Karen Winship’s poignant NHS Heroes portraits show launched at Hull Marina

Mother and daughter: Karen Winship’s self-portrait of her painting her portrait of Kelly, an NHS occupational therapist

YORK artist Karen Winship’s poignant tribute to the selfless work of front-line NHS workers during the Covid-19 pandemic is on display at Hull Waterside & Marina until June 20.

Eleven of Karen’s NHS Heroes portraits were first shown at York Art Gallery in the Our Heroes Welcome thank-you to essential workers from August 1 when Lockdown 1 eased last summer.

Last August too, 13 more made their debut at City Screen, York, where the exhibition included a montage of all 24 that is being gifted to York Hospital by Karen, whose self-portrait of herself painting one of the NHS Heroes completes the collection.

The original paintings have been presented to the sitters, but the 24 portraits have been given a new life, reproduced on biodegradable boards for outdoor display by Pocklington Arts Centre (PAC) at a larger size than the originals.

Karen Winship’s NHS Heroes portraits on the railings at All Saints’ Church, Pocklington

First shown side by side on the railings at All Saints’ Church, Pocklington, from late-November to January, the portrait prints have headed further east to Hull, where they can be viewed for free, thanks to PAC joining forces with the marina managers, Aquavista.

“I’ve had a great response to the portraits so far, so it’s incredible that Pocklington Arts Centre is now taking the exhibition on tour into the wider community,” says Karen, whose work also features in Portraits For NHS Heroes, a fund-raising book for NHS charities.

“It’s been such a challenging time for everyone, especially our NHS front-line workers, and this was my way of recognising everything they do for us, so it’s fantastic that this recognition can be expanded even further. Art doesn’t get much more accessible than an open-air exhibition.

“I’m delighted to see my portraits lining the railings along Hull Marina, which is a landmark in itself, and I hope the public enjoy them too.”

Amanda, by Karen Winship, from her NHS Heroes series of portraits

NHS Heroes is one of two pop-up touring exhibitions being taken into communities across the region by PAC. York artist Sue Clayton’s collection of 21 portraits celebrating children and young adults with Down Syndrome was unveiled last Tuesday at the NHS York Vaccination Centre, at Askham Bar, for browsing by those attending jab appointments in the “Tent of Hope” until June 13. Plans are being put in place for the “21” show to transfer to Hull Marina after Karen’s show closes.

PAC director Janet Farmer says: “Making our exhibitions accessible to the public despite the pandemic has been really important for us, and the feedback has been really positive, so we’re very much looking forward to enabling even more people to see these incredibly poignant portraits created by the talented Karen Winship.

“We think they will make for a striking display along the marina. Our thanks to Aquavista for helping to make this possible.”

York artist Karen Winship with Aquavista manager Graham Richardson and Pocklington Arts Centre director Janet Farmer at Hull Waterside & Marina

Aquavista took over ownership of Hull Waterside & Marina last year and were only too keen to support PAC’s pop-up exhibition plans. Manager Graham Richardson says: “We’re delighted to support this fantastic initiative. The marina is a popular visitor destination, so we hope to see lots of people coming to view the portraits over the next few weeks.”

Karen, artist and educator, had begun her career as a graphic designer, later gaining a teaching degree and subsequently working for 15 years at a maximum-security prison as head of art.

Embarking on her journey as a professional artist in 2012, she is “living the dream” in her words, not least as a community-minded artist who enjoys “giving back” through her involvement in community art projects.

NHS Heroes is her latest public-spirited endeavour, this one inspired by Tom Croft’s #portraitsfornhsheroes project for artists to complete a free portrait in appreciation of the NHS for gifting to the worker depicted.

Karen Winship’s portrait of Samantha, from the NHS Heroes exhibition and Portraits For NHS Heroes fund-raising book for NHS charities

“There was a shout-out on Facebook across the country from Tom Croft, calling for artists to take part, and I was inundated with ten requests. Then I appeared on Look North and got even more,” says Karen.

“Tom Croft has now put together a book of 300 of the portraits, including one of mine, the one of Samantha, when she hasn’t got a mask on, but you can see all the creases on her face from the mask.

“Portraits For NHS Heroes is available in hardback on Amazon with all proceeds going to NHS charities.”

Among Karen’s portraits is one of her daughter, Kelly, who works for the NHS as an occupational therapist, bringing home the challenges faced by frontline workers in the pandemic. “I even had to do her portrait from photographs,” says Karen, to whom most of her subjects were unknown.

Kelly, NHS occupational therapist and daughter of artist Karen Winship, from NHS Heroes

“They were a few people I know from York, but the photographs came from all over. Newcastle, Northern Ireland, Scotland. At first, I thought it might be difficult to work just from a photo, because I’m used to doing portraits from people sitting for me, but because these photographs were taken as they were working, looking into their eyes, you can see the trauma, the sadness, the exhaustion.

“Normally, you can see a sitter’s mouth, but invariably in these photographs the mouth had to be covered with a mask, so the eyes become even more important.”

Karen’s portraits were first “exhibited” informally. “My neighbours in my cul-de-sac [St Thomas Close in Osbaldwick] put them in their windows,” she recalls. “People even came from Beverley and Newcastle to walk down the street, and one told me their back story…and you then carry those stories with you.”

Karen Winship at Monday’s launch of her NHS Heroes exhibition at Hull Waterside & Marina

She found creating the NHS Heroes portraits “so intense”, she eventually had to stop. “I tend to work quickly because I like spontaneity,” says Karen. “Normally with portraits, I work from one sitting and then photos, but what was different with these portraits was that I was totally absorbed just in painting. Normally, we would be chatting at a sitting.

“I was exhausted, doing one after another from photographs. I just kept going until they were done. Afterwards, I immediately went on to do something that was colourful: a couple of autumn paintings, still lifes. I had to do something that was completely contrasting.

“And I’ve also been lucky that since the NHS project, I’ve had various commissions as I had to cut back on my teaching during the lockdowns.”

For more information on PAC’s forthcoming exhibitions, visit: pocklingtonartscentre.co.uk.

Joan, portrait by Karen Winship from the NHS series

Matt Bowden’s Yorkshire landscapes are on show at City Screen….but not for long alas

Tawny Owl, Wheldrake Ings, North Yorkshire ,June 13 2017, by Matt Bowden

HURRY, hurry, to the City Screen café bar to see York photographer Matt Bowden’s exhibition The Natural Landscape of Yorkshire.

The Coney Street cinema, in York, will be closed after Thursday’s screenings following Cineworld’s decision to shut all its cinemas temporarily until further notice as Covid-19 continues to wreak havoc on the entertainment world.

This sudden shutdown follows the wounding blow to the cinema industry of the release of the latest James Bond film, No Time To Die, being postponed for a second time, put back from November 12 to next April.

York photographer Matt Bowden with his Natural Landscape of Yorkshire photographs in the City Screen cafe bar in York

City Screen, in Coney Street, is part of the Picturehouse Cinemas Group now owned by Cineworld.

Consequently, Bowden’s debut York show will be curtailed only eight days after opening last Wednesday, although he hopes the exhibition will be given the green light to resume once City Screen reopens.

Such a reopening is not expected until after Christmas at the earliest, according to City Screen general manager Tony Clarke.

Bolty Reservoir, January 29 2018, by Matt Bowden

Hence the urgency to view the photography of Matt Bowden, 43, a location manager for film and television productions by profession.

“Photography has played a huge part in my 18-year career as a location manager, working on such titles as Phantom Thread, The Secret Garden and The Duke,” he says.

Born and bred in York, Bowden developed his love of nature when bird-watching with his grandfather, Eric Markham, as a child.

Deer, April 3 2017, by Matt Bowden

“My primary passion has long been the natural world, photographing the wealth of landscapes and wildlife that my home county of Yorkshire has to offer,” says Matt.

“The tranquillity, isolation and mental clarity this provides offers a perfect remedy for the chaotic and often intense lifestyle most of us find ourselves engulfed in.”  

Matt’s photographic challenge is a dual one: “Not only does it require all the hours spent hidden in bushes and hides studying a natural subject, but more so you must successfully create an image that proves to be both unique and artistically expressive,” he says.

Yorkshire landscape, February 6 2018, by Matt Bowden

“I consider the environment in which the subject resides to play as important a role as the subject itself when forming a composition.”

God’s Own Country duly plays a prominent role in Bowden’s photographic work. “Yorkshire has such a diverse and rich tapestry of nature and landscapes that I feel fortunate to be able to call it home,” he says.

Contemplating the stultifying impact of the Coronavirus pandemic, he says: “It’s just such a shame City Screen is closing for the foreseeable future. The film industry is in a bad shape, and the film I was meant to be working on from this autumn has been pushed into Spring/Summer 2021.”

Today in brief…

Welcome back to City Screen, York

CITY Screen, York, and Cineworld, Monks Cross, re-opened today, but you will have to wear a mask from August 8. Mask up at museums and galleries from that date too.

The Government green light for indoor performances from August 1 went back to red, or maybe amber for a fortnight…although Culture Secretary Oliver Dowden’s decree for Stage Five of his road map for the full-scale re-opening of theatres may not be announced until November “at the earliest”. Clear as the Ouse mud.

Daisy Duke’s Drive-In Cinema parked up on Knavesmire on the hottest day of the summer…before thunder and lightning paid a visit tonight. That’s more like it.

British film-maker supreme Sir Alan Parker died at 76. Has there ever been a more diverse director? From Bugsy Malone to Birdy, Midnight Express to Mississippi Burning, Angel Heart to Angela’s Ashes. Yes, he loved a musical, Fame in 1980, The Commitments in 1991 and Evita in 1996, but it was always down to the way he told a story. RIP.

The End.

CORONAVIRUS: City Screen closed from today in line with all Picturehouse cinemas

Going dark: City Screen, York, is closed until further notice

CITY Screen, York, is closed from today, in response to the Coronavirus epidemic, in line with all fellow cinemas in the Picturehouse chain.

A statement from “the Picturehouse Team” says: “It’s with great sadness that Picturehouse is today announcing the closure of all its cinemas across the UK, starting from Wednesday, March 18 2020, until further notice.

“This decision was made in the light of the current Coronavirus (COVID-19) outbreak and recent UK government advice, which the company has been carefully monitoring and following.

“The safety and well-being of our customers, our members and our staff is our utmost priority at Picturehouse and we are committed to providing a safe and healthy environment within our cinemas.” 

All City Screen – and Picturehouse at large – customers who pre-booked tickets online or on the phone will be emailed and then be issued a refund automatically within 14 days. 

City Screen, York: marked its 20th anniversary in January

Customers who purchased tickets in person should contact enquiries@picturehouses.co.uk, where the customer care team will be able to assist.

Picturehouse memberships, including at City Screen, will retain their value and all members will be contacted in due course with further information. 

The statement continues: “We deeply value our cinema-loving audience and staff and their health and wellbeing is our number one priority during this difficult time. We look forward to welcoming our Picturehouse customers back through our doors as soon as possible.

“We will continue to update customers via our email mailing list and please follow our social media channels.” 

Those channels are:

Twitter: @picturehouses

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/picturehouses/

Instagram:@picturehouses

City Screen to show International Women’s Day preview of Radioactive with Q&A

Rosamund Pike as pioneering Polish scientist Marie Curie in Radioactive

CITY Screen, York, will mark International Women’s Day on March 8 with an exclusive Picturehouse preview of Radioactive, the biopic of pioneering Polish scientist Marie Curie starring Rosamund Pike.

Marie discovered the radioactive elements radium and polonium. Working with her husband, Pierre Curie (played by Sam Riley), she was the first woman to receive a Nobel Prize and would become the only person to receive two.

Throughout her life, Marie showed a steely reserve in the face of xenophobia and institutional hostility, but her discoveries and legacy came at a price, not only for the woman herself but also for the world.

Next Sunday’s 1.30pm preview will be followed by a Q&A with Rosamund Pike and director Marjane Satrapi, broadcast live from the Curzon Mayfair, London.

On general release from March 20, Radioactive (12A) is based on Lauren Redniss’s book Radioactive: Marie & Pierre Curie: A Tale Of Love And Fallout and is director Satrapi’s first film to be sourced from a graphic novel not written by herself.

The Iranian-born director is best known for Persepolis, her 2008 film about her life in pre-revolutionary and post-revolutionary Iran and then in Europe. Based on her graphic novel of the same title, it traces Satrapi’s growth from child to rebellious, punk-loving teenager.

Tickets are available in person from the City Screen box office, in Coney Street, on 0871 902 5747 or at picturehouses.com/cinema/city-screen-picturehouse. Please note, the film screening will start promptly at 1.45pm.

City Screen to celebrate Federico Fellini’s films with Vintage Sundays season

Marcello Mastroianni and Anita Ekberg in Federico Fellini’s 1960 film La Dolce Vita

ITALIAN film director Federico Fellini will be the focus of a Vintage Sundays retrospective season at City Screen, York, from March 8.

Dave Taylor, City Screen’s marketing manager, says: “We’re delighted to present five films from the maestro of Italian cinema on Sundays at midday throughout March and stretching into April.”

First up, on March 8, will be Fellini’s first international success, 1953’s I Vitelloni (PG), a nakedly autobiographical film, set in his hometown of Rimini, that follows the lives of five young vitelloni, or layabouts.

1956’s Night Of Cabira (PG), on March 15, bridges the transition between Fellini’s early neo-realist period and his later more fantastical works. His bittersweet and eloquent glimpse into the life and dreams of an eternally optimistic prostitute in Rome later provided the inspiration for the musical Sweet Charity.

La Dolce Vita (12A), from 1960, is an era-defining sensation that chronicles seven nights and seven dawns in the life of gossip journalist Marcello in a vast widescreen fresco of the glitterati of Rome at the height of Italy’s post-war economic boom. Marcello Mastroianni and Anita Ekberg star.

Fellini’s 1963 film, 8½ (15), on March 29, is a semi-autobiographical portrait of creative block and one of the great films about film-making. Beleaguered auteur Guido is unable to finish the film he has planned, luxuriating in his inner conflicts.

The Fellini finale will be 1965’s Juliet Of The Spirits (15) on April 5. His first colour feature is an exercise in the neuroses and fantasies of a woman, played by Fellini’s wife, Giulietta Masina, who suspects that her husband is betraying her.

All the films will start at 12 noon. Bookings can be made on 0871 902 5747, at picturehouses.com or in person at the Coney Street Picturehouse cinema. 

Fiona Shaw to talk at LGBT History Month show of Tell It To The Bees at City Screen

Anna Paquin and Holly Grainger in Tell It To The Bees

YORK author Fiona Shaw will discuss the screen adaptation of her novel Tell It To The Bees after the 6.30pm screening of Annabel Jankel’s film at City Screen, York, on March 4.

This live question-and-answer session will mark the conclusion of LGBT History Month, when Fiona will be interviewed by Dr Hannah Roche, lecturer in 20th century literature and culture at the University of York.

Under discussion will be Fiona’s 2009 book and its ten-year journey from page to screen, and the audience will have the chance to ask questions.

Tell It To The Bees is set in small-town 1950s’ Britain as a doctor develops a relationship with her young patient’s mother. Lydia Weekes (played by Holliday Grainger) is distraught at the break-up of her marriage, but when her young son, Charlie (Gregor Selkirk), makes friends with the local doctor, Jean Markham (Anna Paquin), her life is turned upside down. 

York author Fiona Shaw: Q and A at City Screen, York, on March 4

Charlie tells his secrets to no-one but the bees, but even he cannot keep his mother’s friendship to himself. In the claustrophobic 1950s, however, the locals do not like things done differently.  As Lydia and the doctor become closer, rumours start to fly, threatening to shatter Charlie’s world. 

Fiona will be selling and signing copies of Tell It To The Bees after the screening, along with copies of her most recent novel, 2018’s Outwalkers. 

In addition, she has volunteered to visit book groups in York and the surrounding area. If interested, please contact Fiona via her website, fiona-shaw.com.

Tickets for March 4’s event are on sale on 0871 902 5726 or at picturehouse.com.