A SECRET children's game has been turned into a ghostly showcase of the life and times of vampires in Teesside.

Since last year, a group of artists and writers has been working on Masquerade: The Art of the Vampire, by exploring gothic art, literature and mythology.

The climax of the project is two shows next month, at Loftus and Middlesbrough.

The shows will include poetry, artwork, digital projections, sound effects, music and drama.

The project was inspired by youngsters in Middlesbrough, who are involved in the White Wolf live action role playing game.

A spokesman for the project said: "We were stunned by the quality, the detail and the complexity of the artistic activity going on among this underground network of young people but which went unseen by an external audience.

"We decided to work with some of the players, as well as with other young artists, musicians, photographers and writers from Middlesbrough and East Cleveland to put together a showcase of gothic arts, which included elements of the game."

The project, which began last year, included a residential weekend at Village Arts in Loftus where 12 young people discussed the myth and the genre of the vampire.

The spokesman said: "I'm looking forward to putting the whole jigsaw together for the two showcase events in February."