More Things To Do in York and beyond in a world of Gods, Romans, a tiger and a sexbomb. List No. 92, courtesy of The Press

Alexander Flanagan Wright, left, Phil Grainger and Megan Drury in The Gods The Gods The Gods at Stillington Mill for four nights. Picture: Tom Figgins

GODS on the Fringe, battling Romans, a riverside market, a Welsh icon and a thirsty Tiger are courting Charles Hutchinson’s attention on the art beat.

Theatre event of the week: Wright & Grainger in The Gods The Gods The Gods, Stilly Fringe, At The Mill, Stillington, near York, tonight, tomorrow, Wednesday and Thursday, 8.45pm

ALEXANDER Flanagan Wright and Phil Grainger believe that three is indeed the magic number. Hence The Gods The Gods The Gods as a title for their third triad of myths, spoken word and music after Orpheus and Eurydice, and their first with a third participant, Australian actor, writer and dramaturg, Megan Drury.

Not everything is about threes, however. There will be four stories and 11 tracks in a show full of big beats, soaring melodies and heart-stopping words as Wright & Grainger head to the crossroads where mythology meets real life. Box office: atthemill.org.

Silversmith and jewellery designer Jen Ricketts: One of 42 artists and makers taking part in Ryedale Open Studios. Picture: Tony Bartholomew

Art event of the week outside York: Ryedale Open Studios, today, tomorrow, July 30 and 31, 10am to 5pm

FOUNDED by Layla Khoo, Kirsty Kirk and Petra Young, the second Ryedale Open Studios gives visitors the chance to explore the district’s creative talents and skills, ranging from painting, printing, drawing and photography to ceramics, textiles, metalwork and willow weaving.

More than 40 artists are participating in an event organised by Vault Arts Centre. Head to ryedaleopenstudios.com, where a printable map and handbook can be downloaded.

Miles And The Chain Gang: Busy weekend ahead

Miles ahead: Miles And The Chain Gang, Helmsley Arts Centre, tonight, 7.30pm; Harrogate Blues Bar, Montpellier Parade, Harrogate, Sunday, 9pm

YORK poet, radio presenter, festival founder, singer and songwriter Miles Salter and his new line-up of The Chain Gang head to Helmsley and Harrogate this weekend.

Crawling from the swamps of North Yorkshire, with the bit between their teeth and the blues biting at their heels, The Chain Gang will be making their Helmsley debut. Taking their cues from Bruce Springsteen, Van Morrison, Elvis Costello, Led Zeppelin and early 1980s’ new wave, Salter and co deliver a potent brew of their own tunes as well as classics by Johnny Cash, Joni Mitchell and more besides.

“There’s quite a crowd coming to Helmsley but some tickets are available, and you can book online at helmsleyartscentre.co.uk,” says Miles. “Both gigs will feature all the songs we have on YouTube: When It Comes To You, Drag Me To The Light, All Of Our Lives and latest single Love Is Blind, a song played more than 300 times on radio stations in the UK, Europe and USA.” For Harrogate details, head to: bluesbar.co.uk.

What did the Romans ever do for us? Time to find out at the first Malton Museum Roman Festival

Festival of the week: Malton Museum Roman Festival, Sunday, 11am to 3.30pm

MALTON Museum is hosting its inaugural Roman Festival this weekend at the Roman Fort on Orchard Fields.

Live action demonstrations will be staged in the arena by experimental archaeologists Equistry (Roman Cavalry) and re-enactment group Magister Militum will establish a Roman Legionary encampment and engage in battle sequences.

Children can join the Children’s Roman Army, paint shields, create mosaics, try wax tablet drawing and take part in archaeology activities. Tickets: maltonmuseum.co.uk.

Teatime mayhem amid much munching: The Tiger Who Came To Tea tucks in at the Grand Opera House, York

Children’s show of the week: The Tiger Who Came To Tea, Grand Opera House, York, Monday, 2pm; Tuesday and Wednesday, 11am, 2pm

WHAT happens when a Tiger knocks on the door at teatime? You better let Tiger in as the tea guzzler in Judith Kerry’s story returns to the road in this award-winning family show after a West End season.

Expect oodles of magic, singalong songs and clumsy chaos in a stage adaptation full of teatime mayhem and surprises, suitable for age three upwards. Box office: 0844 871 7615 or atgtickets.com/York.

Sexbomb alert: Sir Tom Jones soon to hit Scarborough

Knight’s night out of the week: Sir Tom Jones, Scarborough Open Air Theatre, Tuesday, gates open at 6pm

PONTYPRIDD powerhouse Sir Tom Jones heads to the Yorkshire coast with another number one album in his pocket, Surrounded By Time, his 41st studio set, no less.

Maybe singles Talking Reality Television Blues, No Hole In My Head, One More Cup Of Coffee and Pop Star from that April 2021 album will feature in the 82-year-old Welshman’s set. The likes of Delilah, Green Green Grass Of Home, It’s Not Unusual, She’s A Lady, You’re My World, What’s New Pussycat?, Kiss and Sexbomb surely will. Box office: scarboroughopenairtheatre.com.

Look sharp for a ticket: Joe Jackson welcomes sinners to his very rare York concert on Friday

Rearranged gig of the week: Joe Jackson, Sing, You Sinners! Tour, York Barbican, Friday, 8pm

FAMILIAR foe Covid-19 delayed only the second ever York concert of singer, songwriter and consummate arranger Joe Jackson’s 44-year career, put back from March 17 to July 29.

Better late than never, Jackson promises hits, songs not aired in years and new material, performed in the company of Graham Maby on bass, Teddy Kumpel on guitar and Doug Yowell on drums and electronics. 

A mini-solo set is on the cards too in Jackson’s only Yorkshire gig of his European tour; his first York appearance since the Grand Opera House in June 2005. Box office: yorkbarbican.co.uk.

A montage of work by artists and makers taking part in this summer’s York River Art Market

York River Art Market, Dame Judi Dench Walk, by Lendal Bridge, River Ouse, York, July 30 and 31; August 6 and 7; August 13 and 14

YORK River Art Market returns for its seventh summer, this time spread over three full weekends. Drawing comparisons with the Left Bank in Paris, this open-air market is free of charge and provides the chance to browse and buy directly from artists showcasing their creative wares along the riverside railings.

Each market will showcase a different variety of 30 artists with the guarantee that no two markets are ever the same. Look out for paintings, prints, jewellery, textiles, glass work, ceramics, maybe even artisan shaving cream (one of last summer’s hit stalls).

The tour poster for Michael Palin’s new travel show, From North Korea Into Iraq, bound for the Grand Opera House, York

Show announcement of the week: Michael Palin, From North Korea Into Iraq, Grand Opera House, York, October 6

MONTY Python comedy legend and intrepid globetrotter Michael Palin will give a first-hand account of his extraordinary journeys through two countries on the dark side of history on his new solo tour this autumn.

Using photos and film, he will recall his challenging adventures in the tightly controlled time bomb of the People’s Republic of North Korea and the bruised land of Iraq, once the home of civilisation, torn apart over the past 30 years by brutal war and bloodshed.

Palin’s theatre tour will be preceded by his new Channel 5 series, Michael Palin: Into Iraq. York tickets: 0844 871 7615 or atgtickets.com/York.

42 artists and makers take part in Ryedale Open Studios over next two weekends

Ryedale Open Studios founders and directors Kirsty Kirk, left, Layla Khoo and Petra Young. Picture: Tony Bartholomew

ARTISTS across Ryedale are preparing to open their studios to the public on Saturday and Sunday and the following weekend from 10am to 5pm each day.

In the wake of last summer’s first ever Ryedale Open Studios, the sequel will give visitors the chance to explore the variety of creative talents and skills in the district, ranging from painting, printing, drawing and photography to ceramics, textiles, metalwork and willow weaving.

More than 40 artists will be participating in an event organised by Vault Arts Centre, a Community Interest Company founded to develop arts activities and events in the Ryedale area, with financial support from Ryedale District Council.

Ceramicist Iona Stock. Picture: Tony Bartholomew

Its founders and directors are Layla Khoo, Kirsty Kirk and Petra Young. Kirkbymoorside ceramicist Layla will be taking part in the open weekends; former South London primary school art teacher Kirsty co-founded and ran makers’ markets in East London and now runs a holiday cottage complex near Pickering; Petra is Forestry England’s funding and development manager.

She was instrumental in developing the arts strategy for Dalby Forest, near Pickering, in 2017 and has been working on establishing Dalby as a destination for high-quality arts activities ever since.

Phillip Spurr, director of place and resources for Ryedale District Council, says: “Arts and culture in Ryedale is key to our identity. It nourishes the roots of our communities and helps make the district what it is. I’d encourage residents and visitors alike to attend the Open Studios event to support our arts and culture industry.”

Silversmith and jewellery designer Jen Ricketts. Picture: Tony Bartholomew

To find out more about all 42 artists, head to ryedaleopenstudios.com, where a printable map and handbook can be downloaded.

Taking part will be: Aeva Denham, mixed media; Alex Jones, wildlife oil paintings; Alice O’Neill, papercut and collage; Amanda Pickles, mixed media; Angela Cole, basket designs in willow; Anna Matyus, printmaking; Caleb Matyus, decorative blacksmith works; Carol Messham, garden watercolours and polymer clay pictures, jewellery and mobiles.

Charlotte Elizabeth Lane, large-scale sky and ocean paintings; Charlotte Salt, ceramics and still-life drawings; Christine Hughes, textiles and home interiors; Colin Culley, paintings of natural world; Eleanor Walker, textiles and weaving; Environmental Art, blacksmith sculpture and abstract textiles; Evanna Denham, pencil pieces full of meaning.

Hannah Turlington, mixed media, printmaking and textiles; Harry Oyston, drawings; Heather Niven, painting and ceramic sculpture; Helen Milen, Studio Milena textiles; Iona Stock, functional and sculptural ceramics; Ione Harrison, watercolour and gouache paintings; Janet Poole, plein-air paintings in oil, watercolour and pastel.

Painter and printmaker Meg Ricketts. Picture: Tony Bartholomew

Jayne Hutchinson Raine, drawings, paintings and linocuts; Jen Ricketts, silversmithing and jewellery; Jo Naden, sculptures of myth, legend and culture; Kitty Bellamy, oil paintings and charcoal drawings of animals and people; Layla Khoo, ceramics; Meg Ricketts, collagraph prints, dry-point etchings and lino prints; Millie McCallum, paintings, collages and linocuts; Pamela Thorby, ceramics informed by Ryedale’s beauty.

Patrick Smith, painting and printmaking; Pauline Brown, paintings and drawings of Farndale; Philip Barraclough, art pencil works and watercolours; Rachel Rimell, photography on themes of identity and transition; Robert Broughton, fine art photography inspired by natural world; Ros Walker, functional and sculptural ceramics, jewellery and mixed-media paintings.

Ruth Kneeshaw, needlefelt landscapes and animal sculptures; Sally Tozer, ceramic sculptures; Sarah Cawthray, ceramics celebrating individuality; Susan Walsh, eco-printed textiles and paper; Suzie Devey, printmaking and automata; Tessa Bunney, rural life photography.

Photographer Tessa Bunney

In addition, all but four of the 42 artists are represented by one or two of their pieces in an accompanying exhibition at Ryedale Folk Museum, Hutton-le-Hole until September 5. Only Charlotte Elizabeth Lane, Janet Poole, Jen Ricketts and Millie McCallum are absent.

“This is new for this year’s Open Studios and we’re very pleased to be able to show the fabulous talent of Ryedale in one place,” says Petra Young. “We hope this will bring more visitors to Ryedale Folk Museum, and at the same time we hope this will encourage museum visitors to explore Ryedale further through visits to artists’ homes.”

Admission to the exhibition is free; museum opening hours are 10am to 5pm, Saturday to Thursday; closed on Fridays.

Thirty three artists and makers to take part in Ryedale Open Studios, starting tomorrow

Round To Low Horcum, by Sue, Slack, taking part in Ryedale Open Studios at Barn Studio, Swiveynun, Lockton

RYEDALE Open Studios will run over two weekends, tomorrow and Sunday, then August 14 and 15, when 33 artists will take part from 10am to 5pm each day.

The newly formed Vault Arts Centre Community Interest Company, at The Old Bank, Piercy End, Kirkbymoorside, is coordinating the inaugural event, celebrating the creativity and artistic talent of the Ryedale district.

Artists, makers and creators will welcome visitors, offering both an exclusive glimpse into their workplaces and the opportunity to buy art works directly. 

Layla Khoo, co-founder of the Vault Arts Centre with Kirsty Kirk and Petra Young, says: “We’re very excited to start our first Ryedale Open Studios this year. After more than a year of seriously hampered activities for many, including artists, we now have the opportunity to show our own community, as well as visitors, the wealth of creativity Ryedale has to offer.’ 

Participating artist Sue Slack says:“Having taken part in an Open Studios every year for the past 15, it was a great disappointment not to be able to open my studio doors to the public in 2020. The great thing with open studios is the chance to meet with people who are interested in your art; in the processes as well as the finished picture.

“I’m really looking forward to Ryedale Open Studios and am thankful for the opportunity to be able to show my work again in the place it was created.”

Phillip Spurr, Ryedale District Council’s programme director for economic development, business and partnerships, says: “It’s great to see the inaugural Ryedale Open Studios taking place this summer, a testament to the hard work of all those involved.  Ryedale is known for its artistic community, and it’s fantastic that so many are participating in what we hope will become a regular event showcasing Ryedale’s creative talent.”

A downloadable map of the artists’ locations can be found at: ryedaleopenstudios.com/map. For full details of all the artists, go to: ryedaleopenstudios.com/

Who are the Ryedale Open Studios artists?

Philip Barraclough, art pencil, watercolours, spanning human forms and landscapes, at Netherby House, Huttons Ambo, near York.

Kate Bentley, oil painting and charcoal drawing, focusing on animals and human subjects, at 22 Dale End, Kirkbymoorside.

Harriet Braithwaite, acrylic painting, at 23, Castlegate, Kirkbymoorside. Graduated in set design for television and film from University of South Wales.

Robert Broughton, photography, at The Courtyard, Dalby Forest Drive, Low Dalby, near Pickering.

Cathartic fine art photography informed by Buddhist philosophy, psychoanalysis and contemplative practices.

Pauline Brown, drawings and paintings around Farndale during lockdown, at The Courtyard, Dalby Forest Drive, Low Dalby, near Pickering

Susan Brunskill, artist, illustrator and animator, at Rutland Grange, Chapel Lane, Harome, by appointment only on 01439 741039 or 07973 331586.

Exhibiting watercolour and oil portraits of  people, dogs and horses. Also makes Susel & Co stationery (artisan notecards, greetings cards and original art).

Sarah Cawthray, ceramics for garden, reflecting love of the coast, at West Garth, 23, Castlegate, Kirkbymoorside.

Soon to graduate from York College University Centre with degree in contemporary craft; will then set up ceramic studio at home.

Angela Cole, modern basket designer-maker in woven willow, deeply rooted in heritage skills, at Westow Grange Cottage, Westow, near York.

Makes functional baskets, sculptural woodland baskets and garden plant supports inspired by woodland coppicing style, willow harvest and found wild materials.

Aeva Denham, painting and mixed media, at The Courtyard, Dalby Forest Drive, Low Dalby, near Pickering.

Her work “conveys a message and emotion about social injustices or more personal topics, such as mental health”. Newly graduated from Fine Art BA degree course at York St John University.

Suzie Devey, printmaker, at Vault Studio Space, 5 Piercy End, Kirkbymoorside, studio closed on August 8.

“Don’t miss my Two Tin Cans installation as it’s easy to mistake it for an ordinary red telephone box!” she says. “Inside you will discover a miniature, fully working printmaking studio with everything you need to make your own tiny linocut print.”

Ione Harrison, landscapes and seascapes in watercolour, now incorporating imprints from plants, such as fern or grass, at Vault Studio Space, 5 Piercy End, Kirkbymoorside.

Inspired by sweeping vistas of Yorkshire’s moors and wild hills, her paintings seek to “move beyond the merely physical towards a more metaphysical or spiritual truth”.

Art photographer Peter Heaton

Peter Heaton, art photography, and Peter Maris, sculpture, at Courtyard, Low Dalby, Thornton le Dale.

This exhibition is an artist residency collaboration with photographer Heaton and sculptor Maris, commissioned by Forestry England and Arts Council England. Works are inspired by very particular forest environment and how it flourishes and changes through natural processes and human activity.

Christine Hughes, textile designer and home interior designer, at The Gallery, 7 Market Place, Malton.

Specialises in handmade, hand-painted fabric lampshades and soft furnishings. Her collections include tableware, homewares, contemporary pattern design and framed
illustrations and prints.

Alex Jones, oil paintings of British wildlife, at The Little Red House Studio, Abbey Farm, Low Moor, Rillington.

Fascinated by animals’ behaviour, character and form, from the smallest bird to the mightiest stag. “I’m lucky on the farm to see many of the animals I paint on a daily basis: deers, hares, foxes, badgers, barn owls and pheasants,” she says.

Layla Khoo, multi-media 3D artist, specialising in ceramics and site-specific installations, Vault Arts Centre, The Old Bank, Piercy End, Kirkbymoorside.

Often chooses to create her ceramic work for its broad range of historical connotations, from everyday tableware to satire and sculpture. 

Yasmin Lari, woven textile designer for Yasmin’s Warp and Weft, at Westgarth, 23 Castlegate, Kirkbymoorside.

Her work combines old and new, inspired by Islamic art, research into her Persian roots and colours in an ever-changing world.

Anna Matyus, printmaker,  at Welburn Hall Farmhouse, Flatts Lane, Welburn, Kirkbymoorside.

Inspired by patterns and textures from the natural world and architecture at North Yorkshire historical heritage sites. Specialises in collagraph printmaking, a method that creates layers of texture and a richness of surface. 

Carol Messham, watercolour painter and polymer clay artist, at 41 Feversham Drive, Kirkbymoorside.

Draws inspiration from plants, flowers, birds and bees. Trained in landscape architecture; ran garden design business for 20 years.

Heather Niven, painting and ceramic sculpture, at Wayward Studio Gallery, Station House, Kirkham Abbey, Whitwell on the Hill.

After 30 years as a painter and 2D artist, now exploring 3D world of hand-thrown pottery and ceramic sculpture too. Loves colour, dark corners and rhythms of nature.

Alice O’Neill, papercut and collage, at Barmoors, Hutton-le-Hole.

Uses many different types of paper, mostly handmade and hand dyed, from India, China, Japan, Italy and made from grasses, bark and other vegetation. Hand colourist by profession, working for picture framers and book binders.

Amanda Pickles, acrylic and mixed-media paintings, at Allotment Studio, 19 Maundon Avenue, Pickering.

Likes to get the feeling of a place or a moor with the weather, sounds, smells and changing seasons in her work, leading to Deep Earth series.

Jen Ricketts, silversmith and jeweller, at North Croft, Boonhill Road, Fadmoor, York.

Latest work concentrates on making bespoke functional silverware of intricate city skylines, intriguing silhouettes of British countryside and capturing childhood memories of park scenes and fairground carousels.

Meg Ricketts, painter and printmaker, North Croft, Boonhill Rd, Fadmoor, York.

Interested in concept of slowing down and seeing small details in nature – colour, pattern and constant change – as seasons unfold. Favours acrylics and oils; experimenting with painting onto wood.

Rachel Rimell, photography, at Beechwood, 68 Middlecave Road, Malton.

Examines the individual through the prism of transitions and liminal spaces, connections and shared experiences and the human condition. Two self-published books have explored themes of motherhood and identity. 

Charlotte Salt, tactile and intuitively made ceramics, at The Gallery, 7 Market Place, Malton.

Enjoys the meditative, grounding processes of handling the clay, a rhythmic physical act involving the senses. Draws on ancient ephemera and passion for collecting found fragments and objects.

Sue Slack, acrylic landscape painter in layered colours, at Barn Studio, Swiveynun, Lockton, Pickering.

Enthusiasm for fell running has taken her to new places, both mentally and physically, influencing work that attracts walkers and cyclists. Upcoming is a four-month sabbatical to embark on new painting journey in Ullapool.

Susan Slann, oil painter and linocut and woodcut printmaker, at 1 Langton Road, Norton-on-Derwent.

Work explores powerful connection between nature, landscape and human emotion.

Patrick Smith, painter and printmaker of landscapes and seascapes, at Nesslyn, West End, Sheriff Hutton, York.

Paints “landscapes of the mind” where poetry and an unfolding process is allowed full reign and “you, the viewer, are co-opted into the image’s final resolution”.

Iona Stock, ceramics, at Hollymead, Snape Hill, Nawton.

Set up her own studio after graduating from University of Sunderland in 2020 with first-class degree in glass and ceramics. Hopes her everyday pieces “bring a little piece of my paradise into your home”.

Ros Walker, ceramics and painting, at Wayward Studio Gallery, Station House, Kirkham Abbey, York.

Creates brightly coloured functional stoneware bowls, mugs and plates; sculptural art ceramic pieces, non-functional vessels and jewellery, plus mixed-media acrylic landscapes.

Susan Walsh, eco-printed textiles and paper, employing botanical mark-making, at Pasture House, Cawton, York.

Uses leaves, flowers and seeds to create wraps, scarves, wall hangings, framed pieces, journals, cards, cushions and bags.

Justine Warner, textile and mixed-media artist, at Laburnum Cottage, West End, Sheriff Hutton, York.

“The canvas of my work is predominantly made from neck ties,” she says. “The beautiful textures and patterns of the fabric are sewn together to make backgrounds for North Yorkshire and Howardian Hills landscapes that can be mistaken for paintings”. Fabrics, wools and thread are used to layer, blend and paint recycled materials.

More Things To Do in and around York as deathly silence is broken at libraries. List No. 43, courtesy of The Press, York

James Lewis Knight, left, as Jimmy and Matt Stradling as James in Next Door But One’s library tour of Operation Hummingbird in York

GO forth and multiply the chance to see the summer spurt of theatre, musicals and outdoor shows, urges Charles Hutchinson, who also highlights big gig news for autumn and March 2022.

Breaking the library hush: Next Door But One in Operation Hummingbird, in York, today and August 12

YORK community arts collective Next Door But One are teaming up with Explore York for a library tour of Matt Harper-Harcastle’s 45-minute play Operation Hummingbird.

James Lewis Knight plays Jimmy and Matt Stradling, James, in a one-act two-hander that takes the form of a conversation across the decades about a sudden family death, realising an opportunity that we all wish we could do at some point in our life: to go back and talk to our younger self.

Today’s Covid-safe performances are at 3.30pm at New Earswick Folk Hall and 7pm, Dringhouses Library; August 12, York Explore, 2pm, and Hungate Reading Café, 7pm. Box office: nextdoorbutone.co.uk.

Exit-kitchen-sink drama: Ashley Hope Allan as bored Liverpool housewife Shirley, planning a holiday to Greece in Esk Valley Theatre’s production of Shirley Valentine. Picture: Tony Bartholomew

Play launch of the week outside York: Esk Valley Theatre in Shirley Valentine, Robinson Institute, Glaisdale, near Whitby, tonight until August 28

ESK Valley Theatre complete a hattrick of Willy Russell plays with Shirley Valentine from tonight, under the direction of artistic director Mark Stratton as usual.

In Russell’s one-woman show, Coronation Street star Ashley Hope Allan plays middle-aged, bored Liverpool housewife Shirley in a story of self-discovery as she takes a holiday to Greece with a friend, who promptly abandons her for a holiday romance. Left alone, Shirley meets charming taverna owner Costas. Box office: 01947 897587 or at eskvalleytheatre.co.uk.

It’s here at last! Heathers The Musical opens its delayed tour at Leeds Grand Theatre tonight. Picture: Pamela Raith

Musical of the week outside Leeds, Heathers The Musical, Leeds Grand Theatre, tonight until August 14

HEATHERS The Musical launches its touring production in Leeds from tonight with choreography by Gary Lloyd, who choreographed the debut York Stage pantomime last Christmas.

Produced by Bill Kenwright and Paul Taylor-Mills and directed by American screen and stage director Andy Fickman, this high-octane, dark-humoured rock musical is based on the Winona Ryder and Christian Slater cult teen movie.

The premise: Westerberg High pupil Veronica Sawyer (Rebecca Wickes) is just another nobody dreaming of a better day, until she joins the impossibly cruel Heathers, whereupon mysterious teen rebel JD (Simon Gordon) teaches her that it might kill to be a nobody, but it is murder being a somebody. Box office: 0113 243 0808 or at leedsheritagetheatres.co.uk.

Round To Low Horcum, by Sue Slack, one of the 33 artists and makers taking part in Ryedale Open Studios

Art event of the week: Ryedale Open Studios, Saturday and Sunday and next weekend, 10am to 5pm each day

THE newly formed Vault Arts Centre community interest company, in Kirkbymoorside, is coordinating this inaugural Ryedale Open Studios event, celebrating the creativity and artistic talent of Ryedale and the North York Moors.

Artists, makers and creators will be offering both an exclusive glimpse into their workplaces and the opportunity to buy art works directly. Full details of all 33 artists can be found at ryedaleopenstudios.com; a downloadable map at ryedaleopenstudios.com/map.

Serena Manteghi: Performing in Eurydice at Theatre At The Mill this weekend

Hit and myth show of the week: Eurydice, Theatre At The Mill, Stillington Mill, near York, Saturday and Sunday, 7.30pm

THIS weekend, Serena Manteghi returns to the play she helped to create with writer Alexander Wright, composer Phil Grainger and fellow performer Casey Jane Andrews with Fringe award-winning success in Australia in 2019.

Manteghi, a tour de force in the Stephen Joseph Theatre’s Build A Rocket, will be joined by Grainger for the tale about being a daily superhero and not giving in to the stories we tell ourselves.

Woven from spoken word and soaring live music, Eurydice is the stand-alone sister show to Orpheus; her untold story imagined and reimagined for the modern-day and told from her perspective. Box office: tickettailor.com/events/atthemill/.

Kaiser Chiefs: Yorkshire anthems galore at Scarborough Open Air Theatre on Sunday

Yorkshire gig of the week outside York: Kaiser Chiefs, Scarborough Open Air Theatre, Sunday, gates open at 6pm

LEEDS lads Kaiser Chiefs promise a “no-holds-barred rock’n’roll celebration” on their much-requested return to Scarborough OAT after their May 27 2017 debut.

“We cannot wait to get back to playing live shows again and it will be great to return to this stunning Yorkshire venue,” says frontman Ricky Wilson. “We had a cracking night there in 2017, so roll on August 8!”

Expect a Sunday night of such Yorkshire anthems as Oh My God, I Predict A Riot, Everyday I Love You Less And Less, Ruby, Never Miss A Beat and Hole In My Soul. Box office: scarboroughopenairtheatre.com.

Simon Amstell’s hippy-chic poster for his autumn tour show, Spirit Hole, visiting York, Sheffield and Leeds in the autumn

Comedy gig announcement of the week: Simon Amstell, Spirit Hole, Grand Opera House, York, September 25, 8pm

INTROSPECTIVE, abjectly honest comedian Simon Amstell will play the Grand Opera House, York, for the first time since 2012 on his 38-date Spirit Hole autumn tour.

Agent provocateur Amstell, 41, will deliver a “blissful, spiritual, sensational exploration of love, sex, shame mushrooms and more” on a tour with further Yorkshire gigs at The Leadmill, Sheffield, on September 12 and Leeds Town Hall on October 1.

York tickets are on sale at atgtickets.com/venues/grand-opera-house-york/; York, Sheffield and Leeds at ticketmaster.com.

Look sharp! Tickets are on sale for Joe Jackson’s second-ever York concert…next March

York gig announcement of the week: Joe Jackson, York Barbican, March 17 2022

JOE Jackson will play York for only the second time in his 43-year career on his Sing, You Sinners! tour next year.

Jackson, who turns 67 on August 11, will perform both solo and with a band at York Barbican in the only Yorkshire show of his 29-date British and European tour, promising hits and new material.

“We’ve been dealing with two viruses over the past two years, and the worst – the one we really need to put behind us – is Fear,” he says. “Love is the opposite of fear, so if you love live music, come out and support it!” Box office: yorkbarbican.co.uk.