The Wavyblue Artist's group aims to start a tradition; the annual Mary Shelley Festival based in and around The Shelley Theatre, Boscombe.
Scant attention has been paid to the fact that Mary Shelley is buried in Bournemouth along with the heart of Percy Shelley and her parents Mary Wollstonecraft and William Godwin. We wish to remedy this shortcoming.
We will concentrate on Mary Shelley the person; her journals and legacy rather than the sensational Frankenstein story, though that will be acknowledged in community Family Days.
The Shelley Theatre has been neglected for many years but is currently undergoing a major refurbishment and is due to be opened in 2010. 2010 is also the year of the Bournemouth Bicentennial making this year the perfect opportunity for maximum coverage for The Mary Shelley Festival launch .
WavyBlue aims to work towards this opening with small scale events starting in April 2009, and culminating in the festival launch in October 2010.
We have received enthusiastic support for the venture from the former mayor, councillors and The Friends of Shelley Manor.