Derek Ridgers: The Batcave and the birth of Goth

Photographer Derek Ridgers joins us to give an overview of his practice from the 1970s to present day, before focusing on his work made in the iconic club-night the Batcave, often described as being the birthplace of UK Goth subculture. Known for his extensive archive of Skinheads, Punks and New Romantics, Derek has formed one of the largest archives documenting Britain's music and nightlife culture. Derek will share images from many of his early series, touching on his transition into photography through assignments for music magazines including NME. Derek will also discuss his experiences and approach to documenting different UK subcultures, which have been a testament to the rich cultural music and fashion waves in the UK from the 1970s to present era. This event has been programmed to coincide with the MPF exhibition, Dark Tales: British Documentary Photography and the Gothic, in which many of Derek's images from the Batcave feature as part of the show. The talk will be followed by questions from the floor and a book signing, where many of Derek's publications will be available from MPF bookshop, along with a limited edition zine produced especially for the evening and the Dark Tales exhibition.