TWENTY-FIVE years on from its inception, the annual Fangfest returns with its celebration of traditional and contemporary art and craft skills as creatives, businesses and charities gather next weekend in Fangfoss, near York.
The festival of practical arts features a flower festival, vintage and veteran cars, archery with Aaron Shooting Archery, Stamford Bridge History Society, music on the green, Story Craft Theatre, a teddy bear trail, produce stalls and free craft activities, as well as 30 working craft exhibitors and workshops.
Among the exhibitors will be Caroline Wagstaff, ceramics and pebble glass; Josh Hemmens, of Whimbrel Designs, photography with a twist; International Feltmakers Association member Liz Riley, of Everything Felt, felting; Lorina Lynne, jewellery; Pete Thomson, of Spirit of the Wood, woodwork; Woodwrym, wood carving and trinket boxes; Shan Williams, woven items; Crafty Alfredo, ceramic mosaics; Laura Thompson, illustrations; Tanja Entwistle, glass; and Rosie Glow, terrazzo homeware, soaps and prints.
Rosie Glow: Maker of terrazzo homeware and soaps
Most of the stalls will be in The Orchard of Fangfoss Hall, making the 2024 event more centralised than in past years.
“This year there are more opportunities than ever for visitors to learn a new craft,” says event co-organiser Lyn Grant, of Fangfoss Pottery. “Over the weekend there’ll be a number of workshops, lasting about two hours each, for the public to participate in: needle felting with Brenda Christison, of Felty and Fabulous (10.30am, Saturday); spoon carving with Woodwyrm (11.15am each morning); yarn spinning with Catherine Djimramadji (September 8, 10.30am) and hand embroidery with textile artist Hayley Mills-Styles (September 8, 2pm, upstairs at Fangfoss Pottery).
“Although these are more suitable for older children and adults, there’s a workshop specially geared for children aged five and upwards on the Sunday. Hosted by Thread and Press at 11am to 12.30pm and 2pm to 3.30pm, this is to make and sew a Barn Owl Sock Puppet, decorated and painted.”
Gerry Grant demonstrating Raku firing at Fangfoss Pottery
A small charge applies for all these workshops, which must be booked in advance. Details can be found on the Fangfest Facebook page.
One of the youngest exhibitors, photographer Josh Hemmens, of Whimbrel Designs, will demonstrate his lensball technique and talk visitors through his editing processes, wherein he transforms his original photographs into images with a modern twist. His work will be available as fine-art giclee prints, framed photographs and greetings cards.
To accompany their selection of replica medieval tiles across the weekend, Tanglebank Tiles will demonstrate designs and techniques in the medieval style. Gerry Grant will demonstrate Raku firing at Fangfoss Pottery; Laura Thompson Design and Illustration, watercolour painting.
Story Craft Theatre’s Cassie Vallance, left, and Janet Bruce: Making their Fangfest debut
Story Craft Theatre are taking part in Fangfest for the first time. York theatre-makers Cassie Vallance and Janet Bruce will perform a magical and adventurous story for two to eight-year-olds featuring music, games and puppetry on both days at 2.30pm in the Fangfoss Hall orchard. Admission is free.
On the Teddy Bear Trail, visitors and trail finders will be asked to find the nine letters attached to some of the teddies, rearrange them to form a word and collect a prize at the finish point.
On the Sunday morning, at 11.30am, Haigha Lore will be enchanting The Orchard with Anglo-Saxon storytelling, songs, music, poems and ritual, using Anglo-Saxon, Middle English and modern English to weave together poems and extracts from the 5th to the 13th century to re-imagine the lost world of the dark ages in Tales of the Kings.
Archery at Fangfest
Look out for Hearing Dogs for Deaf People, with a chance to meet the team and watch some of the dogs in training.
More information on the festival, including exhibitors, timings of activities and workshops, can be found on facebook/fangfest or on Instagram, fangfestfestival.
Fangfest Festival of Practical Arts, Fangfoss, ten miles east of York, September 7 and 8, 10am to 4pm.Entry is free; parking is £2 per vehicle in aid of Friends of St Martin’s Primary School, Fangfoss.
Specialist builder Leo Wolterbeek within the Mesolithic build at York Museum Gardens. Picture: Gareth Buddo
IT took four days for two Dutchmen to build “Britain’s oldest house” in York Museum Gardens, where the Mesolithic Hut will stand until September 1.
Made of reeds, matting and twine, the house design dates from 11,000 years ago, transporting visitors back to life in North Yorkshire in the Mesolithic age, the Middle Stone Age, between the Palaeolithic and the Neolithic.
Teams from York Museums Trust and the University of York have combined with experts in ancient technology and archaeology to build the replica house in front of the Yorkshire Museum, using evidence, techniques and materials, such as stone tools and plant materials, gleaned from the prehistoric archaeological site at Star Carr, five miles south of Scarborough, where the oldest known house in Britain was discovered.
University of York head of archaeology Professor Nicky Milner and postdoctoral research fellow Dr Jess Bates are spearheading the project with specialist craftsman Diederik Pomstra and builder Leo Wolterbeek and support from Dr Adam Parker, curator of archaeology at York Museums Trust, in a project made possible by £10,000 funding from the National Heritage Lottery Fund.
“Being an archaeologist is like being a detective, using clues to build the picture,” says Professor Nicky Milner, head of archaeology at the University of York. Picture: Gareth Buddo
Dr Parker says: “This is an extraordinary opportunity to experience a Mesolithic build, using evidence-based information such as the tools and the resources, much of which we are showing in the Yorkshire Museum.
“Taking our lead from Star Carr, we are able to harness and harvest materials from the environment that will be similar to the components these people utilised all those years ago.
“Displays at the museum includes the original implements and items left behind from the lives that unfolded there. It’s a chance to get to know and understand a relatively unknown period of history in a fun and open way for all ages. Come and see for yourself.”
Professor Milner says: “We invited Diederik and Leo from the Netherlands, who come over once a year to do experimental archaeological work, because they’re really skilled at prehistoric archaeological buildings.
“For example, they know what materials to use to make the twine for fastening. It’s about understanding the natural world and how to make things out of materials and how to make tools out of flint.”
Specialist craftsman Diederik Pomstra with Professor Nicky Milner and Dr Adam Parker. Picture: Gareth Buddo
The use of reed for the replica house is derived from the research at Star Carr. “We found post holes and a hollow that signified the oldest house in Britain. The soil there was darker and we can look at that soil with its high organic content, in particular the silica cells from different plants, and some of those looked like reeds,” says Prof Milner. “Star Carr was by the river, so there would have been reeds there.
“Jess [Dr Bates] spent three years doing a PhD looking at the flint finds at Star Carr under a microscope, and from that you can tell what the flint was used for: cutting up meat, processing fish; working with hides, bones, antlers and wood. So we begin to understand the activities in the house.
“We can use science to bring alive evidence. In terms of materials, there was a lot of organic material because the preservation was so good, and from the research we can put together a picture of what life was like; what their skills were.”
Prof Milner continues: “Being an archaeologist is like being a detective, using clues to build the picture, working in our experimental centre, where research gives you more questions to be answered.
Diederik Pomstra, left, Leo Wolterbeek, Professor Nicky Milner, of University of York, and Dr Adam Parker, of York Museums Trust, at the Mesolithic Hut build in York Museum Gardens. Picture: Gareth Buddo
“We have to be honest and say there’s an element of speculation, so we think they used reed to build the house as it was by the river, though we can’t confirm that. They may have used animal skins.”
Prof Milner stresses the importance of the partnership with York Museums Trust, whose Star Carr exhibition, Life After The Ice, at the Yorkshire Museum offers visitors the chance to learn more about the site and see tools, objects and ritual artefacts found there.
“We both want people to know about Star Carr, the house, and how we got to where we are now. I don’t mind if we are speculating because it gives everyone a chance to ask questions about the past,” she says.
“Star Carr was first excavated in the 1940s and became very famous in the archaeological world because of the incredible preservation of the site, but locally people didn’t know about it. I didn’t until I went to university and couldn’t believe it was on my doorstep, where I grew up!
Dr Jess Bates, from the University of York, with Elizabeth, left, and Eleanor Grahame-Clarke at the Mesolithic build. Picture: Gareth Buddo
“Since then, it’s been a passion of mine for everyone to learn about it as Star Carr is as important as Stonehenge.”
Dr Parker concurs: “Life After The Ice is our first exhibition after two years of having the Star Carr collection, and this is a Yorkshire collection on display in Yorkshire, informed by research happening in York, telling a story that’s important for us to tell, displaying an archive of international significance, presented in a way that maybe the university couldn’t do.
“This is a project that serves both research and public engagement, and the benefit of what we’re doing this month is that it brings the museum outside, and we hope that by people seeing one, they want to see the other.”
Free activities, such as storytelling with Hoglets Theatre Company and Into Wilderness Bushcraft Adventures, are running in a marquee next to the Mesolithic Hut until September 1, open daily from 10am to 4pm. Participating children must be accompanied by an adult at all times; full details can be found yorkshiremuseum.org.uk.
Access to the Museum Gardens and the Mesolithic build is free; there is a charge for entry to the museum, open 10am to 5pm.
Activities in marquee next to Mesolithic Hut, in front of Yorkshire Museum, Museum Gardens, Museum Street, York
Eleanor Grahame-Clarke learning skills from specialist builder Leo Wolterbeek in York Museum Gardens. Picture: Gareth Buddo
Creative Family Wednesdays: Star Carr Special, August 28, 10.30am to 3.30pm
DROP in anytime – no booking required – for artist-run creative workshops inspired by the Star Carr exhibition, delivered outdoors.
Star Carr Storytelling: August 29, 10.30am to 11.15am; 11.30am to 12.15pm; 2pm to 2.45pm and 3pm to 3.45pm. No need to book.
JOIN Hoglets Theatre, Gemma Curry’s York company, for an adventure into the prehistoric world of Star Carr in these immersive, outdoor story-telling sessions suitable for all the family.
Into Wilderness Bushcraft Adventures, August 30 to September 1,10.30am to 4pm drop-in sessions throughout the day. No booking required.
EXPERIENCE wild Britain from an Aboriginal bushcraft perspective and immerse yourself in the Mesolithic in these hands-on workshops led by the team at Into Wilderness.
In addition, a Star Carr Skills Weekend was held on August 17 and 18, when expert Chris Woodland’s drop-in sessions highlighted Mesolithic craftsmanship, using natural materials, and offered the chance to learn skills needed for everyday life at Star Carr, demonstrating how to turn nettles into twine and shale into decorative pendants.
Spreading her wings: Elle Wootton in The 13-Storey Treehouse at Grand Opera House, York. Picture: James D Morgan
SHAKESPEARE sonnets, a treehouse with bowling alley and sea monster, The Magpies’ music festival and a thrilling children’s workshop will keep the summer diary busy, advises Charles Hutchinson.
Family show of the week: The 13-Storey Treehouse, Grand Opera House, York, today and tomorrow, 1pm and 5pm
ADAPTED by Richard Tulloch (The Book Of Everything, Bananas In Pyjamas), this one-hour play for children aged six to 12 brings Andy Griffiths and Terry Denton’s story to stage life with a seriously funny cast and a treehouse replete with a bowling alley, a secret underground laboratory, self-making beds and a marshmallow machine.
Expect magical moments of theatrical wizardry and a truckload of imagination from the cast of Elle Wootton, Edwin Beats and Ryan Dulieu when Andy and Terry forget to write their debut play. Where will they find flying cats, a mermaid, a sea monster, an invasion of monkeys and a giant gorilla? Find out this weekend. Box office: atgtickets.com/york.
Maurice Crichton’s Callum, the director, and Alexandra Logan’s Lily, the upstart actress, exchange words in the dress rehearsal for York Shakespeare Project’s Summer Sonnets in the Holy Trinity churchyard, in Goodramgate, York. Picture: John Saunders
Wedding invitation of the week: York Shakespeare Project, Summer Sonnets, Holy Trinity churchyard, Goodramgate, York, today to August 17, except August 12, 6pm and 7.30pm plus 4.30pm today and next Saturday
AUDIENCES are invited to a secret wedding at Holy Trinity, where they will meet the church’s most famous couple – Anne “Gentleman Jack” Lister and Ann Walker – while enjoying a complimentary drink.
Linked by Josie Campbell’s script, York Shakespeare Project’s tenth anniversary selection of Shakespeare sonnets will be performed in character by Maurice Crichton; Marie-Louise Feeley; Liam Godfrey; Emily Hansen; Halina Jaroszewska; Alexandra Logan; Sally Mitcham; Grace Scott; Effie Warboys; Helen Wilson and director Tony Froud. Box office: 01904 623568 or yorktheatreroyal.co.uk/show/summer-sonnets/.
Lincoln Lightfoot: Taking part in the York River Art Market today
York’s answer to the Left Bank in Paris: York River Art Market, today and tomorrow; August 17 and 18, 10am to 5pm
ORGANISED by jewellery designer and York College art tutor Charlotte Dawson, York River Art Market sets out its stalls on the Dame Judi Dench Walk riverside for a ninth summer season. Up to 30 artists and makers per day will be exhibiting ceramics, jewellery, paintings, prints, photographs, clothing, candles, T-shirts, shaving products and more. Admission is free.
Castle Howard: “Silence” is golden in the Boar Garden tonight when DJs fill revellers’ headphones with Nineties’ dancefloor nuggets
Hush-hush event of the week: 90s’ Outdoor Silent Disco, Castle Howard, near Malton, today, 7pm to 10pm
CASTLE Howard’s Boar Garden plays host to some of Great Britain’s best 90s’ DJs, spinning pop, R&B and band favourites in a feel-good experience. Revellers can select from three different channels of music while wearing state-of-the-art LED headphones. sets. Valid photographic ID may be requested on entry to this strictly 18-plus event. Box office: eventbrite.co.uk/e/90s-silent-disco-at-castle-howard-tickets-846091200557.
Artist Peter Hicks in his studio, working on his Fountains Abbey and Studley Royal commission
Exhibition of the week: Peter Hicks, Fountains Abbey and Studley Royal Water Garden, near Ripon
PETER Hicks’s summer exhibition, Fountains Abbey & Studley Royal – A Landscape Painter’s Perspective, is being extended to September 15. On show are works painted in response to the John and William Aislabie-designed landscapes at Fountains during Hicks’s 2023 residency.
Commissioned by the National Trust, the Yorkshire landscape artist’s paintings, studies and sketchbooks are on display in Fountains Mill. Hicks specialises in abstract landscapes with acrylic washes on canvas and board, making his own benches and brush handles and using humble, accessible materials. Tickets: nationaltrust.org.uk/visit/yorkshire/fountains-abbey-and-studley-royal-water-garden.
The Magpies: Running their fourth music festival at Sutton Park, near York
Festival of the week: The Magpies Festival, Sutton Park, near York, today
RUN by transatlantic folk band The Magpies, The Magpies Festival is rooted in the trio’s native Yorkshire, where they first met. Now in its fourth year, the 2024 event will be headlined today by Sam Kelly & The Lost Boys at 10pm, preceded by Charm Of Finches, 12 noon, The Often Herd, 2pm, Jesca Hoop, 4pm, The Magpies, 6pm, and Nati (formerly known as Nati Dreddd), 8pm.
The poster for the Three Day Thriller workshop for children at Helmsley Arts Centre
Children’s activity of the week: The Three Day Thriller, Helmsley Arts Centre, August 12 to 14, 10am to 2pm. CANCELLED
BUCKLE up for this improvising and devising workshop for 11 to 16-year-olds, designed to look at different theatre and performance techniques to make a new story in the thriller genre. The focus will be on character, plot and staging to create excitement, mystery and suspense, keeping audiences on the edge of their seats. At the end of day three, the work explored will be shared with family and friends. Places on the £75 workshop can be booked on 01439 771700 or at helmsleyarts.co.uk.
Robert Gammon: Playing at Dementia Friendly Tea Concert at St Chad’s Church, York
Dementia Friendly Tea Concert: Robert Gammon, piano, St Chad’s Church, Campleshon Road, York, August 15, 2.30pm
PIANIST Robert Gammon returns to St Chad’s to perform Bach’s Prelude and Fugue in F sharp Minor from the Well Tempered Clavier Book 2, Schumann’s Kinderszenen and two Chopin Polonaises. As usual, 45 minutes of music will be followed by tea and homemade cakes in the church hall.
“This relaxed event is ideal for people who may not feel comfortable at a formal classical concert, so we do not mind if the audience wants to talk or move about,” says organiser Alison Gammon. Seating is unreserved; no admission charge, but donations are welcome.
Elkie Brooks: Heading out on her Long Farewell Tour. Leeds and York await. Picture: Neil Kirk
Gig announcement of the week: Elkie Brooks, Long Farewell Tour, Leeds City Varieties Music Hall, September 12; York Barbican, April 11 2025
AFTER 64 years of performing live, the “British queen of blues”, Elkie Brooks, is to undertake her Long Farewell Tour, visiting Leeds and York among 24 dates.
The Salford singer, 79, will perform such hits as Pearl’s A Singer, Lilac Wine, Fool (If You Think It’s Over), Sunshine After The Rain, No More The Fool and Don’t Cry Out Loud in a career-spanning show of blues, rock and jazz numbers that will showcase material from her forthcoming 21st studio album for the first time. Box office: elkiebrooks.com/elkie-brooks-tour-dates-2024; leedsheritagetheatres.com and yorkbarbican.co.uk.
In Focus: North York Moors Chamber Music Festival, August 11 to 24
North York Moors Chamber Music Festival curator Jamie Walton. Picture: Matthew Johnson
THE ground-breaking North York Moors Chamber Music Festival is returning for its 16th consecutive season after record audience figures last summer.
Running from August 11 to 24 with the title of Echos, the festival uses moorland churches and an acoustically treated venue in the grounds of Welburn Manor, attracting international artists, many of them committing to the entire fortnight by taking up residencies.
This summer, these musicians include violinist Alena Beava, Benjamin Baker and Charlotte Scott; pianists Vadym Kholodenko, Katya Apekisheva, Daniel Lebhardt and Leeds International Piano Competition prize-winner Ariel Lanyi; clarinettist Matthew Hunt and mezzo-soprano Anna Huntley, who originates from Yarm. The programme will feature a Young Artists Focus too.
The festival’s 14 afternoon and evening concerts will present music by Schubert, Rachmaninoff, Mozart, Schumann, Elgar, Debussy and Mendelssohn, together with thrilling 20th century classics.
Each concert will take the audience on a musical journey through the narrative of specific themes, in carefully curated, thought-provoking music that pushes the boundaries.
As well as Welburn Manor, concerts will take place at churches including St Michael’s, Coxwold; St Mary’s, Lastingham; St Hilda’s, Danby, and St Hedda’s, Egton Bridge.
Festival curator and cellist Jamie Walton says: “Expect to be stirred, thrilled and at times moved as we explore the phenomenon of influence, of cycles through the ages, musical shadows, and themes which echo the times. These concerts are intense for both the audiences and artists but often revelatory and transformative.
“There’s a palpable sense of common purpose and feeling between all those who are there participating in the experience, either on stage or as a listener. It’s a profoundly reassuring experience, and one which we all cherish.”
Who will be playing at North York Moors Chamber Music Festival
Violinist Alena Baeva performing at North York Moors Chamber Music Festival in 2023. Picture: Matthew Johnson
Violin: Alena Baeva; Benjamin Baker; Marike Kruup; Emma Parker; Victoria Sayles; Charlotte Scott; Bridget O’Donnell and Simmy Singh
Viola: Meghan Cassidy; Simone van der Giessen; Max Mandel; David Shaw
Cello: Rebecca Gilliver; Tim Posner; Jamie Walton and Deni Teo
Double bass: Misha Mullov-Abbado
Piano: Katya Apekisheva; Vadym Kholodenko; Joseph Havlat; Ariel Lanyi; Daniel Lebhardt
Clarinet: Matthew Hunt
Flute: Thomas Hancox and Silvija Scerbaviciute
Mezzo soprano: Anna Huntley
Plus: The Paddington Trio
North York Moors Chamber Music Festival: the programme
Charlotte Scott: Returning to North York Moors Chamber Music Festival in 2024. Picture: Matthew Johnson
August 11, 2pm, Passing Themes, Marquee, Welburn: Corelli – Violin sonata in D minor op 5 no 12 (‘La Folia’); Rachmaninoff – Variations on a Theme of Corelli op 42*; Dvořák – Piano trio no 4 in E minor op 90 (‘Dumky’)
August 12, 7pm, Tales From The Stage, Marquee, Welburn: Stravinsky – The Soldier’s Tale Suite; Poulenc – Sonata for violin and piano*; Debussy – Bilitis for flute and piano; Poulenc – L’Invitation au Chateau; Stravinsky – Divertimento (The Fairy’s Kiss Suite)
August 13, 2pm, Enlightenment, St Michael’s, Coxwold: Beethoven – String trio op 9 no 1 in G major; Weber – Clarinet quintet in B-flat major op 34
August 14, 7pm, Echoes and Embers, Marquee, Welburn: Dutilleux – Sonatine Myths; Simpson – Eleven Echoes of Autumn*; Szymanowski – Myths op 30; Simpson – An Essay of Love
August 15, 2pm, Landscape and Memory, St Mary’s, Lastingham : Dowland – Lachrymae Antiquae; Purcell – Chacony in G minor (arr. Britten); Adès – O Albion; Adès – Alchymia
August 16, 7pm, Towards The Edge, Marquee, Welburn: Shostakovich, Piano trio no 2 in E minor op 67*; Zarębski – Piano quintet; Liszt – La lugubre gondola II; Shostakovich – Piano trio no 2 in E minor op 67*; Zarębski – Piano quintet in G minor op 34
August 17, 7pm, Vienna!, Marquee, Welburn: Mozart – Sonata for violin and piano no 21 in E minor K304; Webern – Langsamer Satz; Schoenberg – Chamber Symphony no 1 op 9 (arr. Webern)*; Berg – Adagio for violin, clarinet and piano Schubert – Fantasy in C major for violin and piano D934
Pianist Daniel Lebhardt: A regular player at North York Moors Chamber Music Festival. Picture: Matthew Johnson
August 18, 2pm, Heading East, St Hilda’s, Danby: Kodály – Intermezzo for string trio; Dohnányi – Serenade in C for string trio op; Kodály – Duo sonata for violin and cello op 7
August 19, 7pm, Songs For The Earth, Marquee, Welburn: string quartet & double-bass
August 20, 7pm, La Belle Époque, Marquee, Welburn: Debussy – Violin sonata in G minor; Fauré – La Bonne Chanson op 61*; Chausson – Chanson perpétuelle op 37; Chausson – Concert for violin, piano and string quartet op 21
August 21, 7pm, A Wartime Story, Marquee, Welburn: Elgar – Sonata for violin and piano in E minor op 82*; Prokofiev – (War) Sonata for piano no 8 in b-flat major op 84; Ravel – Piano trio in A minor
August 22, 2pm, Jubilation, St Hedda’s, Egton Bridge: Brahms – String quintet no 2 in G major op 111; Mendelssohn – String octet in E flat major op 20
August 23, 7pm, Ghosts Of History, Marquee, Welburn: Beethoven – Piano trio op 70 no 1 in D major (‘Ghost’); Saariaho – Light and Matter; Matteis – Fantasia for violin in A minor*; Elgar – Piano quintet in A minor op 84
August 24, 2pm, A New Dawn, Marquee, Welburn; Schumann – Gesänge der Frühe op 133; Schubert – Adagio e Rondo Concertante D487*; Schumann – Piano quartet in E flat major op 47
* Interval follows
The North York Moors Chamber Music Festival stage at last summer’s event in the Welburn Abbey marquee. Picture: Matthew Johnson
More Things To Do in York and beyond “poo power” from August 17 onwards. Here’s Hutch’s List No 34, from The Press, York
DON’T poo-poo Ada Grey’s exhibition for children at Nunnington Hall, advises Charles Hutchinson, as he picks cultural highlights for the weeks ahead.
Wedding invitation of the week: York Shakespeare Project, Summer Sonnets, Holy Trinity churchyard, Goodramgate, York, August 17 at 4.30pm, 6pm and 7.30pm
AUDIENCES are invited to a secret wedding at Holy Trinity, where they will meet the church’s most famous couple – Anne “Gentleman Jack” Lister and Ann Walker – while enjoying a complimentary drink.
Linked by Josie Campbell’s script and theatrical characters, York Shakespeare Project’s tenth anniversary selection of Shakespeare sonnets is performed in character by Maurice Crichton; Marie-Louise Feeley; Liam Godfrey; Emily Hansen; Halina Jaroszewska; Alexandra Logan; Sally Mitcham; Grace Scott; Effie Warboys; Helen Wilson and director Tony Froud. Box office: 01904 623568 or yorktheatreroyal.co.uk/show/summer-sonnets/.
Mopping up: Marie-Louise Feeley’s Doreen and Helen Wilson’s Maureen, the church-cleaning double act in York Shakespeare Project’s Summer Sonnets. Picture: John Saunders
York’s answer to the Left Bank in Paris: York River Art Market, August 17 and 18, 10am to 5pm
YORK River Art Market sets out its stalls on the Dame Judi Dench Walk riverside for its third weekend this summer, featuring up to 30 artists and makers per day. Among today’s stallholders will be Bejojo Art, Jillie Lazenby, Woody’s Creations, Emily Littler, Happy Pot Mama, Magdalena Biernacka, Kissed Frog, I’ve Been Creative, Matt Lightfoot Photography, Inky Print Designs and Wood Wyrm.
Popping up tomorrow will be Urban Infill Store, Wild Orange Tree, Jo O’Cuinneagan, Rock and Twig Studio, David Lobley Photography, The Littlest Falcon, Feather Isle, Fei’s Crochet, Painter Merv, Stairwell Books, Ounce Of Style and plenty more. Look out for York singer-songwriter Heather Findlay on busking duty tomorrow. Admission is free.
Heather Findlay: Busking at August 17’s York River Art Market. Picture: Adam Kennedy
Exhibition of the week: Ada Grey, Splat! Patter! Plop!, Nunnington Hall, Nunnington, near York, until September 8
DIVE into a world where the “hilarity of poo” takes centre stage in this “unique children’s illustration exhibition like no other” by Ada Grey, creator of such picture books as Poo In The Zoo, Island Of Dinosaur Poo and Super Pooper Road Race.
Noted for the vibrant colours, lively characters and comical twists of her children’s tales, for the first time Grey is showcasing illustrations of such beloved characters as Bob McGrew and Hector Gloop in iconic moments from her favourite stories. Children have the chance to immerse themselves in Ada’s books, draw inspiration to create their own characters and proudly display their creations in the Poop-a-Doodle gallery. Grey will drop in on August 20 to run workshops for children from 11am to 4pm. Tickets and workshop bookings: nationaltrust.org.uk/visit/yorkshire/nunnington-hall/exhibitions.
Poo power: Illustrator and author Ada Grey’s exhibition at Nunnington Hall
Dance show of the week: Michael Flatley’s Lord Of The Dance, York Barbican, August 20 to 25, 7.45pm, plus Saturday matinee at 2.30pm
IN the words of Lord Of The Dance impresario Michael Flatley: “Our 2024 tour promises to be an extraordinary journey that will take audiences to the next level once again.
“In 2024, this extraordinary experience for fans will feature new staging, fresh choreography, new costumes, cutting-edge technology, and special effects lighting. It’s a celebration of a lifetime of standing ovations and we aim to leave the audience spellbound.” Box office: yorkbarbican.co.uk.
Lord Of The Dance: “Aiming to leave the audience spellbound” at York Barbican
York gig of the week: Please Please You & Brudenell presents Lanterns On The Lake, The Crescent, York, August 23, 7.30pm
FORMED on Tyneside in 2007, Lanterns On The Lake combine dreamy, melancholic indie rock with beautiful layers of texture and celestial melodies. Led by singer and songwriter Hazel Wilde, the 2020 Mercury Prize nominees have supplied soundtrack music to Conversations With Friends, Uncanny, Made In Chelsea, Skins and the video game Life Is Strange and recorded an orchestral live album with the Royal Northern Sinfonia.
Their latest album, June 2023’s Versions Of Us, is full of existential meditations, “examining life’s possibilities, facing the hand we’ve been dealt and the question of whether we can change our individual and collective destinies”. Box office: thecrescentyork.com/events/lanterns-on-the-lake.
Lanterns On The Lake’s Hazel Wilde, Paul Gregory, Bob Allan and Angela Chan: Playing The Crescent on their return to York
Another slice of MeatLoaf: MeatLoud – Bat Out Of Hades, Joseph Rowntree Theatre, York, August 24, 7.30pm
FOUNDED in 2015, this powerhouse tribute to MeatLoaf and songwriter Jim Steinman is fronted by vocalist Andy Plimmer, who is joined Sally Rivers to take on the guise of Bonnie Tyler, Celine Dion and Cher. The second half features a complete performance of the classic 1977 album Bat Out Of Hell. Box office: 01904 501935 or josephrowntreetheatre.co.uk.
MeatLoud: Paying tribute to MeatLoaf and Jim Steinman at Joseph Rowntree Theatre
New season opener: Jake Vaadeland & The Sturgeon River Boys, Selby Town Hall, September 4, 7.30pm
SELBY Town Hall kicks off its autumn season with the debut visit of Jake Vaadeland & The Sturgeon River Boys, purveyors of bluegrass and rockabilly from Saskatchewan, Canada.
Selby Town Council arts officer Chris Jones enthuses: “I absolutely love these guys. It’s probably the show I’m most looking forward to in the second half of the year. At just 21 years old, Jake is terrifyingly talented. He and the band – dressed in authentic 1950s’ suits – make the most fantastically fun, upbeat, toe-tapping music, already gracing the main stages of festivals across North America.” Box office: 01757 708449 or selbytownhall.co.uk.
Jake Vaadeland & The Sturgeon River Boys: Making debut appearance at Selby Town Hall next month
Theatre chat: An Evening With Simon Russell Beale, York Theatre Royal, September 10, 7.30pm
WAS Shakespeare an instinctive “conservative” or, rather, gently subversive? How collaborative was he? Did he add a line to Hamlet to accommodate his ageing and increasingly chubby principal actor Richard Burbage? Did he suffer from insomnia and experience sexual jealousy?
In An Evening With Simon Russell Beale, in conversation with a special guest, the Olivier Award-winning actor will share his experiences of “approaching and living with some of Shakespeare’s most famous characters”, from his school-play days as Desdemona in Othello to title roles in Hamlet and Macbeth. Expect anecdotes of Sam Mendes, Nick Hytner, Stephen Sondheim and Lauren Bacall too. Box office: 01904 623568 or yorktheatreroyal.co.uk.
Simon Russell Beale: Shakespeare actor, now starring as Ser Simon Strong in House Of The Dragon, will be in conversation at York Theatre Royal in September
“Think The Great Gatsby meets Sinatra At The Sands meets Back To The Future”:Postmodern Jukebox, Moonlight & Magic World Tour, York Barbican, May 7 2025
RETRO musical collective Postmodern Jukebox have announced the 34-date UK & Australia/New Zealand leg of next year’s Moonlight & Magic World Tour that includes a return to York Barbican.
“If we’ve learned anything from ten years of touring the world, it’s that great music has the ability to transcend time and space in a way that is best described as ‘magic,” says Postmodern Jukebox creator and show director Scott Bradlee, whose parallel musical universe reimagines pop hits in 1920s’ jazz, swing, doo-wop and Motown settings. Box office: yorkbarbican.co.uk.
Postmodern Jukebox: Retro musical collective head back to past triumphs at York Barbican
Elle Wootton in The 13-Storey Treehouse at Grand Opera House, York. Picture: James D Morgan
SHAKESPEARE sonnets, a treehouse with bowling alley and sea monster, The Magpies’ music festival and a thrilling children’s workshop will keep the summer diary busy, advises Charles Hutchinson.
Family show of the week: The 13-Storey Treehouse, Grand Opera House, York, today(8/8/2024) to Sunday, 1pm and 5pm
ADAPTED by Richard Tulloch (The Book Of Everything, Bananas In Pyjamas), this one-hour play for children aged six to 12 brings Andy Griffiths and Terry Denton’s story to stage life with a seriously funny cast and a treehouse replete with a bowling alley, a secret underground laboratory, self-making beds and a marshmallow machine.
Expect magical moments of theatrical wizardry and a truckload of imagination from the cast of Elle Wootton, Edwin Beats and Ryan Dulieu when Andy and Terry forget to write their debut play. Where will they find flying cats, a mermaid, a sea monster, an invasion of monkeys and a giant gorilla? Find out this week. Box office: atgtickets.com/york.
Josie Campbell: Writer of the script to accompany Shakespeare’s sonnets in York Shakespeare Project’s outdoor show at Holy Trinity, Goodramgate, York
Wedding invitation of the week: York Shakespeare Project, Summer Sonnets, Holy Trinity churchyard, Goodramgate, York, Friday to August 17, except August 12, 6pm and 7.30pm plus 4.30pm on both Saturdays
AUDIENCES are invited to a secret wedding at Holy Trinity, where they will meet the church’s most famous couple – Anne “Gentleman Jack” Lister and Ann Walker – while enjoying a complimentary drink.
Linked by Josie Campbell’s script, York Shakespeare Project’s tenth anniversary selection of Shakespeare sonnets are performed in character by Maurice Crichton; Marie-Louise Feeley; Liam Godfrey; Emily Hansen; Halina Jaroszewska; Alexandra Logan; Sally Mitcham; Grace Scott; Effie Warboys; Helen Wilson and director Tony Froud. Box office: 01904 623568 or yorktheatreroyal.co.uk/show/summer-sonnets/.
The poster for Safe Suburban Home Records’ August ’24 Roadshow at The Crescent, York
York gig of the week: Safe Suburban Home Records presents August ’24 Roadshow, Cowgirl, Teenage Tom Petties and Oort Clod, The Crescent, York, Friday, 7.30pm
SAFE Suburban Home Records will be in party mood at The Crescent, celebrating Friday’s release of York garage rock quartet Cowgirl’s new album, Cut Offs. Built around chief songwriters Danny Trew Barton and Sam Coates, they wrap melodies in walls of wailing guitar fuzz.
Teenage Tom Petties deliver transatlantic slacker rock with just the right amount of slop, fuzz and melody; Manchester’s mask-wearing Oort Clod promise post-punk, garage rock and jangly indie. Box office: thecrescentyork.com.
Fountains By Water, by Peter Hicks, on show at Fountains Abbey. Picture: Joe Cornish
Exhibition of the week: Peter Hicks, Fountains Abbey and Studley Royal Water Garden, near Ripon
THIS summer’s run of Peter Hicks’s exhibition, Fountains Abbey & Studley Royal – A Landscape Painter’s Perspective, is being extended to September 15. On show are works painted in response to the John and William Aislabie-designed landscapes at Fountains during Hicks’s residency in 2023.
Commissioned by the National Trust, the Yorkshire landscape artist’s paintings, studies and sketchbooks are on display in Fountains Mill. Hicks specialises in abstract landscapes with acrylic washes on canvas and board, making his own benches and brush handles and using humble and accessible materials, such as old margarine pots for mixing his paints. Tickets: nationaltrust.org.uk/visit/yorkshire/fountains-abbey-and-studley-royal-water-garden.
Actress, vocalist and accordion player Natalia Tena fronts Molotov Jukebox at The Magpies Festival, backed by Balkan fiddle, Latin trumpet and a pounding rhythm section, on Friday
Festival of the week: The Magpies Festival, Sutton Park, near York, Friday and Saturday
RUN by transatlantic folk band The Magpies, The Magpies Festival is rooted in the trio’s native Yorkshire, where they first met. Now in its fourth year, the 2024 event will be headlined on Friday on the main stage by bi-lingual six-piece Molotov Jukebox at 10pm, preceded by Chris While & Julie Matthews, 6pm, and Jim Moray, 8pm.
Friday’s Brass Castle Stage bill features Em Risley, 5pm; Taff Rapids Stringband, 7pm; The Turbans, 9pm, and Easingwold musician Gary Stewart’s Graceland, 11pm.
Saturday’s main stage bill will be topped by Sam Kelly & The Lost Boys at 10pm, preceded by Charm Of Finches, 12 noon, The Often Herd, 2pm, Jesca Hoop, 4pm, The Magpies, 6pm, and Nati (formerly known as Nati Dreddd), 8pm. Saturday’s Brass Castle Stage line-up comprises Painted Sky, 1pm; Suntou Susso, 3pm; Northern Resonance, 5pm; Awkward Family Portraits, 7pm, and Marvara, 9pm. Box office: themagpiesfestival.co.uk/tickets.
The poster for the Three Day Thriller workshop for children at Helmsley Arts Centre
Children’s activity of the week: The Three Day Thriller, Helmsley Arts Centre, August 12 to 14, 10am to 2pm. CANCELLED
BUCKLE up for this improvising and devising workshop for 11 to 16-year-olds, designed to look at different theatre and performance techniques to make a new story in the thriller genre. The focus will be on character, plot and staging to create excitement, mystery and suspense, keeping audiences on the edge of their seats. At the end of day three, the work explored will be shared with family and friends. Places on the £75 workshop can be booked on 01439 771700 or at helmsleyarts.co.uk.
Robert Gammon: Playing at Dementia Friendly Tea Concert at St Chad’s Church, York
Dementia Friendly Tea Concert: Robert Gammon, piano, St Chad’s Church, Campleshon Road, York, August 15, 2.30pm
PIANIST Robert Gammon returns to St Chad’s to perform Bach’s Prelude and Fugue in F sharp Minor from the Well Tempered Clavier Book 2, Schumann’s Kinderszenen and two Chopin Polonaises. As usual, 45 minutes of music will be followed by tea and homemade cakes in the church hall.
“This relaxed event is ideal for people who may not feel comfortable at a formal classical concert, so we do not mind if the audience wants to talk or move about,” says organiser Alison Gammon. Seating is unreserved; no admission charge, but donations are welcome.
The gang is back: Martin Stephenson performs with his fellow Daintees stalwarts at Milton Rooms, Malton, this autumn
Gig announcement of the week: Martin Stephenson & The Daintees, Milton Rooms, Malton, October 13, 8pm
MARTIN Stephenson’s focus will be on You Belong To Blue, the February 2023 album that saw original Daintees’ members Gary Dunn, Anthony Dunn and Charlie Smith, plus a selection of special guests, joining up with the Durham-born singer-songwriter once again.
His Malton set will feature Daintees and Stephenson solo favourites stretching back to his 1986 debut Boat To Bolivia as he dips into country, folk, jazz, blues, skiffle and reggae. Box office: 01653 696240 or themiltonrooms.com.
What’s On in Ryedale, York and beyond, from August 14 onwards. Here’s Hutch’s List No. 29, from Gazette & Herald
Tony Froud’s Reverend Ebenezer Goode in York Shakespeare Project’s Summer Sonnets. Picture: John Saunders
DON’T poo-poo Ada Grey’s exhibition for children at Nunnington Hall, advises Charles Hutchinson, as he picks cultural highlights for the weeks ahead.
Wedding invitation of the week: York Shakespeare Project, Summer Sonnets, Holy Trinity churchyard, Goodramgate, York, until August 17, 6pm and 7.30pm plus 4.30pm Saturday
AUDIENCES are invited to a secret wedding at Holy Trinity, where they will meet the church’s most famous couple – Anne “Gentleman Jack” Lister and Ann Walker – while enjoying a complimentary drink.
Linked by Josie Campbell’s script, York Shakespeare Project’s tenth anniversary selection of Shakespeare sonnets is performed in character by Maurice Crichton; Marie-Louise Feeley; Liam Godfrey; Emily Hansen; Halina Jaroszewska; Alexandra Logan; Sally Mitcham; Grace Scott; Effie Warboys; Helen Wilson and director Tony Froud. Box office: 01904 623568 or yorktheatreroyal.co.uk/show/summer-sonnets/.
Heather Findlay: Busking at Sunday’s York River Art Market. Picture: Adam Kennedy
York’s answer to the Left Bank in Paris: York River Art Market, August 17 and 18, 10am to 5pm
YORK River Art Market sets out its stalls on the Dame Judi Dench Walk riverside for its third weekend this summer, featuring up to 30 artists and makers per day. Among Saturday’s stallholders will be Bejojo Art, Jillie Lazenby, Woody’s Creations, Emily Littler, Happy Pot Mama, Magdalena Biernacka, Kissed Frog, I’ve Been Creative, Matt Lightfoot Photography, Inky Print Designs and Wood Wyrm.
Popping up on Sunday will be Urban Infill Store, Wild Orange Tree, Jo O’Cuinneagan, Rock and Twig Studio, David Lobley Photography, The Littlest Falcon, Feather Isle, Fei’s Crochet, Painter Merv, Stairwell Books, Ounce Of Style and plenty more. Look out for York singer-songwriter Heather Findlay on busking duty on Sunday. Admission is free.
Bedern Hall: Playing host to SconeFest from August 14 to 16
Festival of the week: SconeFest, Bedern Hall, Bartle Garth, St Andrewgate,York, August 14 to 16, 11am to 3pm
BEDERN Hall, York’s 14th-century dining hall, hosts the city’s second annual SconeFest, promising a new mystery flavour every day, with the chance to win an afternoon tea for two at the hall if your guess is correct. In addition, the menu will include beloved flavours such as cheese, fruit and lavender.
Director Roger Lee says: “We’re honoured to have Bernadette – famed for her Christmas Pudding scones – baking for us, and we can’t wait for everyone to experience her incredible scones.” No need to book; visitors are welcome at any time throughout the day. Takeaway scones and hot drinks will be available.
Poo power: Illustrator and author Ada Grey’s exhibition at Nunnington Hall
Exhibition of the week: Ada Grey, Splat! Patter! Plop!, Nunnington Hall, Nunnington, until September 8
DIVE into a world where the “hilarity of poo” takes centre stage in this “unique children’s illustration exhibition like no other” by Ada Grey, creator of such picture books as Poo In The Zoo, Great Poo Mystery, Island Of Dinosaur Poo and Super Pooper Road Race.
Noted for the vibrant colours, lively characters and comical twists of her children’s tales, for the first time Grey is showcasing illustrations of such beloved characters as Bob McGrew and Hector Gloop in iconic moments from her favourite stories. Children have the chance to immerse themselves in Ada’s books, draw inspiration to create their own characters and proudly display their creations in the Poop-a-Doodle gallery. Grey will drop in on August 20 to run workshops for children from 11am to 4pm. Tickets and workshop bookings: nationaltrust.org.uk/visit/yorkshire/nunnington-hall/exhibitions.
MeatLoud: Paying tribute to MeatLoaf and Jim Steinman at Joseph Rowntree Theatre
Another slice of MeatLoaf: MeatLoud – Bat Out Of Hades, Joseph Rowntree Theatre, York, August 24, 7.30pm
FOUNDED in 2015, this powerhouse tribute to MeatLoaf and songwriter Jim Steinman is fronted by vocalist Andy Plimmer, who is joined Sally Rivers to take on the guise of Bonnie Tyler, Celine Dion and Cher. The second half features a complete performance of the classic 1977 album Bat Out Of Hell. Box office: 01904 501935 or josephrowntreetheatre.co.uk.
Jake Vaadeland & The Sturgeon River Boys: Making debut appearance at Selby Town Hall next month
New season opener: Jake Vaadeland & The Sturgeon River Boys, Selby Town Hall, September 4, 7.30pm
SELBY Town Hall kicks off its autumn season with the debut visit of Jake Vaadeland & The Sturgeon River Boys, purveyors of bluegrass and rockabilly from Saskatchewan, Canada.
Selby Town Council arts officer Chris Jones enthuses: “I absolutely love these guys. It’s probably the show I’m most looking forward to in the second half of the year. At just 21 years old, Jake is terrifyingly talented. He and the band – dressed in authentic 1950s’ suits – make the most fantastically fun, upbeat, toe-tapping music, already gracing the main stages of festivals across North America.” Box office: 01757 708449 or selbytownhall.co.uk.
Simon Russell Beale: Shakespeare actor, now starring as Ser Simon Strong in House Of The Dragon, will be in conversation at York Theatre Royal in September
Theatre chat: An Evening With Simon Russell Beale, York Theatre Royal, September 10, 7.30pm
WAS Shakespeare an instinctive “conservative” or, rather, gently subversive? How collaborative was he? Did he add a line to Hamlet to accommodate his ageing and increasingly chubby principal actor Richard Burbage? Did he suffer from insomnia and experience sexual jealousy?
In An Evening With Simon Russell Beale, in conversation with a special guest, the Olivier Award-winning actor will share his experiences of “approaching and living with some of Shakespeare’s most famous characters”, from his school-play days as Desdemona in Othello to title roles in Hamlet and Macbeth. Expect anecdotes of Sam Mendes, Nick Hytner, Stephen Sondheim and Lauren Bacall too. Box office: 01904 623568 or yorktheatreroyal.co.uk.
Elkie Brooks: Heading out on her Long Farewell Tour. Leeds and York await. Picture: Neil Kirk
Gig announcement of the week: Elkie Brooks, Long Farewell Tour, Leeds City Varieties Music Hall, September 12; York Barbican, April 11 2025
AFTER 64 years of performing live, the “British queen of blues”, Elkie Brooks, is to undertake her Long Farewell Tour, visiting Leeds and York among 24 dates.
The Salford singer, 79, will perform such hits as Pearl’s A Singer, Lilac Wine, Fool (If You Think It’s Over), Sunshine After The Rain, No More The Fool and Don’t Cry Out Loud in a career-spanning show of blues, rock and jazz numbers that will showcase material from her forthcoming 21st studio album for the first time. Box office: elkiebrooks.com/elkie-brooks-tour-dates-2024; leedsheritagetheatres.com and yorkbarbican.co.uk.
Artist Dan Baldin with works from his new collection The Pursuit Of Happiness
“I FEEL like I’m having a rebirth…and we are into a really bright, fresh, optimistic period,” says artist Dan Baldwin, as he launches The Pursuit Of Happiness at RedHouse Originals Gallery, Harrogate, his debut Yorkshire solo exhibition and first in the north of England since 2007.
“This new collection is a joyous remix of Baldwin’s renowned motifs of animals, flowers, and illustrations,” says RedHouse director Richard McTague, introducing the new Artist Spotlight series of kaleidoscopic original paintings, works on paper, ceramics, steel sculpture and rare editions that can be viewed alongside Baldwin’s iconic swallow series Love And Light. “The exhibition is a true serotonin boost, filled with an abundance of colour.”
The Pursuit Of Happiness, acrylic on canvas, 2023, by Dan Baldwin
Describing The Pursuit Of Happiness as “a celebration of painting, colour and nature”, Baldwin says his new collection focuses on “how painting and colour – along with nature – have been a healing factor over the last four years”, with a return to nature functioning as a form of self-therapy.
Blending abstract and figurative elements, reflecting both reality and the world of imagination, Baldwin says: “I feel like I’m having a rebirth; it’s over 30 years since I began art college in 1990, and a lot of my art over the last few years was quite dark…I feel that has gone, and we are into a really bright fresh optimistic period.
Hold On Tight, acrylic on handmade paper, 2023-2024, by Dan Baldwin
“I’ve come to realise that colour is the driving force behind my compositions. It is the starting point and creates the feel of the composition, dictating the next stages.”
“The work is more abstract, but totally conscious, every mark and element is selected very carefully to get this perfect balance…And that’s what every work is about: harmony, balance, layers, and how everything works together.”
Clarity, acrylic on canvas, 2023, by Dan Baldwin
The last word (of approval) goes to Pop Art doyen and RedHouse Originals alumnus Sir Peter Blake. “Looking at Dan’s work is like meeting old friends for me,” he says. “It looks as though at some point in our careers we used the same casting agency. I am flattered that Dan writes that he was influenced by my work.”
Dan Baldwin: The Pursuit Of Happiness, at RedHouse Originals Gallery, Cheltenham Mount, Harrogate, until August 31. Opening hours: Monday to Saturday, 10am to 5pm, and on Sundays by appointment on 01423 884400 or by email to info@redhouseoriginals.com. Website: www.redhouseoriginals.com.
Dan Baldwin: the back story, from RedHouse Originals Gallery
Artist Dan Baldwin at work. Picture: RedHouse Originals Gallery
BORN in Manchester in 1972, Dan Baldwin studied at Eastbourne College of Art and Design and later at Kent Institute of Art and Design.
A painter, printmaker and ceramicist, Baldwin demonstrates an immediately recognisable style, blending abstract and figurative elements, reflecting both reality and the world of imagination.
His dynamic images shift thematically, from ruminations on love and memory to philosophy and politics.
The poster for Dan Baldwin’s debut solo exhibition in Yorkshire, The Pursuit Of Happiness
Baldwin’s dynamic canvases incorporate multiple planes and perspectives, utilising a broad range of media. As well as traditional painting and mark-making, his images often incorporate 3D elements, gilding, glazes, diamond dust and collage.
Symbolism is key to Baldwin’s oeuvre: swallows, skeletons and religious iconography appear alongside children’s story-book illustrations, flowers and cartoon figures. Recurring motifs are prevalent, including Baldwin’s preoccupation with human existence and perseverance to reflect on life and love.
Baldwin exhibits internationally and collectors of his work include Damien Hirst, Sir Peter Blake and Gilbert and George.
Fountains By Water, by Peter Hicks, on show at Fountains Abbey. All pictures: Joe Cornish
THE National Trust is extending this summer’s run of Peter Hicks’s exhibition, Fountains Abbey & Studley Royal – A Landscape Painter’s Perspective, to September 15.
On show is a collection of works painted in response to the John and William Aislabie-designed landscapes of Fountains Abbey and the Studley Royal Water Garden during Hicks’s residency in 2023.
Commissioned by the National Trust, the Yorkshire landscape artist’s paintings, studies and sketchbooks are on display in Fountains Mill.
Born in Osgodby, near Selby, Hicks has lived and worked for most of his life on the North York Moors close to the Yorkshire coast. Now in his eighties, he continues to be inspired by the drama and immense scale of the British landscape.
Peter Hicks with his painting materials in his North York Moors studio
“The chance to work at Fountains Abbey and Studley Royal late in life surprised me,” says Peter. “Then it became a chance to explore a vision of my own in a place rich with promise to a painter crossing from the 20th to the 21st century, heavy with freedoms and procedures and the practical choices newly open to me.
“Fountains Abbey and Studley Royal may not have needed me to speak about its rich heritage and landscape vistas, but I have come to see that it has given me a chance to explore landscape and waterways in my own choice of texture, colour and use of material and pictorial language.
“This is all at a time when I might be expected to be slowing down concerning my painter’s practice. It has been said of me, however, that in fact this opportunity has come when I am at the height of my ongoing fulfilment. What a wonderful hope and promise.”
By The River, Studley Royal, by Peter Hicks
Hicks works in abstract landscapes with acrylic washes on canvas and board, making his own benches and brush handles and using humble and accessible materials, such as old margarine pots for mixing his paints, as well as upcycling old jewellery boxes into paint boxes.
To illustrate this, the exhibition features selected studio objects, such as paint pots and brushes, testimonials from Hicks about his creative process, and his own workbench.
General manager Justin Scully says: “I first met Peter in July 2022, when he had been invited to Fountains Abbey by renowned landscape photographer Joe Cornish. Peter was reminiscing that he had sketched here many years ago and I politely said that it was time for him to visit us again. From such a brief conversation came great things.
“As it has always done, this special place captures an artist’s imagination. The commission has created much more work than we ever intended but, to my mind, it has also captured Peter’s personality itself and his very particular aesthetic.
“This opportunity has come when I am at the height of my ongoing fulfilment,” says Peter Hicks. “What a wonderful hope and promise“
“Peter’s studio in the North York Moors is inspirational; it embodies his way of working, his approach to his art, and we have tried to give some hint of this in the exhibition. Peter has completely understood and captured our spirit of place as both a garden and a romantic ruin, but also the way the iconic image of the abbey itself is part of our Yorkshire identity.”
Justin concludes: “As part of a programme of contemporary art commissions stretching back to 2015, it shows the role Fountains can play in supporting artists but also how art can add to a deeper love and understanding of this place for our visitors.”
The exhibition was scheduled to close on August 11 but will now run for an extra month. Artwork is on display in the Tabernacle at Studley Lake in the water garden too.
Fountains Abbey and Studley Royal, near Ripon, is open all year round. Summer opening hours: 10am to 4.30pm; car parks close at 6.30pm. Normal admission applies for the exhibition; entry is free for National Trust members and under-fives. Tickets: nationaltrust.org.uk/visit/yorkshire/fountains-abbey-and-studley-royal-water-garden.
The Delma Tomlin sculpture in the York Trailblazers trail of tansy beetle artworks
TRAILBLAZERS in beetle form, Georgian festivities, colliery band dramas, and riverside art take Charles Hutchinson in different directions in the week ahead.
Trail of the week: York Trailblazers, around York city centre, August 1 to September 30
FACT of the day: the river Ouse has the largest population of tansy beetles in the United Kingdom. Now sculptures of these insects form a new trail, York Trailblazers, a celebration of York’s unsung heroes mounted by York Civic Trust and Make It York with National Lottery Heritage Fund support.
Nominated by the public and community groups, the Trailblazers project highlights remarkable individuals who have made a difference to people’s lives either locally or globally.
Author Terry Deary: Introducing his new novel at the York Georgian Festival this evening
Festival of the week: York Georgian Festival, today to Sunday
THE second York Georgian Festival opens tomorrow, when Horrible Histories author Terry Deary’s 6pm showcase of his new novel, A History Of Britain In Ten Enemies, will be an early highlight.
Tours, talks and fascinating hidden Georgian gems will be at the heart of the festival. The first York Georgian Ball will be held at the Grand Assembly Rooms (now home to the ASK Italian restaurant) on Saturday at 7pm. Look out for Mad Alice’s Rogues Gallery Tour around the city at 4pm on Saturday and Sunday. For the full programme and tickets, head to: yorkgeorgianfestival.co.uk.
Brass band blues: A scene from Brassed Off at the Stephen Joseph Theatre, Scarborough
Play of the week outside York: Brassed Off, Stephen Joseph Theatre, Scarborough, tomorrow (2/8/2024) to August 31
ADAPTED for the stage by Paul Allen from the 1996 screenplay by York filmmaker Mark Herman, Brassed Off takes to the stage in a co-production by Keswick’s Theatre by the Lake, Scarborough’s Stephen Joseph Theatre and Bolton’s Octagon Theatre, directed by Liz Stevenson.
The setting is 1994, ten years after the miners’ strike, when the tight-knit mining community of Grimley, Yorkshire, is fighting to keep the colliery open. Once the uncertainty around the pit’s future becomes too much for the pit band members, loyalty is tested, pressure mounts and the community begins to break apart. Can the band find a way to play on? Box office: 01723 370541 or sjt.uk.com.
Yard Act: Leeds art rock band play in their backyard on Saturday. Picture: Phoebe Fox
Leeds gig of the week: Yard Act, Here’s Our Utopia, Leeds Millennium Square, August 3, doors 6pm; 10.30pm finish
LEEDS art rock band Yard Act play their biggest gig yet on home turf at Leeds Millennium Square this weekend in the wake of the March release of second album Where’s My Utopia?.
Co-produced by James Smith’s indie quartet and Gorillaz member Remi Kabaka Jr, the album peaked at number four, following the number two success and Mercury Prize shortlisting of 2022 debut The Overload. Support acts will be English Teacher, Fat Dog and Ultimate Thunder. Box office: 0113 376 0318 or millsqleeds.com/whatson-event/yard-act/.
Laura Joy’s poster design for the 2024 York River Art Market weekends. She will be participating in all six days. Check out her work at laurajoydesign.co.uk
York’s answer to the Left Bank in Paris: York River Art Market, August 3 and 4; August 10 and 10; August 17 and 18, 10am to 5pm
ORGANISED by jewellery designer and York College art tutor Charlotte Dawson, York River Art Market returns to the riverbank at Dame Judi Dench Walk for a ninth summer season from this weekend.
Up to 30 artists and makers per day will be exhibiting ceramics, jewellery, paintings, prints, photographs, clothing, candles, T-shirts, shaving products and more. “We care that each of the six events are never the same, so we host a different variety of creatives at each one,” says Charlotte. Admission is free.
Richard Hudson’s Unwind: On show at Thirsk Hall Sculpture Garden. Picture: Celestine Dubruel
Exhibition of the week: Thirsk Hall Sculpture Garden, Kirkgate, Thirsk, open Wednesdays to Saturdays, 11am to 5pm, last entry 4pm
THIRSK Hall Sculpture Garden showcases modern and contemporary sculptures in 20 acres of walled gardens and parkland at the grade II-listed town house, complemented by artwork in Gallery One and The Orangery.
Artists on show include Farnoush Amini, Kenneth Armitage, Tere Chad, Tim Ellis, Laura Ford, Richard Hudson, Jeff Lowe, Gerald Laing, Michael Lyons, Trory Menage, Zak Ové, Tim Pomeroy, William Tucker, Austin Wright and Emily Young. To find out more about the 2024 exhibition, visit willoughnygerrish.com. Tickets: thirskhall.com/sculpture-garden.
Chris Hagyard, pictured in Guys And Dolls mode, will sing in Bev Jones Music Company’s One Night Of Broadway Hits
Musical revue of the week: Steve Coates and Bev Jones Music Company present One Night Of Broadway Hits, Joseph Rowntree Theatre, York, August 3, 2.30pm and 7.30pm
BEV Jones Music Company performs hits from 26 musicals, including Guys And Dolls, in an unashamedly traditional fashion under the musical direction of James Rodgers.
His band is joined in this moving, lively and at times funny show by vocalists Chris Hagyard, Annabel Van Griethuysen, Anthony Pengelly, Ruth McNeil, Sally Lewis, Stephen Wilson, Geoff Walker and producer Lesley Jones, back on stage for this show, wearing a silver cat suit unseen since 2010, when she played Vera in Stepping Out. Box office: 01904 501395 or josephrowntreetheatre.co.uk.
Hurry up Harry: The Three Inch Fools cast for The Secret Diary Of Henry VIII at Helmsley Walled Garden
Ryedale play of the week: The Three Inch Fools in The Secret Diary Of Henry VIII, Helmsley Walled Garden, August 6, 7pm; gates 6pm
THE Three Inch Fools, founded by the Cumbrian Hyde brothers, producer James and writer, composer and director Stephen, present an essential guide on how to keep your head in the Tudor Court in a new comical take on Henry VIII and his six-pack of infamous wives.
Unexpectedly thrust into the limelight, Henry must navigate the ups and downs of courtly life, all while fighting the French yet again and re-writing religious doctrine. Bring chairs, blankets, picnics, but not umbrellas. Park in the Cleveland Way car park. Box office: 01439 771700, helmsleyarts.co.uk or threeinchfools.com.
Korn-ucopia of heavy metal hits at Scarborough Open Air Theatre on August 8
Coastal gig of the week: Korn, Scarborough Open Air Theatre, August 8, gates 6pm
FORMED in California in 1993, Korn continue to push the limits of alt. rock and heavy metal after 40 million album sales, two Grammy awards and countless tours. Expect to hear such anthems as Blind, Falling Away From Me, Here To Stay, Freak On A Leash, Twisted Transistor, Make Me Bad and Did My Time as their European tour arrives in Yorkshire. Support acts will be Wargasm and Loathe. Box office: scarboroughopenairtheatre.com/korn.
Riley Catherall: Playing Pig & Pastry, York, on a tour that takes the Australian singer-songwriter to Nayland, Kirton in Lindsay, High Wycombe and Stockholm, Uddevalla and Oland in Sweden
Introducing: Riley Catherall, Pig & Pastry, Bishopthorpe Road, York, August 8. Doors: 7.30pm for 8pm start
MELBOURNE singer-songwriter Riley Catherall’s graceful trajectory into the Australian alt-country world has not gone unnoticed. So much so that he will be playing in York on Thursday, promising songs of poetic sincerity from his June 14 sophomore album The Light, The Beautiful Liar and his 2021 debut When I Go, a record focused on leaving, losing love and finding somewhere to settle down. Box office: wegottickets.com/event/624233/.
Anastacia: Playing York Barbican next May on her Not That Kind 25th Anniversary Tour
Gig announcement of the week: Anastacia, Not That Kind 25th Anniversary Tour, York Barbican, May 4 2025
CHICAGO singer-songwriter Anastacia will play York Barbican as the only Yorkshire concert of the 13-date British and Irish leg of her Not That Kind tour next year, marking the 25th anniversary of her debut album.
“I didn’t get to do a tour for my first album, which makes this all the more special,” says Anastacia. “I can’t believe it’s been 25 years since Not That Kind; we will be sure to celebrate in true Anastacia style. It’ll be one big anniversary party. I can’t wait to see you all there !” Box office: yorkbarbican.co.uk/whats-on/anastacia-2025/.
In Focus:The Magpies Festival, Sutton Park, near York, August 9 and 10
Actress, vocalist and accordion player Natalia Tena fronts Molotov Jukebox at The Magpies Festival, backed by Balkan fiddle, Latin trumpet and a pounding rhythm section, on Friday
RUN by transatlantic folk band The Magpies, The Magpies Festival is rooted in the trio’s native Yorkshire, where they first met. Now in its fourth year, the 2024 event will be headlined on Friday on the main stage by bi-lingual six-piece Molotov Jukebox at 10pm, preceded by Chris While & Julie Matthews, 6pm, and Jim Moray, 8pm.
Friday’s Brass Castle Stage bill features Em Risley, 5pm; Taff Rapids Stringband, 7pm; The Turbans, 9pm, and Easingwold musician Gary Stewart’s Graceland, 11pm.
Saturday’s main stage bill will be topped by Sam Kelly & The Lost Boys at 10pm, preceded by Charm Of Finches, 12 noon, The Often Herd, 2pm, Jesca Hoop, 4pm, The Magpies, 6pm, and Nati (formerly known as Nati Dreddd), 8pm. Saturday’s Brass Castle Stage line-up comprises Painted Sky, 1pm; Suntou Susso, 3pm; Northern Resonance, 5pm; Awkward Family Portraits, 7pm, and Marvara, 9pm.
Festival organisers The Magpies
The all-female The Magpies – Bella Gaffney (singer, songwriter, guitarist and banjo player), fellow founder Holly Brandon (fiddle player and tunesmith) and Ellie Gowers (guitarist, singer and songwriter) – are set on championing gender equality in the music industry, achieving gender parity in both line-up and staff, as well as providing a safe and comfortable environment for female musicians and festival goers.
Festival director Holly Brandon says: “We are so excited to put on The Magpies Festival. We’ve been over the moon at the response to the festival, from the incredible performances from world-class folk musicians to the high-energy spirit that our attendees brought along. It’s felt like a whole new feel to a folk festival.”
Box office: themagpiesfestival.co.uk/tickets.
Sam Kellly & The Lost Boys: To be found at The Magpies Festival at Sutton Park on Saturday
Laura Joy’s poster for the 2024 York River Art Market summer season
YORK River Art Market returns for its ninth summer season this weekend on the riverside walkway at Dame Judi Dench Walk.
Organised by artist and York College art tutor Charlotte Dawson, York’s answer to the markets on the Parisian Left Bank will be held on August 3 and 4, 10 and 11 and 17 and 18 from 10am to 5pm.
Along the riverside railings, up to 30 artists and makers per day will be exhibiting ceramics, jewellery, paintings, prints, photographs, clothing, candles, T-shirts, shaving products and much more. “We care that each of the six events are never the same, and so we host a different variety of creatives at each one,” says founder and director Charlotte. “That means there is always something for everyone’s creative tastes and budget.
“York River Art Market’s relaxed and vibrant atmosphere has been compared to the Left Bank and we welcome everyone. Admission to the market is free of charge to come along and browse or buy directly from an array of Yorkshire-based artists.”
Looking forward to this weekend, Charlotte says: “Each year presents fresh challenges, but just don’t say the ‘W’ word [the weather}!” Fear not, Charlotte, sunny intervals and a gentle breeze are forecast for Saturday and Sunday.
Charlotte Dawson: York River Art Market founder-director and jewellery designer
“We’ve had more artists and makers than ever wanting to take part – quite a change from our early days. We get hundreds applying now and I do the selection process with a heavy heart, as we can’t feature everyone. We have a reserve list and people are already asking about next year.”
Why is it so popular, Charlotte? “This area of York lends itself to such an event, working in harmony with the York Museum Gardens, the eateries around here, and the whole ambience by the riverside,” she says.
“I think the river is great for a sense of wellbeing, especially for the artists who are spending the day there, saying ‘it’s so relaxing here’. There’s an ambience you can’t get anywhere else in the city.
“York River Art Market really does celebrate art and York’s creative talent, but not only York, as we have artists and makers from Yorkshire among our variety of new participants, such as Ounce Of Style [Lee Henry], a funky graphic designer and illustrator with a food obsession, who works in really bold colours, and Taken Twice, from Derbyshire, who uses that name because she creates jewellery inspired by ancient Greece and Rome, which is interesting for York with our Roman history.”
Among the returnees will be digital photomontage artist Adele Karmazyn; architectural illustrator Elliot Harrison (York 360); Gerry and Lynn Grant of Fangfoss Pottery; Katrina Mansfield, from PICA Studios in Grape Lane, who specialises in creating “fluid art animal inks” on Yupo paper, and Lincoln Lightfoot, whose surrealist B-movie poster pastiches “tap into the present condition of fear that our news media and politicians perpetuate in a post Covid-19 world”.
Woodburning artist Anna Kirsty Wood: Travelling from Italy for York River Art Market on August 10 and 11
York artist Emma Whitelock, who took part in the first York River Art Market and now exhibits internationally, including in New York, will be returning to the riverside this summer.
Travelling the farthest to take part is woodburning artist Anna Kirsty Wood, who is heading from Frascati, Italy, with a suitcase full of art to stay with her mother in York. She will be showing her original artwork and prints, created from fragments of memories pieced together and hand-burned on to wood, on August 10 and 11.
Busker and folk singer Deb Simpson is likely to pop up at some point, just as she has in past years, and York singer-songwriter Heather Findlay, from the York duo The Bee Tellers, will be busking on August 18. “She’s an artist too, and hopefully she’ll be showing her work next year,” says Charlotte.
To find out the line-up of artists and makers for each of the six days, head to York River Art Market’s Facebook site, facebook.com/YorkRiverArtMarket. Click on More, then Events, then Discussion.
This year’s poster was designed by the aptly named illustrator and maker Laura Joy, of Laura Joy Design, who will be attending all six events this summer. Artistic joy does indeed await on the banks of the River Ouse from this weekend.
Copyright of The Press, York
Heather Findlay: Busking on August 18. Picture: Adam Kennedy
Delma Tomlin in Tansy beetle sculptural form at Merchant Adventurers’ Hall,designed by HazardOne
YORK Trailblazers, the city-wide sculpture trail celebrating York’s unsung heroes, launches on Yorkshire Day, August 1.
Organised by York Civic Trust and Make It York, the trail is co-curated with organisations, community groups, schools and universities with £249,999 funding from the National Lottery Heritage Fund.
The Trailblazers project provides the opportunity to discover these lesser-known people who have made a difference to lives either locally or globally.
Members of the public and community groups nominated their trailblazers, whereupon a co-created final list of these stories was researched by partner organisations, highlighting each invaluable contribution.
To honour these remarkable individuals, artists worked with community groups to create the tansy beetle sculptures that represent them.
Why tansy beetles, you may well be asking. This beetle, an emblematic symbol of York, was chosen on account of its connection to the city, one of only two places where tansy beetles are found.
Faith Gray’s sculpture, designed by Martha Beaumont, at Grays Court Hotel, Chapter House Street, York
This vibrant and resilient beetle mirrors the spirit of the Trailblazers – each sculpture not only pays tribute to these changemakers but also brings their stories to life along the trail.
Andrew Morrison, chief executive officer of York Civic Trust, says: “The York Trailblazers project has revealed a fantastic range of people from York, many of whom we did not know of before. With Make It York, it has been fantastic to collaborate with so many local artists and communities. We hope that this is the first of many such celebrations.”
The sculpture trail has been designed to be as sustainable as possible. The materials used are recycled, repurposed or recyclable and the sculptures and the reused bases will be repurposed or recycled after the trail has ended.
Each sculpture has been produced by local artists and crafters working with local people to create “something unique and meaningful to them”. The choice of sustainable materials and artwork and the decoration of each sculpture has been developed by the partnership of artist and local community. This process of sustainable co-production is considered to be as important as the finished product.
Commissioned to create the beetle structure, Tom Springett Metalwork Creations drew on his experience of working in set construction, visual merchandising, architectural metalwork and art fabrication industries to create the metal works of art.
Mary Ward’s sculpture for York Trailblazers, designed by Jen Dring, in the Bar Convent Living Heritage Centre gardens. Picture: David Harrison
Some of the sculpture artwork may exist only for a few weeks but the beetle structure itself and an accessible digital record of the artwork will continue to celebrate York’s Trailblazers.
Seventeen sculptures will be placed throughout the city, each one reflecting a different trailblazer, designed to capture the legacy of these inspirational people,.
Among them will be The Luddites,a sculpture created collaboratively by a small group of people affected by homelessness with the Good Organisation. Rather than celebrate an individual ‘trailblazer,’ it serves to commemorate 64 Luddites who were tried in the court in York in 1813.
The Luddites were a group of early 19th-century workers who protested against the introduction of machinery that they believed threatened their jobs. The movement began in the textile industry, where mechanised looms and knitting frames were replacing traditional hand-weaving methods, leading to job losses and reduced wages for skilled workers.
Although the Luddite movement did not stop the process of industrialisation, it highlighted the social and economic challenges faced by workers during a period of unprecedented change, and many of their underlying concerns still resonate today with the rapid rise of AI and digital technology.
W H Auden’s sculpture, designed by Navigators Art and Performance, at West Offices, Station Rise, York
The Luddites sculpture at the Eye of York is designed by theatre and performance design graduate Alex Gray, an aspiring theatre designer now working as a stagehand at the Darlington Hippodrome.
The Delma Tomlin sculpture was researched by the Merchant Adventurers’ Hall and National Centre for Early Music. Dr Delma Tomlin MBE is a living trailblazer, who came to York in 1984 to administer the York Festival Mystery Plays and loved the city far too much to ever leave.
She championed the move to return the York Mystery Plays to the city streets and served as chief executive officer of the Millennium production in York Minster.
As the founder of the National Centre for Early Music, based in the medieval church of St Margaret’s in Walmgate, Delma has been a pivotal figure in music making, focusing her energies on supporting young professional musicians locally, nationally and internationally and flying the flag for York whenever possible.
A member of the York Merchant Adventurers Company, in 2022 Delma became the first woman to become Governor since the company’s inauguration more than 650 years ago in 1357. She does not plan to be the last.
The Delma Tomlin sculpture, sited at the Merchant Adventurers’ Hall, is designed by HazardOne, recognised by the Guardian as one of the top five female graffiti artists in the UK and named among the top 25 female street artists worldwide in the Huffington Post.
Alex Gray’s sculpture for The Luddites at the Eye of York
The York Young Carers sculpture, at the Principal York hotel, was researched by unpaid young adult carers aged 16-25 from the York Carers Centre, who worked with artist Zoe Phillips to represent unpaid carers in York, including both identified and hidden carers.
The group reflected that carers share similar experiences and circumstances, but have unique stories in their own right, and decided that it would be difficult to find one trailblazer to represent them all.
They felt the sculpture would be impactful if it enabled carers to recognise themselves as trailblazers for the roles they hold, sacrifices they make and difficulties they go through for the love of the person they care for.
They said the sculpture design “should be not what it appears – with lots going on underneath”. The group was struck by the grace of the tansy beetle’s exterior, along with the power and resilience of the driving legs and inner workings underneath the shell. They felt this was the perfect metaphor for a carer.
The York Young Carers’ sculpture designer, Zoe Phillips, is an inclusive mixed media artist who explores our connections with objects and the narratives they hold.
Gemma Wood’s tansy beetle mural on show at THOR’S Orangery, Parliament Street
Reflecting on her journey, Zoe says: “Working with the young adult carers group has been important to me both personally and professionally. Finding a way to share the identity and voice of this incredible group of individuals, for whom time and space for themselves may be sparse but they find a way to draw connections and share how important community is, was key.
“The beetle exposes all the hidden workings, those background details that are often overlooked or taken for granted but are so important to the running of things. With huge thanks to all those who shared their thoughts and experiences with me, you really are one-of-a-kind trailblazers!”
The trail will run from August 1 to September 30, opening on Yorkshire Day, whose celebrations, activities and events in the city will include a Yorkshire-themed market on Parliament Street.
Sarah Loftus, managing director of Make It York, says: “York Trailblazers is an inspiring tribute to the pioneers whose courage and vision paved the way for our community’s future. This project not only celebrates their legacy but also creatively highlights the humble tansy beetle, reflecting York’s ongoing commitment to its conservation in the city.”
Full details can be found at visityork.org/york-trailblazers, including Meet The Trailblazers and Meet The Artist. You can download the trail map and a cycle trail for exploring the trail by bike and learn how to minimisie your environmental footprint by using public transport.
Zoe Phillips’s sculpture for York Young Carers at the Principal York hotel
Did you know?
KNOWN as “the Jewel of York”, the endangered tansy beetle has been chosen as the emblem of the York Trailblazers project to reflect its special status as a York resident with its riverside habitat on the banks of the River Ouse.
The 17 sculpures
The Luddites
Location: Eye of York
Researched by: The Good Organisation.
Designed by: Alex Gray.
Rather than celebrate an individual ‘trailblazer,’ this sculpture serves to commemorate 64 Luddites who were tried in the court in York in 1813. This sculpture was collaboratively created by a small group of people affected by homelessness with the Good Organisation.
Coppergate Woman sculpture designer Sarah Schiewe at Thursday’s launch.York artist who hand-builds her stoneware pieces using coil and slab methods and decorate them with oxides, glazes, decals and mixed media. “Every individual is different, and we should celebrate these differences,” she says. “Each person has a set of values, feelings and memories unique to them. I take these impressions and turn them into a bespoke piece of ceramic art for that individual. The profits from my work fund free community art and sculpture workshops to help children develop confidence through creativity”
Coppergate Woman
Location: August 1 to 6: Parliament Street; August 6 onwards, Coppergate Walk
Researched by: University of York, Archaeology Department
Designed by: Sarah Schiewe
The Viking Age sometimes comes across as a world of rich and powerful men: kings, chieftains and raiders. This makes The Coppergate Woman, known affectionately by the research team and artists as Vigdis, an important Trailblazer: she tells us about her life as a migrant woman living with disabilities in York 1,000 years ago.
HazardOne: designer of Delma Tomlin sculpture. Combines rich colour palettes with illumination and modern-age glitch effects to create striking portraits using traditional free-hand graffiti techniques. From a seven-storey mural in St Paul’s, Bristol, to a community project on the Arizona-Mexico border, to the 79th floor of 3 World Trade Centre, New York, her work takes her all over the planet
Delma Tomlin
Location: Merchant Adventurers’ Hall
Researched by: Merchant Adventurers’ Hall and National Centre for Early Music, York
Designed by: HazardOne
Dr Delma Tomlin MBE is a living trailblazer. As the founder of the National Centre for Early Music, based in the medieval church of St Margaret’s in Walmgate, Delma has been a pivotal figure in music making – focusing her energies on supporting young professional musicians locally, nationally and internationally – and flying the flag for York whenever possible.
John Chesterman and Stuart Feather
Location: Spurriergate
Researched by: Queer Arts
Designed by: Jade Blood
John Chesterman and Stuart Feather, both from York, were instrumental in the Gay Liberation Front (GLF), organisers of the first ever Pride march in 1972.
Anne Lister
Location: Holy Trinity Church, Goodramgate
Researched by: York University and Churches Conservation Trust
Designed by: Shannon Reed
Anne Lister’s (1791-1840) life and diaries have blazed a trail for the LGBTQIA+ community today, helping people understand their history and embrace their identity.
Faith Gray
Location: Grays Court Hotel, Chapter House Street
Nominated by: York St John University
Designed by: Martha Beaumont
Faith Gray (1751-1826), born in York, dedicated her life to improving the conditions of girls and women in York. Her legacy of compassion and social progress endured beyond her death, paving the way for future generations of women reformers.
Mary Kitson Clark
Location: York Museum Gardens
Researched by: Yorkshire Philosophical Society
Designed by: Sian Ellis
Mary Kitson Clark (1905-2005) was one of the first female archaeologists to be recognised in a professional capacity in the UK for her significant contributions to the study and conservation of York’s archaeological heritage.
WH Auden
Location: West Offices, Station Rise
Researched and designed by: Navigators Art and Performance
Wystan Hugh Auden (1907-1973) was born in Bootham, York. Informed by science and engineering, his fascination with the world and its workings was expressed in a myriad of poetic forms, earning him the title “the Picasso of modern poetry”.
York Young Carers
Location: Principal York, Station Road
Researched by: York Young Carers
Designed by: Zoe Phillips – By Deckle and Hide
Unpaid young adult carers aged 16-25, from the York Carers Centre, worked with artist Zoe Phillips to represent unpaid carers in York, including both identified and hidden carers.
Jen Dring: designer of Mary Ward sculpture. York printmaker who creates linocut and collagraph prints. Her work is inspired by her faith, everyday experiences, moments in nature and places she loves. She takes on bespoke commissions, as well as using her teaching skills to offer linocut and tetra pak workshops
Mary Ward
Location: Bar Convent Living Heritage Centre, Blossom Street
Researched by: All Saints School and Bar Convent
Designed by: Jen Dring
Mary Ward (1585-1645) was a visionary Yorkshire woman who revolutionised education for girls in England. Despite societal and religious restrictions, Mary dedicated her life to providing equal education opportunities for girls, believing “there is no such difference between men and women that women may not do great things.”
Ivory Bangle Lady
Location: York Railway Station, Station Road
Researched by: University of York Archaeology Department
Designed by: York Anti-Racist Collective
The woman who has become known as the ‘Ivory Bangle Lady’ was buried at Sycamore Terrace, York, in the second half of the fourth century CE. As a trailblazer, the Lady has marked an important path in showing that ethnic and religious diversity and immigration is written in York’s history from its very beginning.
Annie Coultate
Location: Fishergate Primary School, Escrick Street
Researched by: Fishergate, Fulford and Heslington Local History Society
Designed by: Christine Joplin
Annie Coultate (1856 -1931), a dedicated suffragette, was instrumental in the women’s suffrage movement in York.
Anne Lister sculpture designer Shannon Reed.Part-time artist, full-time biology undergraduate, in York. Focuses on wildlife, paying particular attention to threatened native UK species. Her artwork is multi-media, ranging from pointillism portraits of endangered animals to oil paintings on recycled wood. Designed and decorated two wooden ducks for the University of York’s Long Boi-ology Art Trail to raise awareness of the threat that avian influenza and flooding poses to UK wildlife
Mary Tuke
Location: St Lawrence Parish Church, Lawrence Street
Researched by: Hempland Primary School
Designed by: Heather Dawe and Sarah Jackson
Mary Tuke was a pioneering woman who displayed remarkable ambition, resilience and courage. In 1725, as a Quaker in her thirties who had lost her family, Mary opened a grocer’s shop in Walmgate, York, defying societal norms.
Roma and Geoff
Location: Millennium Bridge Park, Hospital Fields Road
Researched by: The Tansy Beetle Action Group
Designed by: Cathy Simpson
The Tansy Beetle Action Group (TBAG) was established in 2008 by Geoff and Roma Oxford (University of York), following the designation of the rare and beautiful Tansy beetle as a UK conservation priority.
Mary Kitson Clark’s sculpture, designed by Sian Ellis, in York Museum Gardens
June Hargreaves
Location: Rowntree Park
Researched by: Herstory. York and Make Space for Girls
Designed by: Emma Feneley
The way historic cities such as York protected their heritage was transformed in the mid-1960s by a new law on ‘Conservation Areas’. This was the idea of June Hargreaves, a young York town planner, who became York’s senior planning officer in 1961.
Michael Rowntree
Location: Homestead Park, Water End
Researched by: The Rowntree Society
Designed by: Natalie McKeown
Michael Rowntree (1919-2007), from the globally renowned York confectionery family, held senior roles in Oxfam and was chairman from 1971 to 1977, during a time when the charity delivered its biggest ever aid package and set up the country’s first textile recycling plant.
Rosie Wall
Location: Sanderson Community House, Bramham Road, Acomb
Researched by: The Place at Sanderson Community House
Designed by: Leo Morey
Rosie Wall has dedicated herself to the Chapelfields community. She was instrumental in developing the Sanderson Court Community House (now The Place), and Crossroads, a safe space for young people, addressing significant anti-social behaviour in the area.
York Trailblazers: the back story
Geoff Oxford: Trailblazer, environmentalist and founder of the Tansy Beetle Action Group at the August 1 launch
YORK Trailblazers, the new city-wide sculpture trail, launched on August 1, kicking off the Yorkshire Day celebrations in York.
The sculpture trail celebrates York’s unsung heroes. Centred around the tansy beetle, each sculpture has a different design to capture the legacy of these inspirational people who have made a difference to people’s lives.
At the launch celebrations at THOR’s Orangery, artists and trailblazers gathered to enjoy the first day of the trail alongsidethe featured sculptures, Coppergate Woman.
Richard Kitchen, co-founder of Navigators Art and Performance, discussing York Trailblazer WH Auden at Thursday’s launch
Coppergate Woman depicts the life of a migrant woman living with disabilities in York 1,000 years ago. This sculpture will be on Parliament Street until August 6, then moving to Coppergate Centre, where she lay until she was discovered by archaeologists from the York Archaeological Trust in the late-1970s.
Discovered in a shallow pit by the river Foss, the remains of this unknown woman are displayed in a glass case in Jorvik Viking Centre. Her story was brought to life in Maureen Lennon’s play The Coppergate Woman, staged as a community production by York Theatre Royal from July 30 to August 7 2022.
A special mural was painted for the launch day by Gemma Wood. This will stay in place on THOR’S exterior until August 18.
Gemma Wood painting her tansy beetle mural at THOR’S Orangery on Thursday
Tansy Beetle facts:
The River Ouse has the largest population of tansy beetles in the UK, found on a 30km stretch of the river.
The iridescent green leaf-beetle, approximately 10 mm in length, has a smaller population at Woodwalton Fen, Cambridgeshire, where it was re-discovered in 2014.
Tansy beetles rarely fly; they find new food plants and habitats by walking. Finding a breeding partner is made more difficult by this resticted mobility. Most active in April and May, then August and September.
The tansy beetle is named after the Tansy plant, whose reduction in number has led to the beetle’s declining population too.
As an endangered species, tansy beetles are being monitored and bred in captivity to ensure that the populations do not disappear.
Trailblazers project facts:
National Lottery Heritage Fund Grant: £249,999.
More than 40 community groups have been involved.
York Trailblazer Rosie Wall’s tansy beetle sculpture, designed by Leo Morey, at Sanderson Community House, Bramham Road, Acomb
More than 1,000 schoolchildren participated in school workshops.
£30,000 of community grants were awarded to 23 York groups.
More than 150 workshops have been delivered.
39 York Trailblazers have been researched and celebrated.
17 Tansy Beetle Trailblazer Sculptures have been created.
What has the £249,999 support from the National Lottery Heritage delivered?
A COMMUNITY workshop programme to allow local communities and residents to research and uncover new trailblazers for York.
A community grants programme to enable heritage organisations, voluntary and community groups to contribute to the project, especially those groups who have not accessed heritage activities before.
A digital arts project to help celebrate York’s designation as a UNESCO Creative City of Media Arts.
A heritage trail around the city working with artists and communities, inspired by York’s lesser-known heritage stories.
A school workshop programme and resource packs providing opportunities for young people to learn more about their heritage and, in particular, the trailblazers that form the sculpture trail.
Sustainability
THE sculpture trail has been designed to be as sustainable as possible. The materials used are recycled, repurposed or recyclable and the sculptures and the reused bases will be repurposed or recycled after the trail has ended.
The choice of sustainable materials and artwork and the decoration of each sculpture has been developed by the partnership of artist and community. This process of sustainable co-production is as important as the finished product.
Tansy Beetle metalwork
COMMISSIONED to create the beetle structure, Tom Springett, Metalwork Creations drew on his experience of working in set construction, visual merchandising, architectural metalwork and art fabrication industries, to create these metal works.
Before the York Trailblazers metal works, a Tansy Beetle mural took shape in York…
ATM’s mural of a tansy beetle in Queen Street, York
STREET artist ATM, known for his depiction of endangered species, painted his mural of a tansy beetle on a brick wall on Queen Street, York, in 2019. Capturing the insect’s shimmering green hue, it is a bejewelled highlight of the walk from Micklegate to York Railway Station.
Jane Burnell: Buxton Opera soprano performing at tomorrow’s York Proms in York Museum Gardens
IN search of high-summer highlights, Charles Hutchinson finds Proms fireworks, outdoor cinema singalongs, a mad woodland king and comedy on the coast.
Musical picnic of the week: York Proms, York Museum Gardens, York, Sunday, general admission, 5.30pm; main stage concert, 7.45pm to 10.30pm
TICKETS are close to selling out for the York Proms, tomorrow’s picnic concert under the stars organised as ever by York soprano Rebecca Newman.
Conducted by Ben Crick, the orchestra will be joined by tenor Joshua Baxter and soprano Jane Burnell, both at present performing with Buxton Opera, for a programme of classical classics, operatic arias and film music, topped off with the flag-waving proms finale, decorated with a fireworks display. Box office: 01904 909487 or yorkproms.com.
Hoglets Theatre’s puppet of Badger for Gemma Curry’s new show, The Badger And The Coins, at York Explore & Archive today
Children’s show of the week: Hoglets Theatre in The Badger And The Coins, York Explore Library and Archive, Library Square, York, today, 11am to 11.45am
GEMMA Curry’s York company Hoglets Theatre presents The Badger And The Coins, an original play about love, courage and the belief that even the most unexpected companions can bring magic into our world, suitable for pre-school and primary school children.
Based on a Japanese folk tale, the story of an old man rescuing a mysterious Badger and triggering an amazing journey is powered by original songs, outrageous characters, beautiful hand-made puppets and Hoglets’ trademark energy and creativity. Box office: tickettailor.com/events/exploreyorklibrariesandarchives/1288717.
Cinema in the open air at Castle Howard this weekend, from Disney to Abba, Spielberg to Cruise. Picture: Castle Howard Estate
Outdoor film event of the week: Adventure Cinema at Castle Howard, near Malton, today and tomorrow
PACK a picnic for Castle Howard’s open-air outdoor cinema experience on a giant screen this weekend, presented in tandem with Adventure Cinema. This afternoon features a Sing-A-Long Edition of Disney’s Frozen (PG) at 1.30pm (gates 12 noon).
An Abba disco precedes Mamma Mia! Outdoor Cinema Extrabbaganza, this evening’s all-singing, all-dancing double bill of Mamma Mia! and Mamma Mia Here We Go Again at 6.30pm (gates 5pm). Tomorrow comprises Julia Donaldson & Axel Scheffler’s The Gruffalo/Stick Man (U) at 11am (gates 10am), Steven Spielberg’s dinosaur blockbuster Jurassic Park (PG) at 3pm (gates 1.30pm) and Tony Scott’s Top Gun, starring Tom Cruise, at 8pm (gate 6.30pm). Box office: adventurecinema.co.uk/venues/castle-howard.
Barn Owl, by Bryn Parry CBE, in the Sculpture In The Landscape exhibition at the Himalayan Garden and Sculpture Park, The Hutts, Grewelthorpe. Picture: Celestine Dubruel
Exhibition of the week: Sculpture In The Landscape, Himalayan Garden and Sculpture Park, The Hutts, Grewelthorpe, near Ripon, until November 3
THE 2024 Sculpture In The Landscape exhibition showcases 60 works for sale by artists across the United Kingdom, complementing the permanent sculptures on show at the Himalayan Garden.
Visitors are invited to explore the intricate sculptures set against verdant landscapes. From monumental installations to delicate works of art, each piece offers a perspective on the intersection of creativity and nature. Normal garden entry applies. Tickets: 01765 658009 or himalayangarden.com
Adderstone in the trees: Music, mystery and magic in the woodland company of Mad Sweeney, the Irish king, at the Forest of Flowers, Huby
Woodland folk event of the week: Sweeney Untethered by Adderstone, Forest of Flowers, Home Farm, Tollerton Road, Huby, York, tomorrow (28/7/2024), 1.30pm to 4pm
ADDERSTONE, the storytelling alt-folk duo of Cath Heinemeyer and Gemma McDermott, present Sweeney Untethered, the tale of a 7th century Irish king who went mad, as told and sung on a caper through the wild woods and meadows of the Forest of Flowers with refreshments after the 1.5-mile walk.
The music, mystery and magic-infused performance will immerse the audience in story and surroundings alike as Heinemeyer and McDermott take in the wildflowers, ponds, woodland and wildlife. Bookings: forestofflowers.co.uk/event-details.
The View: Returning to the concert platform after five-year hiatus
Return of the week: The View, The Crescent, York, August 2, 7.30pm
RESCHEDULED from June 15, Under The Influence presents Dundee indie-rock returnees The View in a night of Hats Off To Buskers classics, from Same Jeans to Wasted Little DJs and Superstar Tradesma, plus material from their first album in eight years.
Recorded with Grammy Award-winning producer Youth at Space Mountain, Granada, Exorcism Of Youth was released last August on Cooking Vinyl. Five years on from their departing gig at Dundee’s Caird Hall, original members Kyle Falconer (vocals/guitar), Kieran Webster (bass/vocals) and Pete Reilly (guitar) are back on the road. Box office: thecrescentyork.com. music, mystery and magic!
Bill Bailey: Comedy in the Scarborough sea air on August 2
Coastal gig of the week: Bill Bailey, Scarborough Open Air Theatre, August 2; gates open at 6pm
COMEDIAN, actor, musician, presenter, Never Mind The Buzzcocks team captain, Black Books sitcom star and 2020 Strictly Come Dancing champion Bill Bailey heads to the East Coast with his surrealist fusion of stories, poetry and wordplay that takes aim at the modern world’s absurdities, as aired in his Thoughtifier arena tour.
A veteran of the UK festival circuit, with appearances at Latitude, Glastonbury, Reading and Leeds, Sonisphere and the Eden Project, Bailey will have his array of weird and wonderful instruments on tap too for playful pastiches of Tom Waits, Kraftwerk et al. Box office: scarboroughopenairtheatre.com.
Chris Hagyard, pictured in Guys And Dolls mode, will be taking part in One Night Of Broadway Hits at the JoRo
Musical revue of the week: Steve Coates and Bev Jones Music Company present One Night Of Broadway Hits, Joseph Rowntree Theatre, York, August 3, 2.30pm and 7.30pm
BEV Jones Music Company performs hits from 26 musicals, including Guys And Dolls, in an unashamedly traditional fashion under the musical direction of James Rodgers.
His band is joined in this moving, lively and at times funny show by vocalists Chris Hagyard, Annabel Van Griethuysen, Anthony Pengelly, Ruth McNeil, Sally Lewis, Stephen Wilson, Geoff Walker and producer Lesley Jones, back on stage for this show, wearing a silver cat suit unseen since 2010, when she played Vera in Stepping Out. Box office: 01904 501395 or josephrowntreetheatre.co.uk.
Chrissie Hynde: The great Pretender, leading her band at York Barbican this autumn. Picture: Vi Price
Gig announcement of the week: The Pretenders, York Barbican, October 31
THE Pretenders are extending their sold-out British tour, adding a new date in York, in the wake of releasing Relentless, their 14th UK Top 40 entry and highest-charting record in 23 years, last September.
Fronted as ever by Chrissie Hynde, 72, the band is joining Foo Fighters on their American tour in July and August. Box office: yorkbarbican.co.uk/whats-on/the-pretenders/.
