Petit Fours
(5 May, 2026)
š§¢ This weekās āTop Pickā @WeightmanPR: Celebrate World Dracula Day in Derby
May 2026 marks āWorld Dracula Dayā, as well as Derby Dracula Day. It was 15 May 1924 when Hamilton Deaneās adaptation of Dracula opened at the Grand Theatre on Babington Lane, Derby. This allowed Derby to be forever associated with the image of the Count that would later be associated with Bela Lugosi, Christopher Lee and many others. To mark the cityās 102nd anniversary of Draculaās first ālive appearanceā a series of events celebrating Derbyās place in the Dracula story - including special guest Dacre Stoker, Bram Stokerās great-grandnephew - will take place across the city. Later this year, while a Derby Gothic Gathering will take place in partnership with Whitby Gothic Gathering from 3 to 5 July, Draculaās Bazaar (The Halloween Edition) will be staged between 30 October and 1 November. A second Draculaās Bazaar (The Gothmas Edition) has also been scheduled for 4 to 6 December; alongside a āDark Art Marketā.
š§¢ Go āgig-trippingā to The French Ardennes to see Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds
Ranked among the top 10 music festivals in France, Cabaret Vert has been entertaining visitors to Charleville-MeĢzieĢres for 20 years. Named after Arthur Rimbaudās poem of the same title, the Ardennes top music festival will this year welcome amongst others Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds, Underworld, Sparks and Deftones along with an army of festival goers from 20 to 23 August for four days of music and other entertainment on five stages. Different to all other music festivals around the globe, however, Cabaret Vert has always focussed on being sustainable and āgreenā - and also features a very strong comic books (ābande-dessinĆ©eā) element in its programme, featuring signing sessions, meets-and-greets with authors, as well as exhibitions, workshops, and movies.
š§¢ Magazine highlights David Parr House style
A six-page feature about David Parr House has recently appeared in the May/June issue of The Idler magazine. Penned by Hugh St Clair - an experienced arts and design journalist with reviews and features published in numerous British and international magazines and newspapers from House and Garden and Country Life to The Art Newspaper - the article is a love letter to the house, and those who lived there. An influential lifestyle magazine, with a readership of 12,000, Idler magazine also hosts its own annual Festival, in Hampstead, London. Contributors to the magazine include India Knight, Emma Thompson, Michael Palin, Dominic West, Cosmo Landesman and Sally Phillips.
š§¢From field, to fashionā¦
Derby Museums is inviting visitors to the Museum of Making to discover the surprising journey of wool in Field to Fashion, a new exhibition exploring how raw British fleece becomes the clothes we wear every day. It brings together farmers, designers, artists and makers to reveal the people, processes and creativity behind wool. From traditional skills such as shearing, spinning and dyeing to contemporary fashion and sustainable design, the exhibition uncovers how materials are transformed, and why it matters today. Through fine art installations, work by graduate artists and local students, and interactive displays, visitors can experience the qualities of wool and consider its role in a more sustainable future. Field to Fashion also builds on the Museum of Makingās heritage as a former Silk Mill, and the worldās first factory. It runs to 4 October, 2026.
