Monette Larsen: Exhibiting in the Contemporary Glass Society’s Bedazzled show at Pyramid Gallery: Picture: Valerie Bernadini
THE Contemporary Glass Society will celebrate its 25th anniversary of exhibiting at Pyramid Gallery, Stonegate, York, with the Bedazzled show.
Sixty glass works will be on show from September 10 to October 30 as part of the gallery’s 40th anniversary programme.
Pyramid Gallery and the Contemporary Glass Society have been working together since 2008, promoting the society’s membership of 800 glass artists.
Contemporary Glass Society memberMorag Reekie at work in her studio
For this landmark exhibition, the society wanted a theme that suggested celebratory glitz for its silver anniversary and duly came up with the title Bedazzled.
Between gallery owner Terry Brett and the society’s selectors, 25 artists were chosen, their styles and techniques spanning engraving, blowing, fusing, slumping, casting, cane and murine work, flame working, cutting, polishing, brush painting and metal leaf decoration.
“I’m expecting visitors and collectors to be amazed at the range of different types of ‘glass art’ and the quality of the work on display,” says Terry, who has acquired a passion for studio glass since taking on the business in 1994.
Pyramid Gallery owner Terry Brett holding a sculpture by David Reekie, surrounded by glass works from the Bedazzled exhibition
“There are so many different ways to create a work of art using glass and we have some really stunning and imaginatively made glass treasures in this show.”
A second exhibition, named Razzle Dazzle by the Contemporary Glass Society, will include small pieces that measure no more than five by five inches by 60 makers, some of whom were selected for the Bedazzled exhibition.
Gallery opening times are 10am until 5pm, Monday to Saturday. “The exhibition can be viewed online on the gallery website at www.pyramidgallery.com, but the only way to fully appreciate the display is to visit the gallery from 11am on September 10 onwards,” says Terry.
The poster for the Bedazzled exhibition at Pyramid Gallery, York
Barrel of laughs: Al Murray, the Pub Landlord, has the answer, whatever the question
FOOD and food for thought, pub concert and Pub Landlord, outsider comedy and family drama whet Charles Hutchinson’s appetite.
Comedy gig of the week in York: Al Murray: The Pub Landlord, Gig For Victory, Grand Opera House, York, Thursday, 7.30pm
“AS the dust settles and we emerge blinking into the dawn of a new year, the men and women of this great country will need answers,” reckons the Guvnor, Al Murray. “Answers that they know they need, answers to questions they never knew existed.”
When that moment comes, who better to show the way, to provide those answers, than the people’s man of the people, Murray, The Pub Landlord? Cue his pugnacious bar-room wisdom in the refurbished Grand Opera House. Box office: 0844 871 7615 or atgtickets.com/York.
Miles and The Chain Gang: New territory tonight
Pub gig of the week: Miles and The Chain Gang, The New Smithy Arms, Malton Road, Swinton, near Malton, tonight (27/8/2022), 9pm
YORK band Miles and The Chain Gang are heading to the New Smithy Arms gastro pub this weekend.
“It’s our first time performing in the Malton area,” says songwriter and singer Miles Salter. “We’ll be playing a selection of our own songs, plus some old classics from Bob Dylan, Joni Mitchell and The Rolling Stones.”
Latest single Love Is Blind has been aired 400 times on radio stations around the world, YouTube views of the band have topped 50,000 and their 2022 gig diary has taken in Doncaster, Harrogate and Helmsley.
Three-day event: Malton Summer Food Lovers Festival
Festival of the week: Malton Summer Food Lovers Festival, today (27/8/2022) and tomorrow from 9am, Bank Holiday Monday, from 10am.
THIS is the second Malton Food Lovers Festival of 2022, taking over the streets of “Yorkshire’s food capital” for three days in a celebration of fine produce and cooking.
Expect artisan stalls, street food, talks, tastings, celebrity chefs, cookery and blacksmith demonstrations, a festival bar, buskers, brass bands and Be Amazing Arts in the Creativitent.
Look out for Tommy Banks, from The Black Swan, Oldstead, and Roots, York, on the festival demo stage today at 1pm. Festival entry is free.
Daniel Kitson: Wanting a word with you Outside
Comedy gigs of the week outside York: Daniel Kitson: Outside, At The Mill, Stillington Mill, near York, Monday (29/8/2022) to Wednesday, 7.30pm
DENBY Dale stand-up comedian Daniel Kitson had not been on stage for two years when he contacted At The Mill promoter Alexander Flanagan Wright to say “hello, could I come and do a show?”.
Not one show, but six work-in-progress gigs, performed in two sold-out blocks from May 23 to 25 and June 8 to 10. He enjoyed the Mill outdoor experience so much, he has added a third run for August’s dying embers.
Tickets have flown again for the latest chance to watch Kitson “find out whether he can still do his job and what, if anything, he has to say to large groups of people he doesn’t know”. For returns only, contact atthemill.org.
That’ll be Mel Day: Guest star for The Story Of Soul. Picture: Entertainers
History show of the week: The Story Of Soul, Grand Opera House, York, Wednesday, 7.30pm
FROM the producers of Lost In Music and The Magic Of Motown comes The Story Of Soul with special guest Mel Day, “The Soul Man” from Britain’s Got Talent.
This journey through the history of sweet soul music takes in the songs of Aretha Franklin, Earth Wind And Fire, James Brown, Wilson Pickett, Sam & Dave, Chaka Khan, Tina Turner, The Pointer Sisters, Luther Vandross, Whitney Houston, Ben E King, Barry White and plenty more. Box office: 0844 871 7615 or atgtickets.com/York.
Foy Vance: Showing Signs Of Life at York Barbican
Blues gig of the week: Foy Vance, Signs Of Life Tour, York Barbican, Wednesday, 7.50pm
NORTHERN Irish singer-songwriter Foy Vance plays York Barbican in support of his fourth studio album, Signs Of Life, in a gig rearranged from March 25.
The redemptive record finds Bangor-born Vance – husband, father, hipster, sinner, drinker – belatedly coming to terms with his demons in his late-40s.
The storytelling bluesman, survivor, rocker and folk hero calls Signs Of Life “an album of dawn after darkness, hope after despair, engagement after isolation, uplift after lockdown”. Box office: yorkbarbican.co.uk.
One for the Family Album: Writer-director Alan Ayckbourn, left, Jude Deeno and David Lomond in rehearsal for his 87th play, premiering at the SJT. Picture: Tony Bartholomew
Play launch of the week: Alan Ayckbourn’s Family Album, Stephen Joseph Theatre, Scarborough, Friday to October 1
FAMILY Album, his 87th full-length play, is written, directed and sound designed by Alan Ayckbourn for its world premiere in The Round at the SJT.
Ayckbourn tenderly chronicles the trials, tribulations and temptations of three generations of one family across 70 years in the same home.
Join RAF veteran John and housewife Peggy as they proudly move into the first home they can really call their own in 1952; daughter Sandra, frantically negotiating the challenges of a ten-year-old’s birthday party without her AWOL husband in 1992, and granddaughter Alison, finally escaping the house she has somewhat unwillingly inherited in 2022. Box office: 01723 370541 or sjt.uk.com.
The poster for In The Name Of Love, The Diana Ross Story tribute show
Tribute show of the week: In The Name Of Love, The Diana Ross Story, York Barbican, September 3, 7.30pm
IN the wake of Diana Ross headlining the Platinum Party At The Palace at 78 and playing Leeds First Direct Arena in June with a 14-piece band, here comes the tribute show.
In a chronological set list, Cheri Jade takes on The Supremes’ catalogue before Tameka Jackson handles the solo Diana years.
Here come Where Did Our Love Go, Baby Love, Stop In The Name Of Love, Reflections, You Keep Me Hanging On, You Can’t Hurry Love, Stoned Love, Ain’t No Mountain High Enough, Touch Me In The Morning, Upside Down, My Old Piano, I’m Coming Out and Chain Reaction. Box office: yorkbarbican.co.uk.
By Moonlight, by James Owen Thomas, at The Open Garage in Pateley Bridge
THIRTY-THREE venues are taking part in the 2022 NiddArt Trail, showcasing the diverse work of artists and makers up, down and around Nidderdale, from Knaresborough to Middlesmoor, until August 29.
In Lower Nidderdale, Shirley Hudson is exhibiting Breakfast Club Portraits of people and landscapes at St Paul and St Margaret Church, Nidd, from August 26 to 29, 10am to 4pm, except Sunday, 12 noon to 4pm.
Just Makers’ makers and artists can be found at Ripley Castle Courtyard, 10am to 4.30pm daily. Jeanne Mundy’s paintings and drawings in watercolour, acrylic, pen and pencil are on show at Hardgate Studio, Hardgate Farm, Bishop Thornton, 11am to 4pm daily until August 29, except Sunday, 2pm to 4pm.
Jane Carlisle Bellerby’s silk and mixed-media work and Anna Lilleengen’s photography will be shown at Elder Cottage, Lund Lane, Killinghall, on August 27, 11am to 4pm. Hampsthwaite Memorial Hall’s Sun Room, in Hollins Lane, Hampsthwaite, will exhibit oil, mixed-media and silk paintings, embroidery, jewellery, candles and crafts on August 28 from 11am to 4pm.
Head to 17, Stocks Lane, Darley, for Frances Payne’s prints, paper cuts and paintings, from August 26 to 28, 11am to 4pm. Alan Jordan is joined by others today (24/8/2022) for a show of photographs, watercolours, pencil drawings and collages at Darley Methodist Church, Main Street, Darley, from 10am to 2pm.
Summerbridge Methodist Church will play host to an arts and crafts exhibition with refreshments from August 26 to 29, 11am to 4pm, except Sunday, 12 noon to 4pm. Minerva’s Owl and friends will take over Broadbelt Hall, Glasshouses, to display glass, ceramics, paintings, prints and photographs from August 27 to 29, 10am to 5pm.
In Knaresborough, Art In The Mill, a converted flax mill on three floors in Green Dragon Yard, off Castlegate, exhibits paintings, prints, cards, sculptures and ceramics, 9.30am to 5pm, Tuedsay to Saturday; 11am to 4pm, Sundays.
Elf, digital art, by Luna Gosling at Summerbridge Methodist Church
Works by Sherry Doyal and Helena Coddington are on display at Tanacetum Studio, at 14 Kirkgate, until August 29, 11am to 4pm, daily. Head to Henshaws Arts & Crafts Centre, at 50 Bond End, for the work of differently abled artists and collaborative pieces, today until Friday and Bank Holiday Monday, 9am to 4pm.
In Pateley Bridge, paintings by Claire Baxter and crafts by local makers are on show at Claire Baxter Gallery, 31 High Street, until August 29, 10am to 4pm, weekdays; 10am to 5pm, Saturday; 11am to 4pm, Sunday.
Prints, maps and antique glass can be found at Artful Arts, at 12 High Street, 9.30am to 4.30pm, today to Saturday and Monday; 12 noon to 4.30pm, Sunday. Jack Albert & Gill 2’s art and craft gallery, at 4 Kings Court, features Nidderdale-made art, prints, ceramics, glass and wood crafts, 10.30am to 5pm, daily. Nidderdale Shades and others are exhibiting at Pateley Bridge & Bewerley Memorial Hall, in Park Road, tomorrow (25/8/2022) from 11am to 4pm.
Seek out contemporary handmade jewellery in titanium, precious metals and stones by Moxon and Simm at 1 King Street Workshops, 10am to 5pm, until August 29. Fiona Mazza focuses on the world of butterflies to form ceramic pieces with Raku and electric firing at 2 King Street Workshops from today to Sunday, 10am to 4pm.
Stone carver and sculptor Joseph Hayton makes sculptures in stone, clay and bronze, including figurative pieces of the human form, green man carvings and gothic architecture, at 3 King Street Workshops, on display today until Saturday, 9am to 5pm. Art and craftwork by children, inspired by the natural world, using natural materials, will be the centre of attention at Clay Paper Scissors, 6 King Street Workshops on Saturday and Sunday, 11am to 4pm.
James Owen Thomas will present collages, made from recycled materials, and mixed-media works in The Open Garage, at 21 Low Wath Road, on Saturday and Sunday, 11am to 4pm.
In Bewerley, William Thomas’s seasonal photographic panoramas of Nidderdale can be viewed at Bewerley Chapel, Village Street, Bewerley, from 9am to 7pm daily until August 29. Find original paintings, prints, cards and coasters of sheep, hares, birds and landscapes at Teresa Boast Studio, in Bewerley Gardens, from August 26 to 29, 10am to 4pm.
Three Fat Rascals, by Claire Baxter, at Claire Baxter Galllery, Pateley Bridge
Paintings and woodwork combine with a walk in ancient woodland, replete with an historic fishpond and restored icehouse, hosted by Peter Brambleby at Hexagon Study Barn, Fishponds Wood, Peat Lane, until August 29, from 5.30pm to 7.30pm on weekdays and 9am to 6pm this weekend.
In Upper Nidderdale, discover Sarah Garforth’s oil paintings and prints, inspired by trees, rivers, reservoirs and buildings, at Ramsgill Gallery & Studio, Ramsgill, from August 27 to 29, 11am to 4pm. Lofthouse Art Group will fill the Lofthouse Bandroom, in Lofthouse, with paintings and crafts on August 27 and 28, 10am to 4pm.
Take the Nidderdale Way farm track to the remote Well House Farm, at Stean, Lofthouse, to locate Karen Blacklock’s mixed-media works in oil and acrylic in her upstairs studio on August 27 to 29, 11am to 4pm. Middlesmoor Village Hall will serve up Middlesmoor Crafts craft work, tea, coffee and cakes on August 27 to 29, 11am to 3pm.
Around Nidderdale, arts and crafts by students who attend Horticap weekly sessions, are on show at Horticap, Otley Road, Beckwithshaw, until August 29, 9am to 5pm; Sunday, 10am to 4pm. Work by Nidderdale artists, craftwork and photography can be enjoyed with tea, coffee and home-made cakes at St Andrew’s Church, Church Hill, Blubberhouses, from August 27 to 29, 11am to 4pm.
On Dallowgill Moor, Jean and Richard Turner will be showcasing paintings and drawings of flowers, animals and landscapes at Greygarth Farm, Dallowgill, from August 27 to 29, 10am to 5pm.
South Park Pottery’s thrown and handmade decorated fired pots are on display and for sale in Galphay Road, Kirkby Malzeard, until August 29, 10.30am to 4.30pm.
On the north side of the River Skell, at the end of Low Mill Estate, in Ripon, find Linda Birkinshaw’s acrylic dream paintings, inspired by the landscape, at 3A Fisher Green, until August 29, 11am to 4pm.
To learn more about this year’s trail artists and to download the NiddArt Trail Live Guide, visit niddart.org.uk.
Sniff out Prowling Fox, by Ann Pease, at Kirkby Malzeard
The Nunnington dragon: “Slithering down the exhibition corridor” at Nunnington Hall
VISITORS to Nunnington Hall, near York, have until September 4 to help to determine the look of the Nunnington dragon as part of a story creation project in Ryedale.
Literacy specialist Rosie Barrett and artist Karen Thompson have been working with school groups and families to retell this folktale.
The story features in the Creatures Of Curiosity project, funded by grants from Arts Council England and Ryedale District Council, to encourage young people to engage with stories rooted in local places.
“There are some fascinating stories from the region, but the dragon has really captured imagination,” says Rosie. “Lots of regions have their own version of a dragon story, but most of us have only really heard of the most famous dragons – those featured in stories such as The Hobbit, for example, or Beowulf.
The Nunnington dragon’s head at the Creatures Of Curiosity exhibition at Nunnington Hall
“The project was a great opportunity to engage Ryedale people with our own dragon and find out a bit more about it.”
Rosie and Karen took their retelling of the story into schools in Ryedale to gauge their responses, inviting children to create their own illustrations and writing. “They had very strong ideas,” says Rosie.
“The original folktale has a devastatingly sad ending. We asked the children about it and how we should tell this element. We thought they’d want a happy ending and were surprised by their stoicism!”
Artist Karen illustrated the dragon based on the children’s ideas and consequently it slithers down the exhibition corridor. “The children helped us to get an idea of what the dragon should look like at the exhibition,” she says. “Based on details in the story, they were quite clear that the dragon should be long and worm-like.”
Scale drawing: Nunnington Hall visitors can add to the design of the dragon’s body and tail
Now Rosie and Karen are inviting more visitors to participate by creating a scale to go on the dragon’s body and tail.
“It’s been fantastic to see the dragon develop over the summer, but we’ve only got until September 4 to get enough scales to finish it,” says Karen. “We’re really hoping it will be complete by the end of the exhibition.”
Other stories featured in the Creatures Of Curiosity exhibition at the National Trust property include moorland myths about “hobs”, the secretive and mischievous creatures believed to have helped around farms and houses on the North York Moors, and an original tale based on the prehistoric creatures whose fossil remains were found at Kirkdale Caves.
Look out too for artwork by children’s author and illustrator Tim Hopgood, who has illustrated the Kirkdale creatures, such as hyenas, lions and long-tusk elephants, once native to the region, and for sensory textile creations by Wanda Szajna-Hopgood, based on Tim’s illustrations, that showcase the story of the Kirkdale Caves. Artwork by schoolchildren is on display too.
A close-up of the Nunnington dragonat Nunnington Hall
Based on a range of real and mythological creatures from the Ryedale area, the exhibition pulls together history, archaeology, science and folklore. The real creatures are themselves in some ways fantastical: creatures that lived there during the Ice Age, including mammoths, hyenas and giant deer.
The exhibition offers the opportunity to explore how local myths were created and how even real stories can take on mythical status.
On August 25 comes the chance to join Dr Liam Herringshaw, from the Fossil Roadshow and Scarborough Museums, to learn about fascinating fossils. Hands-on art and storytelling activities will take place on August 30 from 11am to 3pm.
Find out more at: nationaltrust.org.uk/nunnington-hall/features/exhibitions-at-nunnington-hall.
The Lockton Artists group members who will be exhibiting at Inspired By…Gallery from next month
ARTISTS from the North York Moors National Park village of Lockton will unite for the first time for an exhibition at the Inspired By… gallery in Danby next month.
Under the theme of Threads and Pathways, the Lockton Artists will be exploring how their individual work shares a common thread of demonstrating the power a special place wields over their inspiration.
As part of the National Park’s 70th anniversary celebrations, the exhibition will run alongside displays of work by Gail Hurst, from Port Mulgrave, and Pauline Brown, from Farndale.
Ceramicist Hester Salt in her studio
The Lockton Artists’ exhibition will underline the wealth of talent that lies within a village of fewer than 300 permanent residents.
Nine artists from the group will be taking part, among them Hester Salt, whose ceramic forms take inspiration from fungi on trees in the woods near Lockton; metalsmith Marcus Steel, who creates patinated and gilded treasure houses, and photographer Mike Nowill, with his intentional camera movement images of Dalby Forest.
Marcus Steel at his work bench
The Threads and Pathways theme has prompted some group members to try new techniques and take their work in a new direction. For instance, textile designer Sarah Peart has extended her embroidery techniques, introducing a new colour palette inspired by the surrounding forests and woodland.
Participating too will be: blacksmith David Stephenson, metal sculptures; Joan Broadbent, watercolours; Stephen Broadbent, watercolours; Sue Slack, acrylic and mixed-media paintings, and Michael Hester, Jesmonite pottery.
Meanwhile, as summer makes way for autumn, Connections To Landscape will showcase Pauline Brown’s drawings and paintings, influenced by the different seasons, colours and moods in and around Farndale.
Michael Hester’s Jesmonite pottery
In Gail Hurst’s Our Land, Our Sea exhibition, she reflects on the natural world and having a sense of place, drawing inspiration from her coastal surroundings and her own bee-and-butterfly garden at home.
All three exhibitions will open on September 17 at the Inspired By… gallery, Danby Lodge National Park Centre, Lodge Lane, Danby, Whitby, and will run until November 7.
The Threads and Pathways exhibition will have Meet The Artists sessions every Friday at 11am and 1.30pm until November 4.
Wynne Evans: Vocal power amid the Pomp and Circumstance at tonight’s Castle Howard Proms
FROM Proms fireworks to rave bingo, prog-rock veterans to village-green art, Charles Hutchinson seeks variety for the diary.
Pomp and circumstance concert of the week: Castle Howard Proms, Castle Howard, near York, this evening; gates open at 5pm
OPERA star, insurance advert institution beyond compare and BBC Radio Wales presenter Wynne Evans returns to the Castle Howard Proms this weekend.
West End singer Marisha Wallace will be his fellow soloist at tonight’s classical concert, where the London Gala Orchestra will be conducted by Stephen Bell. Expect picnics, Prom classics, songs from the musicals, flag-waving favourites, a Spitfire flyover, laser displays and a firework finale. Box office: lphconcertsandevents.co.uk/events/castle-howard-proms-2022.
Life of Bryan: Roxy Magic pay tribute to the Ferry man
Tribute show of the week: Roxy Magic, Joseph Rowntree Theatre, York, tonight, 7.30pm
AHEAD of reunited art-rock legends Roxy Music playing Glasgow, Manchester and London in October on their 50th anniversary tour, here comes Roxy Magic’s tribute in York.
Led by Bryan Ferry doppelganger Kevin Hackett since 2004, the show lovingly recreates four decades of Roxy music, from art-school retro-futurism, to classic standards via sophisticated, adult-oriented rock. Box office: 01904 501935 or josephrowntreetheatre.co.uk.
Abba Symphonic: All the hits, with a bigger band, at Castle Howard
Does your mother know this is happening? Abba Symphonic, Castle Howard, near York, Sunday; gates open at 5pm
ROB Fowler and Sharon Sexton will be among the star performers from the West End production of Mamma Mia! at Sunday’s Abba Symphonic concert.
They will be backed by a full rock band, together with the Heart of England Orchestra, in a greatest hits concert conducted by Grammy Award winner Steve Sidwell. Irish singer-songwriter, performer, raconteur Jack Lukeman will be the support act. Again, take a picnic. Box office: lphconcertsandevents.co.uk/events/abba-symphonic-castle-howard/.
Sam Lee: Not-so-ordinary folk amid the chamber music programme at Welburn Manor. Picture: Andre Pattenden
Folk event of the week: Sam Lee, Songlines, at North York Moors Chamber Music Festival, Welburn Manor marquee, near Kirkbymoorside, Monday, 7pm
FOLK pioneer Sam Lee brings a new perspective to this summer’s North York Moors Chamber Music Festival when performing his Songlines set on Monday.
The festival is built around world-class classical musicians, performing repertoire on the theme of Soundscapes. This year, however, singer, song collector and conservationist Lee and his band will be broadening the focus after he met festival director Jamie Walton at the new Ayriel Studios, in Westerdale, near Whitby, late last year. Box office: 07722 038990 or northyorkmoorsfestival.com.
Spot the difference: The 1975 replace Rage Against The Machine as Leeds Festival headliners. Picture: Samuel Bradley
Last big gathering of the summer: Leeds Festival, Bramham Park, near Wetherby, August 26 to 28
OUT go Friday’s American headliners Rage Against The Machine (leg injury to frontman Zack de la Rocha), Italy’s 2021 Eurovision winners, Maneskin, and American rapper Jack Harlow (both preferring to play at MTV’s Video Music Awards ceremony in America instead). In come English indie combo The 1975, for their first gig in two years, and pop star Charli XCX on Friday and London rapper AJ Tracey on the Sunday.
Friday offers Halsey, Run The Jewels and Bastille; Saturday, Dave, Megan Thee Stallion, Little Simz, Glass Animals and Joy Crookes; Sunday, Arctic Monkeys, Bring Me Horizons, Wolf Alice and Fontaines DC. Box office: leedsfestival.com.
Re-building Colosseum: Prog-rockers parade their latest line-up at The Crescent
Re-formed legends of the week: Colosseum, The Crescent, York, August 27; doors, 7.30pm
PROG rock giants Colosseum have reunited, fronted by legendary lead singer Chris “Out Of Time” Farlowe, who is joined by fellow long-time members Clem Clempson, on lead guitar, and Mark Clarke, on bass and vocals.
In the line-up too will be new recruits Nick Steed, keyboards, Kim Nishikawara, saxophones, and Malcolm Mortimore, drums, in a gig staged by TV’s Over, York promoters with a flair for the retro.
Colosseum date back to, if not Roman times, but still long-ago 1969, when debut album Those Who Are About To Die Salute You established their compound of rock, jazz and classical music. Box office: thecrescent.com.
Taking shape: Making pots at Fangfest in Fangfoss
Art, not Dracula: Fangfest, Fangfoss Festival of Practical Arts, Fangfoss, near Pocklington, September 3 and 4, 10am to 4pm
MORE than 20 jewellery designers, potters, glass artists, sculptors, felters, handbag makers, painters, photographers, illustrators, printmakers, candle makers, willow weavers and wood carvers are taking part in Fangfest on its return after a pandemic-enforced two-year hiatus.
Look out too for Forest Craft and Play’s drop-in craft activities; acoustic musicians; archery; classic cars; a scarecrow trail and the St Martin’s Church flower festival with the theme of Our Queen. Admission to this outdoor event is free.
John Bramwell: Heading to Ellerton Priory next month. Picture: Ian Percival
If you book for one low-key gig, make it: John Bramwell, Ellerton Priory, near York, September 24; doors, 7pm
FROM the team behind shows by Super Furry Animals’ Gruff Rhys and The Beta Band’s Steve Mason in Stockton on the Forest Village Hall comes a “super-intimate” gig by I Am Kloot’s John Bramwell.
Ellerton Priory, should you be wondering, is the Parish Church of St Mary, a beautiful, small, 16th century church in the East Riding village of Ellerton, between York, Selby and Pocklington. Tickets are on sale via thecrescentyork.com.
Rave on! Welcome to the new age of bingo in Bongo’s Bingo at York Barbican
House music with a difference: Bongo’s Bingo, York Barbican, October 8; doors, 6pm; last entry, 7:30pm; first game of bingo, 8pm
MAKING its York debut this autumn in the shadow of the demolished Mecca Bingo, Bongo’s Bingo “rejuvenates a quintessentially quaint British pastime with an immersive live show featuring rave rounds, nostalgia-soaked revelry, dance-offs, audience participation and crazy prizes in a night of pure and unadulterated escapism”.
Looking for a full house, promoter Jonny Bongo says: “We’ve been waiting to come to York for a long time, so this is really special for us. We’ve heard the locals are really up for a party, so this is going to be a lot of fun.”
Magic and music, mischief and mayhem combine in this bingo rave experience. Box office: bongosbingo.co.uk.
Fangfoss Pottery potter Gerry Grant demonstrating raku dunking in water
FANGFEST, the Fangfoss Festival of Practical Arts, will be held on September 3 and 4.
The event will take place from 10am to 4pm each day in the village four miles from Pocklington, co-ordinated by illustrator and designer Sarah Relf, the committee’s newest member, who trades as The Magpie’s Cabinet.
Now in its 22nd year, Fangfest was started by woodworker and carver Tony Dew, who owned the Rocking Horse Shop, in Fangfoss, until recently. He remains on the committee, alongside his wife, artist Shirely Davis Dew; Fangfoss Pottery potters Lyn and Gerry Grant; Mark Gibbins, from Jubilee Park; Sally Murray, landlady of The Carpenter’s Arms and acting treasurer; St Martins Church representative Maureen Trigg and the aforementioned Sarah.
More than 20 jewellery designers, potters, glass artists, sculptors, felters, handbag makers, painters, photographers, illustrators, printmakers, candle makers, willow weavers and wood carvers will be taking part.
Among the confirmed participants are Alec Allison (Yorkshire Orchards); Anna Byelova (handbags); Claire Bingham (chocolates); Dave Atkin (Woodwyrm); David and Jonathan Bird (Guggle & Torquith); Gwen Wilson (crafts); Heather Young (Resin Revery/knitwear) and Helen Whitehead (glass).
Making pots at Fangfest
So too are: Keith Pollitt (Taste of Yorkshire); Laura Thompson (illustrations); Lesley Peatfield (photography); Liz Riley (felt art); Mo Burrows (jewellery); Neil and Clare (Swirlz Gelato) and Pete Thompson (Spirit of the Wood).
In the line-up too will be: Richard Gibson (wire sculptures); Richard Moore (tiles); Rosie Scott-Massie (Glow Soap); Sarah Relf (illustrations); Sarah Willmott (wood crafts); Sheila Downing (Crafty Alfredo) and Steven Southcoat.
“Last year we had to reinvent ourselves as a result of the Rocking Horse Shop being sold and the land we formerly used not being available,” says Lyn.
“On top of that, the pandemic had forced us to cancel two years, and we were wondering whether to call it a day after 20-plus years. But we decided to have another go, so we went back to our roots: a more arts and crafts-based festival rather than the ‘village fete’ that Fangfest was becoming.”
The revamp was successful, says Lyn. “Everyone who was exhibiting had to demonstrate or talk about their work. Stalls were arranged down the long garden at Shirley and Tony’s (the founder of the Rocking Horse Shop) and around the village green. We had the classic cars in the middle of the green and had stalls in the churchyard too,” she explains.
Forest Craft and Play at Fangfest
“We had a scarecrow trail and put a marquee out in the pottery garden for the free children’s pottery activities. The layout and revamp worked well, so we’re doing a similar thing this year.”
Lyn and Gerry are as keen as ever to encourage participation in the arts and crafts, especially by children. “One of our first aims was to increase awareness of the arts, so this year we’ve asked Forest Craft and Play to come,” says Lyn. “They’ll be running drop-in craft activities for a small charge, while ‘Have a go on the wheel’ and ‘Paint a pot’ will be free.”
What else? “We’ve arranged for some acoustic musicians to come along and play to add some atmosphere to the event,” says Lyn. “St Martin’s Church is holding a flower festival over the weekend with the theme of Our Queen to celebrate the Platinum Jubilee.
“The church will be running a slide show on the events we had in the village in 2002 to mark The Queen’s 50th jubilee. A bit of nostalgia! We’ve still got the classic cars, scarecrow trail and archery too.”
Kristy Matheson: Creative director of Edinburgh International Festival 2022
TWO Big Egos In A Small Car culture-vulture podcasters Graham Chalmers and Charles Hutchinson celebrate clocking up their 100th episode with an Edinburgh International Film Festival special as the loquacious, if argumentative, duo head to Scotland, squeezed into Hutch’s compact mobile.
Rootsy rockin’ psychedelia: The Slambovian Circus Of Dreams at The Crescent
THIS is the holiday season, but not everyone is away, as Charles Hutchinson keeps one eye on August attractions, the other on autumn additions.
Woodstock vibe of the week: The Slambovian Circus Of Dreams, supported by Stan, The Crescent, York, Wednesday (17/8/2022), doors, 7.15pm
THE Slambovian Circus Of Dreams, purveyors of rootsy rockin’ psychedelia from Sleepy Hollow, New York, stretch the borders of Americana folk rock with their fantastic stories and performances.
Often described as “the Hillbilly Pink Floyd”, they visit The Crescent for the first time in support of their sixth album, A Very Unusual Head, released last January. Elements of Bob Dylan, David Bowie, The Incredible String Band, Syd Barrett and The Waterboys flavour their psychedelic sound. Box office: thecrescentyork.com.
York River Art Market: Arts and crafts by the riverside this weekend
Art event of the weekend: York River Art Market, Dame Judi Dench Walk, by Lendal Bridge, River Ouse, York, today (13/8/2022) and tomorrow (14/8/2022), 10am to 5.30pm
YORK River Art Market’s seventh summer season is heading for a sunny finale by the Ouse as York’s answer to the Parisian Left Bank welcomes up to 30 artists and makers on both days this weekend. This open-air market provides the chance to browse and buy directly from those showcasing their creative wares along the riverside railings; entry is free.
Look out for paintings, prints, jewellery, textiles, glass work and ceramics. Among today’s artists will be regular participant Richard Smith with his Point Paper Art; tomorrow, Here Be Monsteras ceramicist Kayti Peschki and Cuban artist Leo Morey, who moved to York in 2018.
Phil Toms and his band: Performing Tubular Bells note for note at the JoRo
Tribute show of the week: Tubular Bells Live! with Phil Toms, Joseph Rowntree Theatre, York, tonight (13/8/2022), 7.30pm
PHIL Toms and his 12-piece band perform music from Mike Oldfield’s landmark 1973 record Tubular Bells – the one that launched Richard Branson’s Virgin Records label – complemented by highlights from his 50-year career, such as Moonlight Shadow, To France and Guilty.
Enjoy selections from Oldfield’s instrumental albums too, including Ommadawn, Return To Ommadawn, Islands, The Songs Of Distant Earth and Tubular Bells 2 and 3. Ticket update: limited availability on 01904 501935 or at josephrowntreetheatre.co.uk.
The poster for Mychael Barratt’s print exhibition at Pyramid Gallery, York
AS part of Pyramid Gallery’s 40th anniversary celebrations, curator Terry Brett made his regular trip to the Clink Press duo Mychael Barratt and Trevor Price’s studio, near Rotherhithe, London, returning north in a car filled with Barratt’s Beyond Bruegel and Price’s Bottles, Pots, Dots series of original prints. All works are for sale.
Fully Fest: Live music galore at The Fulford Arms
York festival of the week: Fully Fest 2022, The Fulford Arms, Fulford Road, York, August 20, 2pm (doors) to 11pm
THE Fully Fest welcomes Captain Starlet, The Rosemaries, Everything After Midnight, Tommyrot, City Snakes, The Rosettas, The Wreck Liners, Percy, Heartsink and Pat Butcher for a full-on day and night of live music at the Fulford Arms. Box office: thefulfordarms.com.
Derren Brown: “Remembering what’s important” in Showman at Leeds Grand Theatre
Mind games of the month: Derren Brown: Showman, Leeds Grand Theatre, August 23 to 27, 7.30pm and 2.30pm Saturday matinee
DERREN Brown, master of mind control and psychological illusion, is on tour with his first new theatre show in six years, Showman, in the wake of his Broadway debut.
The content remains a closely guarded secret, but Brown says: “The heart of the show is about remembering what’s important. Like how the very things that we find most isolating in life – our fears and difficulties – actually connect us. Framed with what I think will be some extraordinary demonstrations of my voodoo.” Box office: leedsheritagetheatres.com.
Gretchen Peters: Sharing stories and songs at Leeds City Varieties
Americana gig of the month: Gretchen Peters, Leeds City Varieties Music Hall, August 29, 7.30pm
2022 marks the 25th anniversary of Nashville Songwriters Hall of Fame inductee Gretchen Peters first setting foot on a British stage. To honour this landmark, she returns this month with long-time musical partner and special guest Kim Richey in tow.
Coinciding with the August 19 release of her live album The Show: Live From The UK – recorded in 2019 with a Scottish female string quartet – Peters will be sharing stories and songs from her early touring days in the UK, complemented by favourites from later works. Box office: leedsheritagetheatres.com.
Aggers & Cook: An evening of cricket chat with the correspondent and the captain
Cricketing double act: An Evening With Aggers & Cook, Grand Opera House, York, October 3, 7.30pm
BBC cricket correspondent Jonathan Agnew teams up with former England captain, record run-scorer, Test Match Special summariser and farmer Sir Alastair Cook for a night of willow-on-leather chat in in aid of the Professional Cricketers’ Association.
Aggers, who has partnered Sir Geoffrey Boycott, Phil Tufnell and Michael Vaughan in past chat shows, will encourage Cook to lift the lid on life in the England dressing room. Audience members can tweet the pair with questions for the second half. Box office: 0844 871 7615 or atgtickets.com/York.
Hitting their stride: John Smith and Katherine Priddy will tour together for the first time this autumn
Autumn fruitfulness at the double: John Smith & Katherine Priddy, Selby Town Hall, November 3, 8pm
SONGWRITERS John Smith and Katherine Priddy will hit the road together for the first time in a November collaboration after a fortuitous encounter in a Kansas City hotel lobby earlier this year.
Since then, Devonian Smith and Birmingham-born Priddy have been testing the musical waters together in a galvanising new venture set to bloom on tour, when they will perform a mix of their own original songs. Box office: selbytownhall.co.uk.
IN Episode 99, Two Big Egos In A Small Carculture podcasters Graham Chalmers and Charles Hutchinson ponder the way forward for news delivery with Sheffield Tribune arts writer Liz Ryan at the dawn of the substack.
Under discussion too are the community play 122 Love Stories at a ghostly Harrogate Theatre; Irish comedian Jason Byrne’s upcoming Unblocked tour show and Bob Dylan’s auction value as a one-off recording is sold as a “work of art”.
