever closer into the mainstream, there’s no better moment to explore our unsettling relationship with place. Join Mary Steadman, Artistic Director of Dust Ensemble, for an atmospheric and thought-provoking performative talk that dives deep into the uncanny power of derelict mansions, eerie rural landscapes, and downtrodden towns.

Mary has recently completed her PhD, ‘Embodying the Eerie’ (2025), investigating how the eerie can be embodied in performance-making. In her work with Dust Ensemble, place isn’t just a backdrop—it’s a performer. Their site-responsive performances unearth what’s unsettling in
liminal, abandoned spaces.

In this one-of-a-kind evening, Mary will share stories, performance footage, and glimpses into the haunting sites that inspire her work. Drawing influence from David Lynch, M.R. James, and P.J. Harvey, alongside thinkers like Mark Fisher and Robert Macfarlane, she asks:

Why are things not what they seem?
What are unsettling things?
Why is this relevant now?

The evening will echo the old tradition of sharing ghost stories by firelight, reimagined for today. Audiences will be invited to contribute eerie myths and memories of places – perhaps local sites like Birnbeck Pier, the Dornville Hotel, and the Lido – places that feel somehow otherworldly.

Mary is looking to create a multimedia performance based on local stories that relate to these themes, and will invite people who may wish to participate. The project will explore how the stories we tell can create new mythologies.