Pamela Knight: “Drawing, painting, ‘making things’ have always been part of my life,” she says
PAMELA Knight, Vanessa Oo and Sandra Storey are taking part in the Three Printmakers: Energy, Atmosphere & Light exhibition at Bluebird Bakery, Acomb Road, Acomb, York, until May 7.
York Printmakers member Pamela Knight specialises in collagraphy, enjoying the textures and effects she creates using this process, often enriched with monoprint and chine colle.
“Drawing, painting, ‘making things’ have always been part of my life,” she says. “I worked as a designer of sets and costumes in professional theatre for many years, following further education in Manchester and Bristol studying fashion and textiles, then stage design.
“I came to York in the late 1980s to join the new heritage industry as a costume researcher and designer. I’ve lived and worked here for over 30 years and I now work from my studio making paintings and prints. I love the city and I love Yorkshire and I now regard it as my home.”
Walking in the natural landscapes of Britain and abroad gives her great joy, “moving through, looking at, soaking up these landscapes – the colours and patterns, the light and the shadows”.
“The memory of the experience becomes the subject of my paintings, sketches and prints. I try to evoke the feeling, the essence, of the special place, expressively with semi-abstract imagery,” says Pamela, who also paints and sometimes incorporates mixed media into her small-edition prints.
Vanessa Oo’s profile picture from the York Printmakers website
Fellow York Printmakers member Vanessa Oo predominantly creates small families of hand-pulled screenprints by placing together abstract drawn elements in different combinations, but she is displaying monotypes for the first time at Bluebird Bakery.
Each work is unique, while always evoking a sense of movement. “The energetic compositions are instinctive and spontaneous: I’m interested in the tensions and relationships which emerge,” says Vanessa, who was a SCAF Emerging Artist Award 2024 finalist.
“My work is about capturing the magic of the moment; an unseen energy and rhythm. Although the marks are abstract, they have an organic feel and are based on shapes found in nature or the human figure.”
Her original designs are all hand drawn in ink, chinagraph or paint. “So it’s a very ‘undigital’ process,” says Vanessa, who likes exploring the reactions to her abstract pieces and raising the question about what that says about the artist and the viewer. “I enjoy the combination of control and spontaneity of the marks it allows.”
Harrogate artist and printmaker Sandra Storey’s work evokes “the talisman-like quality” of plants, birds and natural objects found within the North York Moors landscape. Often reusing old printmaking plates and making her own plates from recycled cartons, she explores traces of the past revealed in both the objects that fascinate her and the landscape itself.
Born in 1961, Sandra grew up in a small village outside Whitby. After studying for a degree in Fine Art, she trained as an art psychotherapist and worked in the NHS for more than 30 years, followed by independent practice for five more.
Sandra Storey in her studio
Sandra completed an MA in Creative Practice in 2016, graduating with a Distinction and the Dean’s Prize (Art and Design) from Harrogate College. She is a member of York Printmakers, Yorkshire Art Collective and Scaffold, exhibits regularly in both group and solo exhibitions and was shortlisted for the Scott Creative Arts Foundation Emerging Artist Award.
“My work explores trace, imprint and the ethereal quality of moorland or coastal landscapes,” she says. “Printmaking, drawing and painting are combined to evoke the mythological nature of childhood landscapes and the talisman-like feel of natural objects.”
Often drawn back to the moors and coast near Whitby, Sandra uses material found on walks there to create her printmaking plates, from which she makes her prints.
“Discovering unexpected images through the printmaking process can feel akin to an archaeological find or discovering buried treasure,” she says. “A print is a trace, an imprint from a printmaking plate. It parallels my interest in traces from the past, those that can be found in landscape or images seared or imprinted in our memories. Printmaking can sometimes unearth these.”
Working largely with collagraphs, her prints are often made from multiple plates. Some plates have a built-up, complex surface that embosses the paper, giving texture and dept, and Sandra also works with monoprint, drypoint and aquatint to create layered and painterly prints. The final piece is often a one off or part of a small edition.
In addition to the Three Printmakers show, she will be exhibiting with the Yorkshire At Collective at Zillah Bell Gallery, Thirsk, from April 5 to 19.
Further exhibitions coming up at Bluebird Bakery in 2025, curated by Rogues Atelier artist, upholsterer and interior designer Jo Walton will be: Jill Tattersall, from May 8; Clare M Wood, from July 3; Mandi Grant, from August 28; Di Gomery, from October 23 and Donna Maria Taylor, from December 18.
York Pop artist Harland Miller with his new work York from his XXX exhibition at York Art Gallery. Picture: Olivia Hemingway
FROM Harland Miller’s Pop Art to Emma Rice’s theatrical world premiere of Alfred Hitchcock’s North By Northwest, these are exciting times for artistic expression, Charles Hutchinson reports.
XXXhibition of the week: Harland Miller: XXX, York Art Gallery, until August 31, open Wednesday to Sunday, 10am to 5pm
YORK-RAISED artist and writer Harland Miller has returned to York Art Gallery to launch XXX, showcasing paintings and works on paper from his Letter Paintings series, including the unveiling of several new paintings, not least ‘York’, a floral nod to Yorkshire’s white rose and York’s daffodils.
Inspired by his upbringing in 1970s’ Yorkshire and an itinerant lifestyle in New York, New Orleans, Berlin and Paris during the 1980s and 1990s, Miller creates colourful and graphically vernacular works that convey his love of popular language and attest to his enduring engagement with its narrative, aural and typographical possibilities. Tickets: yorkartgallery.org.uk.
Simon Oskarsson’s Valerian, left, Ewan Wardrop’s Roger Thornhill, Katy Owen’s Professor and Mirabelle Gremaud’s Anna rehearsing a scene for Emma Rice’s production of Alfred Hitchcock’s North By North West. Picture: Steve Tanner
World premiere of the week in York: Wise Children in Alfred Hitchcock’s North By Northwest, York Theatre Royal, until April 5, 7.30pm plus 2pm, March 26 and April 3; 2.30pm, March 29 and April 5
IT would be strange if, in a city of seven million people, one man were never mistaken for another…and that is exactly what happens to Roger Thornhill, reluctant hero of North By Northwest, when a mistimed phone call to his mother lands him smack bang in the middle of a Cold War conspiracy. Now he is on the run, dodging spies, airplanes and a femme fatale who might not be all she seems.
Wise Children writer-director Emma Rice turns film legend Alfred Hitchcock’s thriller on its head in her riotously humorous reworking. Replete with six shape-shifting performers, a fabulous 1950s’ soundtrack and a heap of hats, this dazzling co-production with York Theatre Royal, HOME Manchester and Liverpool Everyman & Playhouse plays with heart, mind and soul in a topsy-turvy drama full of glamour, romance, jeopardy and a liberal sprinkling of tender truths. Box office: 01904 623568 or yorktheatreroyal.co.uk.
Nina Wadia’s Gemma and Sam Bailey’s April in NOW That’s What I Call A Musical, on tour at Grand Opera House, York. Picture: Pamela Raith
Musical of the week: NOW That’s What I Call A Musical, Grand Opera House, York, until Saturday, 7.30pm plus 2.30pm matinees, today and Saturday
DIRECTED by Strictly Come Dancing judge Craig Revel Horwood, comedian Pippa Evans’s hit-laden musical is set in Birmingham in 1989 and 2009. Back in the day, school friends Gemma Warner and April Devonshire are planning their lives based on Number One magazine quizzes and dreaming of snogging Rick Astley. Twenty years later, Gemma (Nina Wadia) and April (The X Factor winner Sam Bailey) face the most dreaded event of their adult lives: the school reunion.
Drama, old flames and receding hairlines come together as friends reunite and everything from the past starts to slot into place. Sinitta, Eighties’s pop star of So Macho and Toy Boy fame, will be the guest star all week in a show featuring Gold, Girls Just Wanna Have Fun, Tainted Love, Sisters Are Doing It For Themselves et al. Box office: atgtickets.com/york.
Nearly here: Nearly here: Paddy McGuinness brings his Nearly There tour to York Barbican tomorrow
Comedy gig of the week: Paddy McGuinness, Nearly There, York Barbican, tomorrow, 7.45pm
FARNWORTH comedian, television and radio presenter and game show host Paddy McGuinness plays York on his first stand-up itinerary since 2016. Launching the 40 dates last year, he said: “It’s been eight years since my last tour and there’s lots of things to laugh about! I’m looking forward to getting back in front of a live audience, along with running the gauntlet of cancel culture, click bait and fake news.” Tickets update: only a handful of single seats still available at yorkbarbican.co.uk.
Contemporary jazz gig of the week: Jamie Taylor & Jamil Sheriff, Rise@Bluebird Bakery, Acomb, York, tomorrow, doors 7.30pm
THE musical association and friendship between guitarist Jamie Taylor, principal lecturer in jazz guitar at Leeds Conservatoire, and Leeds jazz pianist, composer and educator Jamil Sheriff goes back over 20 years of performing together in settings ranging from intimate small groups to large ensembles, such as Sheriff’s own big band.
Playing as a duo at Rise, they will channel this shared history and musical empathy, taking inspiration from jazz piano and guitar collaborations such as Bill Evans with Jim Hall and Fred Hersch with Bill Frisell. Box office: bluebirdbakery.co.uk/rise.
Dr Rangan Chatterjee: Health and happiness hacks at York Barbican
Meet “the architect of health and happiness”: Dr Rangan Chatterjee, The Thrive Tour 2025, York Barbican, Friday, 7.30pm
JOIN Dr Rangan Chatterjee, inspirational host of Europe’s biggest health podcast, Feel Better, Live More, author and star of BBC One’s Doctor In The House, for two transformative hours of learning the skill of happiness, discovering the secrets to optimal health, breaking free from habits that hold you back and discovering how to make changes that last. “Be empowered, be inspired and learn how to thrive,” he says. Box office: yorkbarbican.co.uk.
James Jay Lewis: Raw garage blues at Milton Rooms, Malton
Ryedale blues gig of the week: James Jay Lewis, Milton Rooms, Malton, Friday, 8pm
SELFT-TAUGHT multi-instrumentalist James Jay Lewis has performed with The La’s and played bass for fellow Liverpool band Cast and now lead guitar in The Zutons, having earlier formed the band Cractilla.
He has written, recorded and produced two solo albums, the acoustic odyssey Back To The Fountain and the lo-fi, rough and ready garage blues of Waiting For The World, on which he plays all the instruments. He has worked with Nile Rodgers at Abbey Road Studios, is involved in the new Zutons album and is venturing into recording, producing and composing for television and film. Box office: 01653 696240 or themiltonrooms.com.
Alligator Gumbo: Re-creating New Orleans 1920s’ jazz in 2025 Helmsley on Saturday
New Orleans jazz jive of the week: Alligator Gumbo 2025, Helmsley Arts Centre, Saturday, 7.30pm
LEEDS seven-piece band Alligator Gumbo evoke the Roaring Twenties’ heyday of the New Orleans swing/jazz era, when music was raw, fast paced and largely improvised with melodies and solos happening simultaneously over foot-stomping rhythms. Their repertoire is built around songs made famous by Louis Armstrong, Ella Fitzgerald, Jelly Roll Morton, and Billie Holiday, played in the traditional style. Box office: 01439 771700 or helmsleyarts.co.uk.
York Pop artist Harland Miller with his new work York from his XXX exhibition at York Art Gallery. Picture: Olivia Hemingway
FROM Harland Miller’s Pop Art to Emma Rice’s theatrical world premiere of Alfred Hitchcock’s North By Northwest, these are exciting times for arts exploits, Charles Hutchinson reports.
XXXhibition launch of the week: Harland Miller: XXX, York Art Gallery, until August 31, open Wednesday to Sunday, 10am to 5pm
YORK-RAISED artist and writer Harland Miller has returned to York Art Gallery to launch XXX, showcasing paintings and works on paper from his Letter Paintings series, including the unveiling of several new paintings, not least ‘York’, a floral nod to Yorkshire’s white rose and York’s daffodils.
Inspired by his upbringing in 1970s’ Yorkshire and an itinerant lifestyle in New York, New Orleans, Berlin and Paris during the 1980s and 1990s, Miller creates colourful and graphically vernacular works that convey his love of popular language and attest to his enduring engagement with its narrative, aural and typographical possibilities. Tickets: yorkartgallery.org.uk.
David John Pike: Baritone soloist at York Musical Society’s concert
Classical concert of the week: York Musical Society, Bach Mass in B minor, York Minster, tonight, 7.30pm
DAVID Pipe conducts York Musical Society’s singers and orchestra in Bach’s epic choral work, replete with magnificent choruses, resplendent fugues, moving arias and soloists Zoe Brookshaw and Philippa Boyle (both soprano), Tom Lilburn (countertenor), Nicholas Watts (tenor) and Canadian/British/Luxembourger David John Pike (baritone), who returned to music after initially training and working as a chartered accountant. Tickets: available from York Minster or on the door.
Tayla Kenyon: Exploring memories and the choices we make in Fluff at Theatre@41, Monkgate, York
Fringe play of the week: Teepee Productions and Joe Brown present Fluff, Theatre@41, Monkgate, York, Sunday, 7.30pm
NOW is the time for Fluff to do the ultimate puzzle: her life. As she navigates her way through her most treasured and darkest memories, she desperately needs to piece together her life, story by story, person by person.
Tayla Kenyon performs solo in her darkly comedic 75-minutre play, co written with James Piercy, as she explores memories and the choices we make, using a non-linear plot line to enable the audience to feel, first hand, the devastating effects of dementia. Box office: tickets.41monkgate.co.uk.
Ewan Wardrop in rehearsal for his role as reluctant hero Roger Thornhill in Wise Children’s production of Alfred Hitchcock’s North By Northwest, premiering at York Theatre Royal from March 18
World premiere of the week in York: Wise Children in Alfred Hitchcock’s North By Northwest, York Theatre Royal, March 18 to April 5, 7.30pm plus 2pm, March 26 and April 3; 2.30pm, March 29 and April 5
IT would be strange if, in a city of seven million people, one man were never mistaken for another…and that is exactly what happens to Roger Thornhill, reluctant hero of North By Northwest, when a mistimed phone call to his mother lands him smack bang in the middle of a Cold War conspiracy. Now he is on the run, dodging spies, airplanes and a femme fatale who might not be all she seems.
Wise Children writer-director Emma Rice turns film legend Alfred Hitchcock’s thriller on its head in her riotously humorous reworking. Replete with six shape-shifting performers, a fabulous 1950s’ soundtrack and a heap of hats, this dazzling co-production with York Theatre Royal, HOME Manchester and Liverpool Everyman & Playhouse plays with heart, mind and soul in a topsy-turvy drama full of glamour, romance, jeopardy and a liberal sprinkling of tender truths. Box office: 01904 623568 or yorktheatreroyal.co.uk.
Nina Wadia’s Gemma and Sam Bailey’s April in NOW That’s What I Call A Musical, on tour at Grand Opera House, York. Picture: Pamela Raith
Musical of the week: NOW That’s What I Call A Musical, Grand Opera House, York, March 18 to 22, 7.30pm plus 2.30pm matinees, Wednesday and Saturday
DIRECTED by Strictly Come Dancing judge Craig Revel Horwood, comedian Pippa Evans’s hit-laden musical is set in Birmingham in 1989 and 2009. Back in the day, school friends Gemma Warner and April Devonshire are planning their lives based on Number One magazine quizzes and dreaming of snogging Rick Astley. Twenty years later, Gemma (Nina Wadia) and April (The X Factor winner Sam Bailey) face the most dreaded event of their adult lives: the school reunion.
Drama, old flames and receding hairlines come together as friends reunite and everything from the past starts to slot into place. Sinitta, Eighties’s pop star of So Macho and Toy Boy fame, will be the guest star all week in a show featuring Gold, Girls Just Wanna Have Fun, Tainted Love, Sisters Are Doing It For Themselves et al. Box office: atgtickets.com/york.
In the Strummer time: Stiff Little Fingers’ Ali McMordie, left, Steve Grantley, Jake Burns and Ian McCallum pay tribute to The Clash punk hero at York Barbican. Picture: Will Byington
Punk gig of the week: Stiff Little Fingers, Flame In Our Hearts Tour, York Barbican, March 18, doors 7pm
NORTHERN Irish punk legends Stiff Little Fingers’ tour title is a nod their 2003 track Summerville, recorded to mark the untimely passing of Joe Strummer of The Clash.
Frontman Jake Burns says: “The opening line to the song is ‘You lit a flame in my heart’ and still stands strong today as it did when I wrote it. Joe was a legend and a huge influence on myself and the band. Calling the tour Flame In The Heart keeps Joe in everyone’s memory.” Box office: yorkbarbican.co.uk. Meanwhile, Monday’s double bill of The Darkness and special guests Ash has sold out.
Nearly here: Paddy McGuinness brings his Nearly There tour to York Barbican next Thursday
Comedy gig of the week: Paddy McGuinness, Nearly There, York Barbican, March 20, 7.45pm
FARNWORTH comedian, television and radio presenter and game show host Paddy McGuinness plays York on his first stand-up itinerary since 2016. Launching the 40 dates last year, he said: “It’s been eight years since my last tour and there’s lots of things to laugh about! I’m looking forward to getting back in front of a live audience, along with running the gauntlet of cancel culture, click bait and fake news.” Tickets update: only a handful of single seats still available at yorkbarbican.co.uk.
Dr Rangan Chatterjee: Health and happiness tips at York Barbican
Meet “the architect of health and happiness”: Dr Rangan Chatterjee, The Thrive Tour 2025, York Barbican, March 21, 7.30pm
JOIN Dr Rangan Chatterjee, inspirational host of Europe’s biggest health podcast, Feel Better, Live More, author and star of BBC One’s Doctor In The House, for two transformative hours of learning the skill of happiness, discovering the secrets to optimal health, breaking free from habits that hold you back and discovering how to make changes that last. “Be empowered, be inspired and learn how to thrive,” he says. Box office: yorkbarbican.co.uk.
AHEAD of the March 14 opening of his XXX exhibition, York-raised artist Harland Miller has donated a trio of oil paintings from his Bad Weather Paintings series to York Art Gallery.
This Pop Art suite pays homage to three Yorkshire destinations close to the Yorkshireman’s heart: Whitby, Scarborough and York.
Painted exclusively for the Exhibition Square gallery, the works comprise two large-scale canvasses, a 2024 painting of the centrepiece of his Covid-curtailed 2020 exhibition, York, So Good They Named It Once, and Whitby, The Self Catering Years, and one work on paper, Scarborough, Have Faith In Cod.
Inspired by his upbringing in 1970s’ Yorkshire, Miller creates colourful and graphically vernacular works that convey his love of popular language and attest to his enduring engagement with its narrative, aural and typographical possibilities.
The donated works are a celebration of his home city and childhood memories and the gallery is delighted to receive this thoughtful gift.
“I wrote a short story once titled ‘It was after I was born that all this started to happen’, and for me ‘all of this’ started to happen in York,” says Miller, who will turn 61 on March 11. “Naturally these were things that were happening for the very first time: first job, a paper round, first kiss on Oggy’s pond.
“Fast forwarding to what was probably my most influential initiation as an artist, which was undoubtedly the first time I saw great art in the flesh so to speak, and that for sure was at the York Art Gallery.
“With its very civic facade, it wasn’t a place as a kid then that you would just wander into, but once I had…and hadn’t been thrown out, I became a regular visitor. I saw some great individual shows there but always loved to wander around the permanent collection and particularly the seascapes.”
Miller continues: “Fast forwarding again, this time some 40 odd years, and after showing my own work in York Art Gallery, and again, not being thrown out! I was so moved by the reaction, that after the gallery closed, a week after the exhibition had opened, due to Covid, I felt very keenly that I wanted people to experience my work for longer than that.
“I wasn’t sure how much longer, but you can’t get much longer than forever and that seemed to just about cover it. I really hope that other young artists will get as much pleasure as I have from wandering around the gallery and I hope that my paintings will be a part of that.”
Dr Beatrice Bertram, senior curator at York Art Gallery, says: “We have harboured a long-term ambition to acquire Harland’s work and are thrilled to finally be able to represent this internationally significant artist in our collection.
“These fantastic works were created exclusively for us in 2024 and are quintessentially Miller in character: immediately recognisable, beautifully painted and subtly witty. All three will make fantastic additions to our permanent collection, and we’re particularly pleased to be able to share his new painterly, expressive version of York, So Good They Named It Once with audiences here in Miller’s home city – the original York!
“During the forthcoming Harland Miller: XXX exhibition, these wonderful works will be displayed in our first-floor galleries for visitors to see. We are incredibly grateful to Harland for his generous gift and continued support of the gallery.”
To commemorate the donation, in tandem with curated art marketplace Avant Arte, Miller is releasing a limited-edition print of York, So Good They Named It Once, based on his original painting of the same name. This edition aims to raise funds for York Art Gallery.
The 27-colour silkscreen print with spot colours on 600gsm Somerset Tub Sized Radiant White paper will measure 100 by 66 cm and will be available in an edition of 50 exclusively on avantarte.com this April.
York-raised artist Harland Miller with his title work for the XXX exhibition at York Art Gallery. Picture: Ollie Hammick, copyright of White Cube, 2019
Miller’s much-anticipated XXX, billed as a nationally important exhibition for York, Yorkshire and Great Britain, will run from March 14 to August 31, open Wednesday to Sunday, 10am to 5pm.
Represented as ever by White Cube, Miller will showcase paintings and works on paper from his Letter Paintings series, stirred by his upbringing in 1970s’ Yorkshire and an itinerant lifestyle in New York, New Orleans, Berlin and Paris during the 1980s and 1990s.
Coinciding with the release of a book of the same title by Phaidon, XXX features several new Miller works, including one that celebrates his home city, in a hard-edged series that melds the sacred seamlessly with the everyday, drawing inspiration from medieval manuscripts, where monks often laboured to produce intricate illuminated letters to mark the beginning of chapters.
In these works, the Yorkshire Pop artist uses bold colours and typefaces to accentuate the expressive versatility of monosyllabic words and acronyms such as ESP, IF and Star.
The exhibition will be accompanied by a Q&A with the artist plus community activities to “inspire, inform and involve all”. Tickets: yorkartgallery.org.uk/tickets.
Back to front: Harland Miller walks towards his Pelican Books spoof dust jacket York, So Good They Named It Once at York Art Gallery in February 2020. Picture: Charlotte Graham
Stamford Bridge Community Choir: Using Makaton signing when performing at York Community Choir Festival tonight. Picture: Murray Swain
A CHORUS of song, a play counting the cost of economics and an eye for comedy help to fill Charles Hutchinson’s in-box of entertainment for the week ahead.
Festival of the week: York Community Choir Festival, Joseph Rowntree Theatre, York, until Saturday, 7.30pm nightly, plus 2.30pm Saturday matinee
MORE than 1,250 singers are performing this week at the JoRo. Tonight features Stagecoach Performing Arts Choir, The Sounds Fun Singers, The Garrowby Singers, In Harmony Ladies Choir and Stamford Bridge Community Choir; tomorrow, Huntington School Choirs; York Military Wives Choir and Heworth Community Choir, and Friday, York Theatre Royal Choir; Eboraca; Some Voices York; Bishopthorpe Community Choir and Harmonia.
The Saturday matinee presents Excel Learning Trust Schools’ Choir, The Rhythm Of Life Singers, The Fairburn Singers and The York Celebration Singers; Saturday evening, York Philharmonic Male Voice Choir, Chechelele, York Sing Space, The Wellbeing Choir and Main Street Sound Ladies Barbershop Chorus. Box office: 01904 501935 or josephrowntreetheatre.co.uk.
Rob Auton: One in the eye for comedy at The Crescent, York, tonight
The eyes have it: Rob Auton: The Eyes Open And Shut Show, Burning Duck Comedy Club at The Crescent, York, tonight, 7.30pm; Leeds City Varieties Music Hall, May 3, 7.30pm
“THE Eyes Open And Shut Show is a show about eyes when they are open and eyes when they are shut,” says surrealist York/Barmby Moor comedian, writer, artist, podcaster and actor Rob Auton. “With this show I wanted to explore what I could do to myself and others with language when eyes are open and shut…thinking about what makes me open my eyes and what makes me shut them.” Box office: York, thecrescentyork.com; Leeds, 0113 243 0808 or leedsheritagetheatres.com.
Queenz: On song in Drag Me To The Disco at the Grand Opera House, York
Drag show of the week: Queenz, Drag Me To The Disco, Grand Opera House, York, tonight, 7.30pm
JOIN the gals for “an electrifying, live vocal, drag-stravaganza, where Dancing Queenz and Disco Dreams collide for the party of a lifetime”, created and produced by David Griego. Flying their rainbow-coloured flag high in the sky, Bella Du-Ball, Dior Montay, Candy Caned, Billie Eyelash and ZeZe Van Cartier serve up sass, singalongs and a message of love, equality and acceptance.
Craig Colley, alias Billie Eyelash, says: “Drag queens really do come in all shapes and sizes, but if you want to see some hilarious, stupidly talented, beautiful and of course humble ones, Queenz really is the show for you.” Age guidance: 14 plus. Box office: atgtickets.com/york.
Gorka Marquez and Karen Hauer: Dancing on Speakeasy terms at York Barbican tomorrow
Dance spectacular of the week: Karen Hauer and Gorka Marquez, Speakeasy, York Barbican, tomorrow, 7.30pm
STRICTLY Come Dancing professionals Karen Hauer and Gorka Marquez follow up Firedance with new show Speakeasy on their biggest tour so far. Expect exhilarating live music and breathtaking choreography as they unlock the door to an undercover world of elegance and iconic dance flavours.
From the clandestine New York Speakeasy to the sultry Havana dance floors and from the burlesque cabaret clubs of the mid-1900s to the glittering mirror balls of Studio 54, this “delicious dance experience” serves up Mamba, Salsa, Charleston, Foxtrot and Samba moves. Box office: yorkbarbican.co.uk.
Joe Sellman-Leava, left, and Dylan Howells in It’s The Economy, Stupid! at Helmsley Arts Centre. Picture: Duncan McGlynn
Fringe show of the week: Worklight Theatre in It’s The Economy, Stupid!, Helmsley Arts Centre, Friday,7.30pm
NAMED after the phrase coined by James Carville, strategist for Bill Clinton’s 1992 presidential campaign, It’s the Economy, Stupid! employs storytelling to uncover the true cost of low financial literacy in a world ruled by money.
Directed by Katharina Reinthaller, this 60-minute Edinburgh Fringe hit tells the true story of a family caught up in the 1990s’ recession, losing home and livelihood under the economic conditions that led the world from post-war boom to housing and cost-of-living crises. Using an old board game, bags, boxes, projection mapping and a sprinkle of magic, writer Joe Sellman-Leava and Dylan Howells explore how macroeconomic forces can win elections and why the force that dominates personal lives is so complicated. Box office: 01439 771700 or helmsleyarts.co.uk.
Greg Brice: Blues guitarist to play Milton Rooms, Malton
Blues gig of the week: Greg Brice, Milton Rooms, Malton, Friday, 8pm
BACK when Greg Brice played the pubs, clubs and bars of the West Midlands, he would find even tough audiences hanging on to his every word within a few bars. His intricate fingerstyle guitar and strident electric slide connected in the raw and immediate way that only proper roots music can. Now, in blues and Americana clubs alike, his songwriting is capturing people’s imagination. Box office: 01653 696240 or themiltonrooms.com.
Edwina Hayes: Heading from Beverley to Malton on Sunday night
Singer-songwriter of the week: An Evening With Edwina Hayes, Milton Rooms, Malton, Sunday, 7.30pm
EAST Riding musician Edwina Hayes brings together English folk, Americana and the northern singer-songwriter tradition to create her own sound. She has toured with Jools Holland, Van Morrison, Loudon Wainwright III and the late Nanci Griffith, who covered her song Pour Me A Drink and once called her “the sweetest voice in England”. She last released an album, Ruby Rose, in 2021. Box office: 01653 696240 or themiltonrooms.com.
Artwork by Rosebay, on show at Helmsley Arts Centre from today
Exhibition of the week: Rosebay, Helmsley Arts Centre, today to May 2
YORK Open Studios 2021 and Ryedale Open Studios 2023 artist Rosebay uses marker pens filled with acrylic paint as the quickest and most direct way to fill big canvasses that celebrate the unsung corners of the natural and built world. “The bark of a tree, a patch of rock, the place where weeds spring out of a crack in the pavement: all have their own magic and all are worthy of attention,” she says.
“Drawing on elements of Pop Art, graffiti art and cartography, sometimes my paintings home in on a tiny area and turn it into a whole landscape; sometimes I step back and take in a larger scene, often weaving together images I have seen as I walk.” Rosebay will be very happy to discuss her paintings when visiting the arts centre on March 16 and 30.
Stag burning at the Jorvik Viking Festival. More fun and games next week. Picture: Charlotte Graham
THE boat-burning Vikings are back as Charles Hutchinson looks forward to an action-packed February half-term.
Festival of the week: 40th anniversary Jorvik Viking Festival, York, February 17 to 23
A NEW Viking longship, a sword that never misses its target and recreations of the world’s largest fossilised poo take centre stage at Europe’s largest Viking Festival over half-term. Five days of Norse fun, living history, hands-on combat and lectures culminate in a parade of more than 200 Vikings through the historic streets on February 22 and two dramatic evening son-et-lumière shows.
A free living history encampment takes over Parliament Street with an array of tents featuring craftsmen and traders, with the opportunity to handle replica armour and weapons. For the full programme and to book tickets, go to jorvikvikingfestival.co.uk.
Emma Swainston’s Elle Woods, seated, with Bruiser, the Chihuahua (played by Lily), in York Light Opera Company’s Legally Blonde The Musical. Picture: Matthew Kitchen Photography
The power of pink musical of the week: York Light Opera Company in Legally Blonde The Musical, York Theatre Royal, until February 22, 7.30pm nightly (except February 16) plus 2.30pm matinees today, February 20 and 22
JOIN Elle Woods, a seemingly ditzy sorority girl with a heart of gold, as she tackles Harvard Law School to win back her man. Along the way, Elle discovers her own strength and intelligence, “proving that you can be both blonde and brilliant”.
Emma Swainston’s Elle Woods leads Martyn Knight’s 35-strong cast in this feel-good, sassy and stylish show with its powerful message of staying true to yourself, booted with music and lyrics by Laurence O’Keefe and Nell Benjamin and book by Heather Hach. Box office: 01904 623568 or yorktheatreroyal.co.uk.
David O’Doherty: Irish humour and song at Grand Opera House, York
Comedy show of the week: David O’Doherty, Tiny Piano Man, Grand Opera House, York, tonight, 8pm
THE dishevelled prince of €10 eBay keyboards tries to make you feel alive with a pageant of Irish humour, song and occasionally getting up from a chair. “It’s gonna be a big one,” says Dublin comedian, author, musician, actor and playwright David O’Doherty, star of The Great Celebrity Bake Off 2024 and Along For The Ride With David O’Doherty. Box office: atgtickets.com/york.
Chloe Petts: Getting personal in How You See Me, How You Don’t at Theatre@41, Monkgate
Alternative comedy gig of the week: Chloe Petts, How You See Me, How You Don’t, Theatre@41, Monkgate, York, tonight, 8pm
CHLOE Petts returns with a new show and this time she’s getting personal. Between her newly found trolls, ‘oldly’ found school bullies and an excellent relationship with her food tech teacher, she brings her trademark ‘laddishness’ to tell you who she really is, all while her Head Girl badge glistens on her chest. Box office for returns only: tickets.41monkgate.co.uk.
Gareth Gates: Turning romantic crooner in a Valentine mood at York Barbican
Romantic concert of the week: Gareth Gates Sings Love Songs From The Movies – A Valentine Special, York Barbican, Sunday, 7.30pm
EXTENDING the St Valentine’s Day vibes to the weekend, Bradford singer Gareth Gates combines beloved ballads from classic films with the electrifying energy of up-tempo hits, from Unchained Melody to Dirty Dancing, in a celebration of love stories that have graced the silver screen.
Joining the 2002 Pop Idol alumnus and musical star will be Wicked actress Maggie Lynne, Dutch singer Britt Lenting, Performers College graduate Dan Herrington and a four-piece band. Box office: yorkbarbican.co.uk.
Abbie Budden’s Annette Hargrove in Bill Kenwright Ltd’s production of Cruel Intentions: The’90s Musical, on tour at Grand Opera House, York, from Tuesday. Picture: Pamela Raith
Dangerous liaison of the week: Cruel Intentions: The ’90s Musical, Grand Opera House, York, February 18 to 22, Tuesday to Thursday, 7.30pm; Wednesday, 2.30pm; Friday, 5pm and 8.30pm; Saturday, 2.30pm and 7.30pm
CREATED by Jordan Ross, Lindsey Rosin and Roger Kumble from Kumble’s 1999 film spin on Les Liaisons Dangereuses, this American musical is powered by the 1990s’ pop gold dust of Britney Spears, Boyz II Men, Christina Aguilera, TLC, R.E.M., Ace Of Base, Natalie Imbruglia and The Verve.
Step siblings Sebastian Valmont (Will Callan) and Kathryn Merteuil (Nic Myers) engage in a cruel bet, where Kathryn goads Sebastian into attempting to seduce Annette Hargrove (Abbie Budden), the headmaster’s virtuous daughter. Weaving a web of secrets and temptation, their crusade wreaks havoc on the students at their exclusive Manhattan high school. Soon the dastardly plotters become entangled in their own web of deception and unexpected romance, with explosive results. Box office: atgtickets.com/york.
Stuart Green’s police inspector, Truscott, left, and Miles John’s thief, Dennis, in rehearsal for York Settlement Community Players’ production of Loot
Scandalous play of the week: York Settlement Community Players in Loot, York Theatre Royal Studio, February 18 to 27, 7.45pm except February 23; 2pm, February 22
KATIE Leckey directs the Settlement Players in agent provocateur Joe Orton’s scabrous 1965 farce, the one with two thieves, dodgy police officers, adult themes, offensive language, sexism and xenophobia, references to sexual assault, including rape and necrophilia, a live actor playing a dead body in a coffin and digs at the Roman Catholic Church.
Don’t let that put you off! Yes, it still carries a content warning and age recommendation of 16 upwards, but it remains outrageously funny. Box office: 01904 623568 or yorktheatreroyal.co.uk.
Wharfemede Productions director Helen Spencer, centre, rehearsing her role as Marmee in Little Women with Connie Howcroft’s Jo, left, Catherine Foster’s Meg, Rachel Higgs’s Beth and Tess Ellis’s Amy. Picture: Matthew Warry
Marching on together: Wharfemede Productions: Little Women – The Broadway Musical, Theatre@41, Monkgate, York, February 18 to 22, 7.30pm plus 2.30pm Saturday matinee
HELEN Spencer directs York company Wharfemede Productions in their first solo show, playing Marmee too in Allan Knee, Jason Howland and Mindi Dickstein’s musical account of Louisa May Alcott’s story of the March sister – traditional Meg, wild, aspiring writer Jo, timid Beth and romantic Amy – growing up in Concord, Massachusetts, while their chaplain father is away serving during the American Civil War. Box office: tickets.41monkgate.co.uk.
Ugg’n’Ogg tell the story of The World’s First Dogg at Milton Rooms, Malton
Children’s play of the week: Rural Arts presents Fideri Fidera in Ugg’n’Ogg & The World’s First Dogg, Milton Rooms, Malton, February 20, 2pm
IN the fresh sparkling world just after the last Ice Age, there were no dogs. How, then, did we attain our best friend and the world’s number one pet? Luckily for us, along came young hunter gatherers Ugg‘n’Ogg to pal up with the wolves, Tooth’n’Claw, to defy flying meat bones, raging forest infernos and even a time-travelling stick to invent the dog.
This original play for pooch lovers aged three upwards highlights the evolutionary transition from lupine to canine in a show full of physical comedy, puppets, music and song. Box office: 01653 696240 or themiltonrooms.com.
In Focus:Exhibition refresh: Secrets Of Dress, Yorkshire Castle Museum, Fashion Gallery, Eye of York, York, from February 15
Fashion exhibits in the Secrets Of Dress exhibition at York Castle Museum. Picture: Duncan Lomax, Ravage Productions, for York Museums Trust
YORK Castle Museum’s Fashion Gallery has been refreshed, remodelled and enhanced for 2025 with new items and fresh interpretations to show Secrets Of Dress from the Middle Ages to the opening decades of the 21st century.
Not merely a fashion exhibition, this re-boot is an opportunity to look at dress and textiles from the perspective of social history, exploring what clothes and accessories can reveal about our lives and experiences.
Every object has a secret to tell, hence Secrets Of Dress provides insights into ways of life that are very different to today and yet relatable. From 400-year-old sequins to Second World War utility shoes, from the cottage industry of old Yorkshire to the factory-produced fashions of the industrial age, this is social history brought alive by the story of dress.
Dr Faye M Prior, Curator of Social History, with a 1970s’ outfit designed by Angela Holmes for her York-based fashion brand Droopy & Browns. The outfit was kindly donated by Angela’s sister, Leone Cockburn, and her niece, Clare Cockburn. Picture: Duncan Lomax, Ravage Productions, for York Museums Trust
This bespoke exhibition has been updated for the 21st century with a new section focusing on the City of York: York Makers. Thanks to the diligent research of York Castle Museum volunteers, York Makers presents York-made clothing, textiles and textile-working tools from the Middle Ages to the present day, alongside the stories of the people who made and used them.
York Makers celebrates creative people who lived and worked in York, some of whom contributed nationally as well as regionally to fashion.
On display are outfits by York-based designers Angela Holmes, founder of Droopy & Browns, and Vivien Smith, founder of Vivien Smith Simply Clothes. These two entrepreneurs created iconic fashion brands that offered distinctive styles on the high street from the 1960s to the early 2000s.
Gloves made of straw from the Secrets Of Dress exhibition at York Castle Museum. Picture: Duncan Lomax, Ravage Productions, for York Museums Trust
Other York Makers include Victorian shirtmaker Herbert Morris Crouch, who ran his own shop on Coney Street, and Mrs Maria Cook, the dressmaker whose ‘Made In York’ label sparked the volunteer research project.
Secrets Of Dress showcases 500 years of clothing, accessories and textiles, including items never displayed until now. Every object has something to tell, and many show repairs and adaptations, revealing how practices thought to be modern, such as ‘upcycling’ and ‘remaking’, have a long tradition.
Displayed in an accessible and fun way, iconic items and textiles from the 1960s and 1970s will be recognisable immediately. Visitors can touch, feel and try on costumes re-created by costume designer Naomi Pugh – aka ‘Nomes’ – of Textiles by Gnomes, and enjoy family trails with Little Spotters Trails, including a colouring page for creative little ones.
York Castle Museum is open Monday, 11am to 5pm; Tuesday to Sunday, 10am to 5pm. Tickets: adult £17; child £10.20; concessions available. Tickets are valid for 12 months. Children of York residents enter for free.
Visitors taking a close look at clothing and shoes in the Secrets Of Dress exhibition at York Castle Museum. Picture: Duncan Lomax, Ravage Productions, for York Museums Trust
Colour & Light: Illuminating York Minster’s South Transept with wildlife imagery
FROM wildlife illuminations to characterful faces, dog origin tales to dark sky wonders, Charles Hutchinson finds February fulfilment.
Illumination of the week: Colour & Light, York Minster South Transept, today to March 2
THIS free outdoor event promises a “mesmerising projection” of famous and lesser-known stories of York’s animal world, from the Minster’s peregrine falcons and the urban foxes that roam the streets after dark, to the Romans’ horses for their ride into Eboracum and the legendary dragons carved into the city’s history.
Colour & Light runs nightly from 6pm to 9pm with projections on a ten-minute loop. The final hour each evening is a designated quiet hour with reduced noise and crowd levels. No tickets are required.
A detail from one of Holly Capstick’s portraits in her We Are Layers exhibition at Pocklington Arts Centre
Exhibition of the week: Holly Capstick, We Are Layers, Pocklington Arts Centre, until February 28
HOLLY Capstick explores the layers of our beauty and character in her textile and mixed-media portraits that capture expressions and snapshots of moments in everyday life. “Faces have always amazed me,” she says. “The subtleties of the changes within a face can show so much of how we feel and how we connect to others.”
Thread and Press CIC tutor Holly will run portrait-themed workshops this month for children aged 7 to 16 (Learn To Draw A Face, February 19) and for adults (Textile Portraits, Free-motion Machine Embroidery, February 28). Find out more at hollycapstickart.co.uk.
In the pink: Emma Swainston’s Elle Woods in York Light Opera Company’s Legally Blonde The Musical. Picture: Matthew Kitchen Photography
Musical of the week: York Light Opera Company in Legally Blonde The Musical, York Theatre Royal, tomorrow to February 22, 7.30pm nightly (except February 16) plus 2.30pm matinees on February 15, 20 and 22
JOIN Elle Woods, a seemingly ditzy sorority girl with a heart of gold, as she tackles Harvard Law School to win back her man. Along the way, Elle discovers her own strength and intelligence, “proving that you can be both a beautiful blonde and brilliant”.
Emma Swainston’s Elle Woods leads Martyn Knight’s 35-strong cast in this feel-good, sassy and stylish show with its powerful message of staying true to yourself, booted with music and lyrics by Laurence O’Keefe and Nell Benjamin and book by Heather Hach. Box office: 01904 623568 or yorktheatreroyal.co.uk.
The Tannahill Weavers: Fire-driven instrumentals, topical songs, Celtic ballads and humorous tales of Scottish life at Helmsley Arts Centre
Folk gig of the week: The Tannahill Weavers 2025, Helmsley Arts Centre, Friday, 7.30pm
THE Tannahill Weavers, from Paisley, Scotland, play a diverse repertoire that spans the centuries, taking in fire-driven instrumentals, topical songs, ballads and humorous tales of life north of the border.
Roy Gullane, on guitar and lead vocals, Phil Smillie, on flute, whistles, bodhrán and harmony vocals, Scotland’s youngest clan leader, Iain MacGillivray, on Highland bagpipes, fiddle and whistles, and Malcolm Bushby, on fiddle, bouzouki and harmony vocals, demonstrate the rich Celtic musical heritage in their exuberant concert combination of traditional melodies, rhythmic accompaniment, and evocative vocals. Box office: 01439 771700 or helmsleyarts.co.uk.
Paul Metcalfe in his Rod Stewart tribute act, Some Guys Have All The Luck
Tribute show of the week: Some Guys Have All The Luck – The Rod Stewart Story, Grand Opera House, York, Friday, 7.30pm
CELEBRATING Sir Rod Stewart’s 80th birthday in a West End tribute show endorsed by his family, Paul Metcalfe takes a live concert journey through six Stewart decades from humble beginnings in rhythm & blues clubs through to swaggering rock showman.
“Rod’s music brings back a lot of memories for people, and everyone can remember the first time they heard Maggie May,” says Metcalfe. “Rod has such an amazing back catalogue of songs and such variety as well. Wonderful ballads, joyful upbeat songs and some great rockers.”
Metcalfe feels like the guy with all the luck in performing this tribute. “When I’m on stage I go into another world and do things I wouldn’t normally dream of doing,” he says. “The show has come on massively since we started. The music, the lighting, the set and the video backdrops have all come on a lot. Fortunately, the audience seems to agree.” Box office: atgtickets.com/york.
Festival of the week: National Parks Dark Skies Festival, North York Moors, from Friday to March 2
THIS year is the tenth anniversary of the Dark Skies Festival and where better to celebrate than on the North York Moors, one of only 21 global locations to be recognised for pristine dark skies as an International Dark Sky Reserve.
Look out for Stargazing Experiences in Dalby Forest; Stargazing at Ampleforth Abbey; the Robin Hood’s Bay Dark Skies Ghost Walks; Evening Adventure Walks with River Mountain Rescue; a Night Navigation Experience with Large Outdoors; Dancing with The Long Dead Stars and plenty more. For full details, visit: darkskiesnationalparks.org.uk/north-york-moors-events.
David O’Doherty: Tiny Piano Man’s pageant of Irish humour and song at Grand Opera House, York
Comedy show of the week: David O’Doherty, Tiny Piano Man, Grand Opera House, York, Saturday, 8pm
THE dishevelled prince of €10 eBay keyboards tries to make you feel alive with a pageant of Irish humour, song and occasionally getting up from a chair. “It’s gonna be a big one,” says Dublin comedian, author, musician, actor and playwright David O’Doherty, star of The Great Celebrity Bake Off 2024 and Along For The Ride With David O’Doherty. Box office: atgtickets.com/york.
Gareth Gates: A Valentine Special brimful of movie love songs at York Barbican
Romantic concert of the week: Gareth Gates Sings Love Songs From The Movies – A Valentine Special, York Barbican, Sunday, 7.30pm
EXTENDING the St Valentine ‘s Day vibes to the weekend, Bradford singer Gareth Gates combines beloved ballads from classic films with the electrifying energy of up-tempo hits, from Unchained Melody to Dirty Dancing, in a celebration of love stories that have graced the silver screen.
Joining the 2002 Pop Idol alumnus and musical star will be Wicked actress Maggie Lynne, Dutch singer Britt Lenting, Performers College graduate Dan Herrington and a four-piece band. Box office: yorkbarbican.co.uk.
Ugg’n’Ogg: Telling the story of The World’s First Dogg at the Milton Rooms, Malton
Children’s play of the week: Rural Arts presents Fideri Fidera in Ugg’n’Ogg & The World’s First Dogg, Milton Rooms, Malton, February 20, 2pm
IN the fresh sparkling world just after the last Ice Age, there were no dogs. How, then, did we attain our best friend and the world’s number one pet? Luckily for us, along came young hunter gatherers Ugg‘n’Ogg to pal up with the wolves, Tooth’n’Claw, to defy flying meat bones, raging forest infernos and even a time-travelling stick to invent the dog.
This original play for families and pooch lovers aged three upwards highlights the evolutionary transition from lupine to canine in a show full of physical comedy, puppets, music and song. Box office: 01653 696240 or themiltonrooms.com.
James Iha, left, Jimmy Chamberlin and Billy Corgan of The Smashing Pumpkins: Off to the Yorkshire coast in the summer
Gig announcement of the week: The Smashing Pumpkins, TK Maxx Presents Scarborough Open Air Theatre, August 13
AMERICAN alternative rockers The Smashing Pumpkins will play Scarborough on their Aghori Tour. Billy Corgan, James Iha and Jimmy Chamberlin’s multi-platinum-selling band will be supported on the Yorkshire coast by London post-punk revival band White Lies.
Since emerging from Chicago, Illinois, in 1988 with their iconoclastic sound, Smashing Pumpkins have sold more than 30 million albums worldwide and collected two Grammy Awards, seven MTV VMAs and an American Music Award. Tickets go on sale at 10am on Friday at ticketmaster.co.uk
Freida Nipples: Hosting a cabaret night of burlesque exhibitionism in The Old Paint Shop at York Theatre Royal Studio
FROM exhibitionist burlesque to imaginative dance moments, wildlife illuminations to bend-and- snap musical empowerment, Charles Hutchinson finds February fulfilment.
Cabaret night of the week: Freida Nipples Presents…The Exhibitionists, The Old Paint Shop, York Theatre Royal Studio, tonight, 8pm
YORK’S very own internationally award-winning burlesque artiste Freida Nipples welcomes some of her favourite and most fabulous performance artists from across Great Britain and beyond to The Old Paint Shop’s flesh-flashing cabaret night.
“Get ready to be dazzled, shocked and in awe,” says Freida. “Only a few things are guaranteed: glamour, gags and giggles.” Box office: 01904 623568 or yorktheatreroyal.co.uk, for returned tickets only.
Chris Newman and Maire Ni Chathasaigh: Heading to Helmsley Arts Centre
Folk gig of the week: Maire Ni Chathasaigh and Chris Newman, Helmsley Arts Centre, tonight, 7.30pm
MULTIPLE award-winning, internationally renowned virtuoso harp and guitar duo Maire Ni Chathasaigh and Chris Newman return to Helmsley after playing to a full house there in December 2023.
County Cork harpist Chathasaigh and flat-picking guitarist, improviser, composer and record producer Newman have toured to 24 countries on five continents, playing venues ranging from village halls and town halls to palaces in Kyoto and Istanbul, from London’s Barbican to Cologne’s Philharmonia. Expect a fusion of traditional Irish music, hot jazz, bluegrass and baroque, spiced with new compositions and Newman’s subversive wit. Box office: 01439 771700 or helmsleyarts.co.uk.
Unstoppable! Evie Hart, Sean Moss, Hobie Schouppe, Juliette Tellier, Donny Beau Ferris, Risa Maki and Oliver Rumaizen in Jasmin Vardimon Company’s Now. Picture: Tristram Kenton
Dance show of the week: Jasmin Vardimon Company, York Theatre Royal, today, 2.30pm with post-show discussion and 7.30pm
NOW, a new creation by choreographer Jasmin Vardimon MBE, celebrates her company’s 25th anniversary in a work that reflects the current moment, the present, and the continuous movement of time in a terpsichorean toast to the beauty of imagination and art.
Rooted in her interest in contemporary lives, the structures of society and the ever-changing socio-political dynamics, Vardimon uses her distinctive dance theatre style to tell a story of our time with an international cast of performers and relevant and iconic moments from the Ashford, Kent company’s repertoire. Box office: 01904 623568 or yorktheatreroyal.co.uk.
Jamie Walton: Cello soloist at York Guildhall Orchestra’s concert tonight at York Barbican. Picture: Matthew Johnson
Classical concerts of the week: Yorkshire Bach Choir, Bach To The Future, St Lawrence Parish Church, York, tonight, 7.30pm; York Guildhall Orchestra: Sibelius, Bloch, Tchaikovsky & Shostakovich, York Barbican, tomorrow, 3pm
PETER Seymour conducts Yorkshire Bach Choir on a choral journey through German polyphony, including music by Schutz, Johann Bach, JS Bach, Mendelssohn, Brahms and Rheinberger tonight. Professor Thomas Schmidt gives a pre-concert talk at 6.45pm. Box office: 01904 658338 or ncem.co.uk.
Jamie Walton, cellist and North York Moors Chamber Music Festival artistic director, will be the soloist for Ernst Bloch’s “rarely played, but utterly beautiful” Shelomo in tomorrow afternoon’s concert by the York Guildhall Orchestra. Sibelius’s Karelia Suite, Tchaikovsky’s Romeo And Juliet and Shostakovic’s Symphony No. 9 in Eb feature too in conductor Simon Wright’s programme. Box office: yorkbarbican.co.uk.
Dominic Halpin & The Hurricanes: Turning the Grand Opera House into a honky-tonk in downtown Nashville
Country gig of the week: A Country Night In Nashville, Grand Opera House, York, tomorrow, 7.30pm
DOMINIC Halpin & The Hurricanes re-create a buzzing honky-tonk in downtown Nashville, capturing the energy and atmosphere of an evening in the home of country music, featuring songs from its biggest stars both past and present: Johnny Cash to Alan Jackson, Dolly Parton to The Chicks, Willie Nelson to Kacey Musgraves. Box office: atgtickets.com/york.
Colour & Light: Illuminating York Minster with wildlife imagery
Illumination of the week: Colour & Light, York Minster South Transept, February 12 to March 2
THIS free outdoor event promises a “mesmerising projection” of famous and lesser-known stories of York’s animal world, from the peregrine falcons that call the Minster home and the foxes that roam the city after dark, to the horses on which the Romans rode into Eboracum and the legendary dragons carved into York’s history.
Colour & Light will run nightly from 6pm to 9pm with projections on a ten-minute loop. The final hour each evening will feature a designated quiet hour with reduced noise and crowd levels, ensuring everyone can enjoy the event. No tickets are required.
Pop Princesses : A fairytale epic adventure of pop hits and show favourites at the Grand Opera House
Children’s pop concert of the week: Pop Princesses World Tour, Grand Opera House, York, February 13, 6pm
IN a magical show where four fabulous fairytale princesses become pop stars on an epic adventure, they just love to sing the hits of Taylor Swift, Meghan Trainor, Miley Cyrus, Dua Lipa and Lizzo, complemented by a few of the best songs from all your favourite films and musicals. Box office: atgtickets.com/york.
Drag bingo agogo: Velma Celli’s Dragamama Bingo, Wagamama, Goodramgate, York, February 13, doors 6.30pm
YORK international vocal drag diva Velma Celli, alias West End musical star Ian Stroughair, has won the Best Cabaret prize at Perth Fringeworld 2024 – again! – Down Under. Next Thursday, Velma turns bingo caller for an evening of camp comedy drag bingo fun and games in Dragamama Bingo at Japanese restaurant Wagamama. Eyes down for a full house and a feast of Velma cabaret from 7pm to 9pm. Box office: https://tinyurl.com/4hmukk69.
Emma Swainston’s Elle Woods in York Light Opera Company’s Legally Blonde The Musical. Picture: Matthew Kitchen Photography
Musical of the week: York Light Opera Company in Legally Blonde The Musical, York Theatre Royal, February 13 to 22, 7.30pm nightly (except February 16) plus 2.30pm matinees on February 15, 20 and 22
JOIN Elle Woods, a seemingly ditzy sorority girl with a heart of gold, as she tackles Harvard Law School to win back her man. Along the way, Elle discovers her own strength and intelligence, “proving that you can be both a beautiful blonde and brilliant”.
Emma Swainston’s Elle Woods leads Martyn Knight’s 35-strong cast in this feel-good, sassy and stylish show with a powerful message about staying true to yourself, booted with music and lyrics by Laurence O’Keefe and Nell Benjamin and book by Heather Hach. Box office: 01904 623568 or yorktheatreroyal.co.uk.
Festival of the week: National Parks Dark Skies Festival, North York Moors, February 14 to March 2
THIS year is the tenth anniversary of the Dark Skies Festival and where better to celebrate than on the North York Moors, one of only 21 locations in the world to be recognised for pristine, dark skies as an International Dark Sky Reserve.
Look out for Stargazing Experiences in Dalby Forest; Stargazing at Ampleforth Abbey; the Robin Hood’s Bay Dark Skies Ghost Walks; Evening Adventure Walks with River Mountain Rescue; a Night Navigation Experience with Large Outdoors; Dancing with The Long Dead Stars on a walk to Boggle Hole and plenty more. For full details, visit: darkskiesnationalparks.org.uk/north-york-moors-events.
Lu Mason’s rag rug Agitate Educate Organise, her spin on the “Educate, agitate, organise” slogan first coined by by the Social Democratic Federation, a British socialist organisation whose members included artist William Morris, in a 1883 pamphlet
CURATED by Bluebird Bakery, in Acomb, York, The Other Collective brings together the work of Lu Mason, Ric Liptrot, Rob Burton, Liz Foster and Jill Tattersall until March 13.
“These wonderful artists were all missed off the billing for York Open Studios 2025 and we felt that was a real shame,” says Bluebird boss Nicky Kippax. “So The Other Collective was born and we hope the work will get a lot of interest from our customers.”
Self-taught artist and retro DJ Lu Mason started making rugs in the early 1980s but stopped for nearly 25 years when she worked as an occupational therapist. She took up rug making again during the pandemic lockdown and has not looked back since. “I love using recycled materials and hessian and the simplicity of the materials and process,” she says.
“As an occupational therapist, some of the ‘just do it’ approach to creative activities – i.e. use what you’ve got, even if it isn’t perfect – has definitely crossed over to my own practice at home and in my studio.”
Lu applies her distinctive figurative shapes in her rag rugs, created with wool she has gathered together, and uses unusual media, from cut paper and recycled wool to Perspex and spray paint, in her towering mobiles, dramatic murals and installations and bold jewellery too.
“Be true to yourself, not what other people expect of you,” she says. “It takes time to find your own individual ‘style’, but actually every single thing you do will have your identity all over it.”
Lu made Royal Academy of Arts history in 2021 when her Magician work was the first rag rug to be displayed in the RA’s Summer Exhibition.
“I am a great believer in supporting the high street,” says artist Ric Liptrot
Ric Liptrot, whose parents ran a newsagents in Runcorn, has drawn buildings in York since moving here 15 years ago, now with a particular focus on shops, pubs and cafes in the city, not least on independent businesses on the eve of closure.
“I am a great believer in supporting the high street,” says Ric, whose original artwork is created using collage, acrylic paint, stencils and dip pen. “Limited-edition prints are available as well as greetings cards and calendars.”
Ric has just completed a residency at York Conservation Trust, where he was commissioned to paint five large plywood panels. Each panel focused on a quarter of central York with the fifth illustrating the “cultural” quarter. These panels now hang at De Grey House, in St Leonard’s Place, York.
Rob Burton: Celebrating colour, texture, fabric in layers of imagery
Rob Burton is a researcher, Teesside University academic and “critical artist”, working in textile art, whose research explores themes of memory, post-memory, hauntology*, identity and space, loss and transformation.
“My textile and fibre art practice textuality develops a conceptual dialogue between the innovative use of analogue, traditional approaches to making, and contemporary, emerging techniques and digital technologies,” says Rob.
He creates colourful printed textile, fabric and mixed-media artworks that represent the stories we tell. “Inspired by literature, iconography and personal stories, my latest works celebrate colour, texture, fabric in layers of imagery,” he says.
“In symbols, colours, shapes and digitally printed photographs, the unexpected often arises and visual tales arise.”
Liz Foster: Her work centres around ideas of memory and the passing of time
Born in Leeds in 1971 and now based near York, Liz Foster studied Fine Art (Drawing and Painting) at the Glasgow School of Art, later undertaking an MA at the University of Hull, where she researched visual perception theory in relation to contemporary painting practice.
“My work centres around ideas of memory and the passing of time, which I explore through the application of abstract imagery, repetition and animated mark-making,” says Liz, who uses colour with a playful and intuitive approach.
“My paintings are abstract, reflecting my thoughts, feelings and memories but not illustrating them. The material quality of the paint is equally as important as the theme and colour is always central to what I do.
“Painting is a fundamental expression of who I am, it is my language. I find joy in the materials and each work is a new adventure, posing questions and challenges that are limitless and fascinating.”
Liz has exhibited widely, including at the Royal Academy Summer Exhibition, London Art Fair, Royal Scottish Academy, Mercer Art Gallery, Harrogate, Ferens Gallery , Hull, and York Art Gallery. She has work in both public and private collections, selling within Great Britain and abroad, and she has been long-listed for the John Moores Prize twice.
The Shipping Forecast, Weather map, hand-made paper on marouflaged board, by Jill Tattersall
Jill Tattersall works from a studio just off The Mount, in York, that she calls The Wolf at the Door. “There is a Wolf, a large one,” she says.
She has done many exhibitions, projects and commissions. “My work’s all over the place, from Peru to Tasmania, even the official residence in Rwanda,” says Jill, who lived in Brighton before moving to York.
She has been part of open studio networks in various places, helping to run them too, and she will be taking part in North Yorkshire Open Studios for the first time in June, as well as holding a solo show at Bluebird Bakery, Acomb, from May 5 to the end of June.
“My main obsession is with patterns,” says Jill. “They’re all around us; we’re made up of them ourselves. Force meets counter-force and patterns emerge: coasts and weather systems, stars and galaxies, trees and blood vessels, maps and mazes. It’s where science and art intersect!
“I constantly experiment with materials and techniques, often using my own hand-made paper and water-based paints, inks, dyes and pigments to build up intense and glowing colour. Throwaway or reclaimed elements often sit side by side with gold and silver leaf. Value, price, worth…who decides.”
The Other Collective exhibition is on show at Bluebird Bakery, Acomb Road, Acomb, York, until March 13.
Exhibitions coming up at Bluebird Bakery in 2025, curated by Rogues Atelier artist, upholsterer and interior designer Jo Walton:ThreePrintmakers, from March 13; Jill Tattersall, from May 8; Clare M Wood, from July 3; Mandi Grant, from August 28; Di Gomery, from October 23 and Donna Taylor, from December 18.
*What is hauntology?
IN the words of Wikipedia: “Hauntology is a range of ideas referring to the return or persistence of elements from the social or cultural past, as in the manner of a ghost.
“The term is a neologism, fusing ‘haunting’ and ‘ontology’, introduced by French philosopher Jacques Derrida in his 1930 book Spectres Of Marx.”
Untitled 7, by Neil Bunting, from the Outsider Inside York exhibition at the Art Of Protest Gallery in York
OUTSIDER Inside York, an exhibition of words and pictures at the Art Of Protest Gallery, York, celebrates the diverse voices of five artists who have used creativity to reshape their lives.
Challenging the status quo, this month’s show at the Walmgate art space reveals art’s transformative power in overcoming adversity
Taking part are Boxxhead, alias York mixed-media artist Kevin McNulty; former British Army soldier and PTSD sufferer Kevin Devenport, who began painting as a form of self-expression while in prison for drug offences, and Peter Stapleton, who discovered a gift for painting in oils after 22 years behind bars.
On show too is work by the late neurodivergent artist and musician Neil Bunting, who died last year, having struggled with mental health issues and personal loss throughout his life and never exhibited in his lifetime.
Their works are complemented by poems by Geoff Beacon, whose latest collection, Foreboding, engages with activism and politics in York.
Gallery founder and curator Craig Humble says: “We are excited to present Outsider Inside York, a dynamic new group exhibition that examines the power of art as catharsis and resistance. The show features a selection of artists whose works defy mainstream artistic conventions and explore the role of visual art and written words in activism.
“Outsider Inside York celebrates individuals whose unique personal experience – ranging from life in prison and military service to neurodivergence – have shaped their creativity.”
The concept of “Outsider Art” traces its roots to French artist Jean Dubuffet, who in 1945 coined the term “Art Brut” to describe art produced outside the boundaries of traditional culture. “Today, Outsider Art remains a vital form of expression for those challenging societal norms,” says Craig.
“Outsider Inside York is a platform for UK-based artists whose diverse stories offer new perspectives and reveal art’s transformative power in overcoming adversity. We invite viewers to engage with a range of art that is both deeply personal and universally resonant.”
Featured artists
Kevin McNulty aka Boxxhead
Aura2, by Boxxhead, from Outsiders Inside York exhibition at Art Of Protest Gallery
BOXXHEAD, the pseudonym of York mixed-media artist Kevin McNulty, is known for his expressive works that combine screen prints, large-scale original pieces on canvas and paper. His Aura collection, showcased in 2023 at Art Of Protest, reflected his personal experiences living with epilepsy, capturing the challenges of navigating the modern world with a neurological condition.
Drawing influence from Neo-Expressionism, Surrealism and figures such as Einstein, Boxxhead’s art blends stencilled layers, automatic mark-making and hand-drawn images. His child-like approach to complex social and political issues presents unfiltered narratives that speak to a 21st-century audience, fusing words and images with raw emotion and provocative insight.
Kevin Devenport
“Through The Barricades is our Valentine’s release by ex-soldier and PTSD sufferer Kevin Devenport, who served in Northern Ireland in the latter stages of the conflict,” says Art Of Protest curator Craig Humble. “The experience was formative for him and had a great effect on his life after he left the army. The narrative of love conquers all is often at the heart of Kevin’s work. There will only be 20 of these pieces available for £75 unframed or £175 framed to conservation standards”
KEVIN Devenport’s gateway into the art world began while serving a prison sentence for drug offences. After years in the British Army, including active tours in Northern Ireland, Kevin was diagnosed with PTSD, which led him to prison and, ultimately, to painting as a form of self-expression.
Despite lacking formal artistic qualifications, Kevin’s work has received national acclaim, including the Koestler Award for painting and prestigious recognition such as the Leonardo de Vinci International Artist Award and the Olympic Art Prize.
Property of HMP, by Peter Stapleton
Peter Stapleton
PETER Stapleton’s creativity began unexpectedly behind prison walls. After spending 22 years incarcerated, including at HMP Full Sutton, near York, Peter discovered a previously unknown ability for painting during a prison art class on the day of a visit by Home Secretary Michael Howard.
Given a canvas and paints, because the tutor had run out of pencils, Peter’s first-ever painting was recognised instantly as a skilled reproduction of an image in a magazine.
During the latter part of his latest sentence after a long record for armed robbery, Peter, from Manchester, completed a Fine Art Degree focusing on oil painting. His art practice has developed ideas and questions of masking and the role of institutions in forming the type of people we are believed to be.
“He had never painted or drawn in his life, where, in the circumstances he had grown up in, he knew only crime, but he turned out to be a natural,” says Craig Humble. “Now he paints photo-realistic corridors, almost abstract in style, striking a balance between prisons’ obsession with polishing floors while the structures of these institutions are falling all around them.”
Neil Bunting
NEIL Bunting, who passed away in 2024, left behind a creative echo of his life through art and music. Having struggled with mental health issues and personal loss throughout his life, Neil found solace in creating intricate visual art and composing music. His works offer insight into his internal world and how he used his creativity to balance challenges he faced living in this world.
His music compositions aired on BBC Radio 6 Music and although his unique artwork inspired those who saw it, none of the work was ever exhibited in his lifetime.
“Last year, not long before his death, I was approached by a retired social worker who had worked with Neil and had collected some of his pieces,” says Craig Humble. “She wanted to share his work with the public and she thought that out of all the galleries in York, we might be interested.
“We first met in May – I never met Neil, who passed way last summer – and I felt his work would be perfect for this show at the beginning of 2025.”
A proportion of sale proceeds will be donated to the I Am Reusable community food bank in York, with plans being put in place to also donate to a drug and alcohol services charity in Scarborough, where Neil’s sister, Christine Tipple, lives.
Geoff Beacon
The cover artwork for the paperback edition of Geoff Beacon’s Foreboding: Poems 1992 To 2024
GEOFF Beacon’s poetry journey began in 1992 with a friendly competition with his daughter, later leading him to write for Longman’s Mapping Awareness magazine.
Geoff’s work is engaged deeply with activism and local politics, particularly in York, where he has become a well-known figure. His latest poetry collection, Foreboding, brings together his poems from 1992 to the present day, offering a voice for social change and reflecting the ongoing human experience through powerful, politically charged language.
“Geoff has been a friend of the gallery by way of a witty quip and friendly face since we relocated to Walmgate five years ago,” says Craig Humble. “Geoff is an activist who uses many avenues to advance progressive conversations.
“As well as the traditional avenues around politics, Geoff also write polemic poetry. The sort of poetry that sits well with our gallery. Like our visual arts, Geoff writing can’t be ignored.
“Whether the reader agrees with the sentiment or goals isn’t so important, rather than it inspires thought, investigation and conversation.”
Outsider Inside York – An Exhibition of Words and Pictures, Art Of Protest Gallery, Walmgate, York, on show until February 16. Opening hours: Monday to Friday, 11am to 6pm; Saturday and Sunday, 10am to 5pm.
