Tag: York Open Studios

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More Things To Do in York and beyond as a blaze of colour hits the streets. Here’s Hutch’s List No. 14, from The York Press

Sinead Corkery: Making her York Open Studios debut in Monkton Road, York

PERFECT weather greets the opening of studio doors as artists parade their skills while politics comes under the spotlight in Charles Hutchinson’s recommendations.

Art event of the month: York Open Studios, today and tomorrow; also April 12 and 13, 10am to 5pm

YORK Open Studios showcases 160 artists and makers at 117 locations in its largest configuration yet in its 24 years. Artists and makers, including 38 new participants, span ceramics, collage, digital art, illustration, jewellery, mixed media, painting, printmaking, photography, sculpture, textiles and wood, Full details and an interactive map can be found at yorkopenstudios.co.uk; brochures in shops, galleries, cafes and tourist hubs. Admission is free.

Rob Rouse: Headlining Laugh Out Loud Comedy Club’s bill at The Basement tonight

Comedy bill of the week: Laugh Out Loud Comedy Club, Rob Rouse, David Eagle, Ben Silver and Damion Larkin, The Basement, City Screen Picturehouse, York, tonight, 8pm

ROB Rouse, from The Friday Night Project, Spoons, BBC3’s Comedy Shuffle, Mad Mad World, Upstart Crow and Rob And Helen’s Date Night self-help podcast, headlines tonight’s bill, hosted by Laugh Out Loud promoter Damion Larkin.

Support act David Eagle, a member of north eastern folk band The Young’uns, mines comedy from exploring how his blindness turns the most ordinary, commonplace events into surreal, convoluted dramas. Box office: 01904 612940 or lolcomedyclubs.co.uk.

Ged Graham: Leading the Seven Drunken Nights celebration of The Dubliners, on tour at the Grand Opera House, York. Picture: Prestige Productions

Irish craic of the week: Seven Drunken Nights: The Story of the Dubliners, Grand Opera House, York, Sunday, 2.30pm and 7.30pm

SEVEN Drunken Nights takes a trip down memory lane in celebration of The Dubliners’ 50-year performing career on a 2025 global tour of 300 shows across 42 weeks. The Irish Rover, The Town I Love So Well and Dirty Old Town will be joined by new additions Paddy On The Railway and The Lark In The Morning in a new production for this year’s travels.

The show’s 2017 founder, frontman and narrator, Dublin-born writer and director Ged Graham, says: “The connection we’ve built with the audience over the years is incredible; they know we’re keeping the iconic music of The Dubliners alive with the same passion that they have for it.” Box office: atgtickets.com/york.

Telling the whole story: Writer-performer Andrew Margerison in Dyad Productions’ That Knave, Raleigh

Historical play of the week: Dyad Productions in That Knave, Raleigh, Helmsley Arts Centre, Sunday, 7.30pm; Theatre@41, Monkgate, York, April 9, 7.30pm

DYAD Productions follow up I, Elizabeth with a return to the Elizabethan era in That Knave, Raleigh, writer-performer Andrew Margerison’s story of Elizabethan explorer, sailor, dandy and warrior Sir Walter Raleigh, Elizabeth I’s favourite and James I’s knave. 

The Huguenots, America, the Armada and execution: is that the whole story? “There is so much you don’t know,” says Margerison of Raleigh, father, husband, writer, poet, adventurer, philosopher, soldier, tyrant, egotist, lover, traitor, alchemist, visionary and victim.

“The final chapter of Raleigh’s life is perhaps the most daring, strange and utterly heart-breaking. See the fall from grace taken directly from historical record; marvel at the magnetism of a man who seized every opportunity.”Box office: Helmsley, 01439 771700 or helmsleyarts.co.uk; York, tickets.41monkgate.co.uk.

The Manfreds: Playing Joseph Rowntree Theatre for the first time this weekend

Sixties’ nostalgia of the week: The Manfreds, Joseph Rowntree Theatre, York, Sunday, 7.30pm

TICKETS are down to the last few for the chance to see The Manfreds in their Joseph Rowntree Theatre debut, featuring original Manfred Mann members Paul Jones and Tom McGuinness, both 83.

The set list takes in such Sixties R&B hits as 5-4-3-2-1, Pretty Flamingo, The Mighty Quinn and Do Wah Diddy Diddy, intermixed with jazz and blues covers from their solo albums. Box office: 01904 501935 or josephrowntreetheatre.co.uk.

Al Murray: Rolling out his barrel of laughs at York Barbican as the Guvnor puts you right on Sunday night

Political insights of the week: Al Murray, Guv Island, York Barbican, Sunday, 7.30pm

THE people have spoken. The Pub Landlord is back for another round of Guv Island with “New Extra Brew Material”in 2025, having pulled pints and punters at the Grand Opera House in March 2024.

Standing up so you don’t have to take it lying it down anymore, the Guvnor will “make sense of the questions you probably already had the answers to”. “Country, the UK, lost its way, seeks life partner/mentor/inspiration. Good sense of humour essential. No timewasters, tedious show-offs or offend-o-trons need apply. HR free zone,” says Murray. Box office: yorkbarbican.co.uk.

Inspired By Theatre’s principal cast for Jonathan Larson’s musical Rent at the Joseph Rowntree Theatre, York. Picture: Dan Crawfurd-Porter

Musical of the week: Inspired By Theatre in Rent, Joseph Rowntree Theatre, York, April 10 to 12, 7.30pm plus 2.30pm Saturday matinee

YORK company Inspired By Theatre – the new name for Bright Light Musical Productions – follow up Green Day’s American Idiot with another groundbreaking rock musical, Jonathan Larson’s Tony Award-winning story of love, resilience and artistic defiance. 

Set in New York City’s East Village at the height of the AIDS epidemic, Rent follows a group of young artists struggling to survive, create and hold on to hope in the face of uncertainty. Box office: 01904 501935 or josephrowntreetheatre.co.uk.

Jan Noble in his verse drama Body 115. Picture: jannoble.co.uk/body115

Odyssey of the week: Jan Noble in Body 115, Theatre@41, Monkgate, York, April 11, 7.30pm

EVER wished you were somewhere else? Ever wished you were someone else? Escaping the rain, a journey on the London Underground becomes a descent into the underworld in Body 115, 2023 winner of the London Pub Theatre Award for Best Innovative Play.

Written and performed by Jan Noble, directed by Justin Butcher, this tale of broken hearts, old flames and open roads follows Noble’s down-and-out poet-hero through the sewers and tubes of King’s Cross Station to the heart of Italy. Part invocation, part rain dance, this poetic odyssey is delivered with a contemporary kick. From the terraces at Millwall to fashionable Milan, expect shadowy encounters, dodgy connections and chance meetings with a host of poet ghosts.

“Body 115 is an epic poem, a tale of inner and outer journeys in explicit homage to Dante’s Divine Comedy,” says Noble. “From the rain-washed, subterranean underworld of King’s Cross, ‘Body 115’ – the long-unidentified victim of the 1987 fire – becomes Virgil to my Dante in a rhapsodic paean to the trammelling ecstasy of loss: a trans-European odyssey turned safari of the soul.” Box office: tickets.41monkgate.co.uk.

Dianne Buswell & Vito Coppola: Strictly Come Dancing professionals team up for Red Hot And Ready

Show announcement of the week: Burn The Floor presents Dianne Buswell & Vito Coppola in Red Hot And Ready, York Barbican, July 6, 7.30pm; Leeds Grand Theatre, July 18, 7.30pm, and July 19, 2.30pm and 7.30pm

STRICTLY Come Dancing’s stellar professional dancers, 2024 winner Dianne Buswell and 2023 victor Vito Coppola, will star in the new show from the Burn The Floor stable, created by Strictly creative director Jason Gilkison.

Billed as “a dynamic new dance show with a difference”, Red Hot And Ready brings together Buswell, Coppola and a cast of multi-disciplined Burn The Floor dancers from around the world, accompanied by vocalists and a band. Expect “jaw-dropping choreography, heart-pounding music and breathtaking moves, from seriously sexy to irresistibly charming”. Box office: York, yorkbarbican.co.uk; Leeds, 0113 243 0808 or leedsheritagetheatres.com.

John Simpson: BBC News world affairs editor puts leaders and lunatics in the dock at the Grand Opera House, York, on Monday

In Focus: More political insights of the week: John Simpson: The Leaders & Lunatics Tour, Grand Opera House, York, April 7, 7.30pm

IN his bold, unflinching look at leadership, veteran BBC journalist and broadcaster John Simpson CBE ponders why some inspire while others descend into tyranny. “And…are all tyrants ‘lunatics’,” he asks.

After six decades of unparalleled access to world leaders – and lunatics – Simpson explores the personalities that have shaped history. From notorious figures such as Assad, Saddam, Mugabe and Gaddafi to admired leaders Gorbachev, Mandela, Havel and Zelensky, he reveals their common threads, unique quirks and lasting impact.

Drawing on his first-hand encounters and personal dealings, Simpson will unravel the enigmatic personas of Putin, Xi Jinping, bin-Laden and Thatcher, while pondering what links Mandela and Princess Diana or Zelensky and Mugabe.

In an increasingly volatile world, BBC News world affairs editor Simpson will navigate the intricate web of international relations, delving into the complexities of the most pressing global challenges of our time – conflicts, war, famine, economic crises and climate change – to reveal how the actions and decisions of leaders, from despots to visionaries, have shaped these crises and continue to influence our world today.

Simpson, now 80, has spent all his working life with the BBC, reporting from more than 120 countries, including 30 war zones, and interviewing myriad world leaders on his foreign correspondent beat.

As a household name who has covered almost every major event in the world from the 1960s to present day in his fearless journalism, he will turn from interviewer to interviewee to take questions from the audience in the second-half Q&A.

What on earth is going on, John? Hear his answers at this talk “truly for our troubled times”, when Simpson promises to entertain, enlighten, and inspire as he provides “insights into past and present events, with no doubt some focus on Trump and the shifting global order”. Box office: atgtickets.com/york.

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world affairs editor of BBC News. He has spent all his working life with the BBC, and has reported from more than 120 countries, including thirty war zones, and interviewed many world leaders.

In an increasingly volatile world, John will also examine the most pressing challenges of our time – war, famine, economic crises, and climate change – to reveal how the actions and decisions of leaders, from despots to visionaries, have shaped these crises and continue to influence our world today.

In the second half, the floor is yours. Ask your questions as John offers sharp insights into past and present events, with no doubt some focus on Trump and the shifting global order.


John Simpson: Leaders and Lunatics Tour

After a sell-out tour in 2024, legendary journalist and broadcaster John Simpson CBE is returning to the stage for an exclusive evening packed with unparalleled insights from one of the most distinguished foreign correspondents of our time.

With decades of first-hand encounters and personal dealings, John will explore the enigmatic personas of global figures such as Putin, Xi Jinping, bin-Laden and Thatcher.

John will navigate the intricate web of international relations, delving into the complexities of our global issues – from conflicts, war and famines, to world economies and climate change.

What links Mandela and Princess Diana? Or Zelenskiy and Mugabe? John will reveal the common threads linking these figures, and offer a unique perspective on the impact they’ve had on world affairs.

As a household name who has covered almost every major event in the world from the 1960’s to present day, you will have an opportunity to ask John your questions – what were these leaders and lunatics really like, and what on earth is going on? Don’t miss John for an evening that promises to entertain, enlighten, and inspire with his fearless journalism and captivating storytelling.

What on earth is going on? An event truly for our troubled times – don’t miss this enlightening and compelling evening.

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York Open Studios is ready for its biggest ever event with 163 artists and makers

York Open Studios newcomer Sinead Corkery in her studio in Monkton Road, York. She paints on recycled and reclaimed wood

IN the largest event of its 24 years, York Open Studios will feature 163 artists at 116 venues on April 5 & 6 and April 12 & 13, preceded by a preview evening tomorrow (4/4/2025).

Artists and makers within a ten-mile radius of York will be showcasing their work and inspirations, inviting visitors to “see where the magic happens” in this not-for-profit annual event run by volunteers.

Full details of participants and an interactive map can be found at yorkopenstudios.co.uk and a free directory with a tear-out map of all the locations is available from libraries, shops, galleries and artist locations throughout the city centre and the wider city region to enable visitors to “plan your route to maximise the range of artists”.

Scott Dunwoodie: Architectural aspects, nature and still life are common themes of his photography, on show at The Homestead, Moor Lane, Bishopthorpe

As ever, the diverse range of arts and crafts will take in painting, printmaking, illustration, collage, digital art, mixed media, photography, ceramics, glass sculpture, jewellery, textiles and furniture.

Many artists open their doors to invite the public into their workspaces; some artists share venues or exhibit their work in other spaces.

No fewer than 38 artists and makers will be making their Open Studios debut, including painters Dave Cooper, Marcus Callum, Ala Jazayeri, Julie Mitchell, Mo Nisbet, Mark Kesteven, Denise Duncan, Peter Monkman, Leon F Dumont, Dabble Doodle, Emily Littler, Sinead Corkery and Julia Leonard and ceramicists Wait And See Ceramics, Rock Garden Ceramics, Jackie Maidment and Schiewe Ceramics.

Paper artist Margaret Beech: Making her York Open Studios debut in Oaken Grove, Haxby

So too will be illustrators Alice Elizabeth Wilson and Rachel Merriman; printmakers Kate Hardy, Nic Fife, Drawne Up and Kai West; mixed-media artist Daisy Age Art; photographers Mark Pollitt, Alasdair McIntosh, Laurence Tilley and Jake Straker; drawing exponent Suzanne Young; paper artist Margaret Beech; furniture makers George Younge and Dominic Brown and York St John University  students Emma Parker (paper) and Angela Stott (drawing).

York Open Studios chair Christine Storrs has been an enthusiastic visitor to the event since moving to York in 2003, joining the committee from 2012 to 2018 before taking a break and rejoining in 2022.

“We open the applications in the summer, starting in June, open to anyone within a ten-mile radius of York, and every year we get many new applicants,” says Christine.

“Selection takes place in September, and it’s made by an independent panel who assess applications based on images and artist statements submitted. They come from outside York, which was a deliberate decision taken some years ago, because it means they don’t know the artists, so they’re unbiased.

Zak and Lydia of Rock Garden Ceramics, Sutton Road, Hot Box Stoves, York

“They work independently of each other, and we ask them to say Yes or No on the set of criteria we give them. They also don’t know if an artist is a new applicant or a regular participant, so the decision is based entirely on the merits of the work.”

Christine continues: “The selection is also about the quality of the work. It’s not an open event in terms of just applying and taking part. We want selectors to judge whose work they think is of the right quality to take part. No-one has a guarantee of getting on to the list of participants. That’s why we need independent selectors.”

The names of the 2025 selection panel is not made public until they have made their selections, but you will now find their names in the directory: Helmsley Arts Centre artistic director Natasha Jones, jewellery designer Mari Thomas and former Leeds Beckett University research director Simon Morris.

“We never have the same selectors from year to year,” says Christine. “They can each do it for no more than two years in a row, but not three, so there’s always a change.”

Drawing exponent Mark Druery, who will open his studio in St Paul’s Terrace, Holgate

Reflecting on 24 years of York Open Studios, she says: “The event has evolved over the years. Several years ago, there was a renewed emphasis on it being held in studios, rather than groups of artists exhibiting together, because people enjoy seeing how artists work, where they work and what tools they use. That’s why we get so many visitors going from studio to studio, rather than it just being a series of exhibitions.”

Committee member and jewellery designer Charmian Ottaway, who will open her studio in Penleys Grove Street, adds: “York Open Studios is for anyone with a discerning eye for quality, an interest in art and those keen to find out more about the inspirations and techniques used to create the work.

“It’s also a lovely opportunity for artists to meet potential buyers and welcome those who just want to enjoy a day out in our lovely city. There’s certainly a sense of anticipation, and I can’t quite believe April is here at last!”

York Open Studios: public preview, tomorrow, 6pm to 9pm (check individual listings at yorkopenstudios.co.uk to see who is participating); April 5 and 6, April 12 and 13,  10am to 5pm. Look out for the yellow balloons to indicate studio locations.

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More Things To Do in York & beyond when not only Poirot exercises the little grey cells. Hutch’s List No. 12, from The York Press

Freya Horlsey: Among the 163 artists and makers taking part in York Open Studios

SPRING has sprung, the cue for the arts world to have an extra spring in its step, much to Charles Hutchinson’s joy.

Art event of the weekend: York Open Studios Taster Exhibition, The Hospitium, York Museum Gardens, today and tomorrow, 10am to 4pm

YORK Open Studios will showcase 163 artists and makers at 116 locations on April 5, 6, 12 and 13 in its largest configuration yet in its 24 years. To whet the appetite, this weekend’s Taster Exhibition showcases works by participating artists to “help you choose which studios you would like to visit”. Full details of the April event can be found at yorkopenstudios.co.uk. Admission is free.

Stevie Hook: Spinning The Wheel Of Nouns

Queer cabaret night of the week: York Literature Festival presents Stevie Hook in The Wheel Of Nouns, Theatre@41, Monkgate, York, tonight, 7.30pm

REJOICE…or beware! The Gender Fairy is loose and has found their way to York. What is gender anyway and why should you care? Discover why it may be easier than you think in Hook’s new cabaret comedy: an evening of spinning game show wheels, jokes, bribes, and voluntary audience participation.

Audience interaction and cabaret-style games create a light-hearted, accepting environment to explore key issues around queerness and gender identity in 70 minutes of thought-provoking, mischievous queer cabaret.

The Wheel Of Nouns is presented by York trans, non-binary, neurodivergent mythical creature, writer and cabaret artist Stevie Hook. They are an associate artist with Roots Theatre and uses the pronouns they/them and hehe/hym.

At the heart of everything they create is a passion for subverting expectations, using games and audience interaction mechanics to invite audiences into silly, unapologetically trans worlds. They believe empowering audiences to participate and play in these silly worlds with them can open doors for meaningful change. Box office: tickets.41monkgate.co.uk.

Printmaker Pamela Knight: Exhibiting at Bluebird Bakery in Acomb

Exhibition of the week: Three Printmakers, Bluebird Bakery, Acomb, York, until May 7

YORK Printmakers members Pamela Knight, Vanessa Oo and Sandra Storey are taking part in the Three Printmakers: Energy, Atmosphere & Light exhibition. York artist and former theatre set and costume designer Knight specialises in collagraphy, enjoying the textures and effects she creates using this process, often enriched with monoprint and chine colle.

Oo, from York, is displaying monotypes for the first time. “My work is about capturing the magic of the moment; an unseen energy and rhythm,” she says. Harrogate artist Sandra Storey’s work evokes the “talisman-like quality” of plants, birds and natural objects found within the North York Moors landscape. Admission is free.

Close up for Kim Wilde: Songs from Close and Closer at York Barbican

Pop gig of the week: Kim Wilde: Closer Tour, York Barbican, Sunday, 7.45pm

EIGHTIES’ pop star Kim Wilde performs songs from her sixth album, 1988’s Close, complemented by new numbers from Closer, her 15th studio set, released on January 25. Expect the familiar hits too: Kids In America, You Came, You Keep Me Hangin’ On, Never Trust A Stranger, Four Letter Word et al. Cutting Crew support. Box office: yorkbarbican.co.uk.

Fiery Angel head to the Grand Opera House from Tuesday with Lucy Bailey’s production of Agatha Christie’s Murder On The Orient Express

Thriller of the week: Fiery Angel in Agatha Christie’s Murder On The Orient Express, Grand Opera House, York, March 25 to 29, 7.30pm plus 2.30pm Wednesday and Saturday matinees

FIERY Angel follow up November 2023’s visit of And Then There Were None with another Agatha Christie murder mystery directed by Lucy Bailey, this time with Michael Maloney on board for a “deliciously thrilling ride” as Belgian sleuth Hercule Poirot.

In Winter 1934, an avalanche stops The Orient Express dead in its tracks. Cue a murder. A train full of suspects. An impossible case. Trapped in the snow with a killer still on-board, can the world’s most famous detective crack the case before the train reaches its final destination?

Meanwhile, Wise Children’s world premiere of Emma Rice’s theatrical take on Alfred Hitchcock’s North By North West continues at York Theatre Royal until April 5. Box office: GOH, atgtickets.com/york; YTR, 01904 623568 or yorktheatreroyal.co.uk.

Mark Simmonds in rehearsal for his role as Prospero in Black Sheep Theatre’s The Tempest at Theatre@41, Monkgate, York

Shakespeare debut of the week: Black Sheep Theatre in The Tempest, Theatre@41, Monkgate, York, March 26 to 29, 7.30pm plus 2.30pm Saturday matinee

AFTER making their mark with musical theatre productions, York company Black Sheep Productions branch out into Shakespeare territory under Matthew Peter Clare’s direction. “Prepare for The Tempest like you’ve never seen it before,” he says, promising magic, music and mayhem in a dark re-telling of the one with “a storm, a shipwreck and the torment of it all”, featuring Mark Simmonds as Prospero, Freya McIntosh as Miranda, Mikhail Lim as Gonzalo, Deathly Dark Tours guide, Kisskisskill singer Gemma-Louise Keane as Ariel, Meg Conway as Antonia and Josh Woodgate as Caliban.

“With a phenomenal cast, a live six-piece band, our production re-imagines Shakespeare’s tale of power, revenge, and redemption in a truly immersive and unforgettable way.” Box office:  tickets.41monkgate.co.uk.

Public Service Broadcasting: York Barbican debut on March 27

Past meets future in the present: Public Service Broadcasting, York Barbican, March 27, doors 7pm

PUBLIC Service Broadcasting make their York Barbican debut with  J. Willgoose, Esq on guitar, banjo, other stringed instruments, samples and electronic musical instruments; Wrigglesworth on drums, piano and electronic instruments; J F Abraham on flugelhorn, bass guitar, drums and vibraslap and Mr B on visuals and set design.

“Teaching the lessons of the past through the music of the future” for more than a decade, the corduroy-wearing Londoners will select material from their five themed albums, 2013’s Inform – Educate – Entertain, 2015’s The Race For Space, 2017’s Every Valley, 2021’s Bright Magic and 2024’s The Last Flight. She Drew The Gun support. Box office: yorkbarbican.co.uk.

Laura Veirs: Art meets science via geology in her songs at The Crescent, York, on March 27

Folk gig of the week: Please Please You and Brudenell Presents (CORRECT)present Laura Veirs, supported by Lucca Mae, The Crescent, York, March 27, doors 7pm

PORTLAND, Oregon, folk singer, songwriter, children’s author, artist, Midnight Lightning podcaster, Stanford University songwriting teacher and mother Laura Veirs draws on her 14 albums in her Crescent set. Growing up in Colorado Springs, Colorado, she spent summers camping with her family, inspiring her songwriting as much as her fascination with the intersection of art and science from days of studying geology (and Mandarin Chinese) at Carleton College in rural Minnesota.

Her 25-year career has taken in collaborations with Neko Case and kd lang in case/lang/veirs, Sufjan Stevens, Jim James of My Morning Jacket and The Decemberists. Now she is working on new paintings, an instrumental guitar album and a book about creativity. Box office: thecrescentyork.com.

Freida Nipples: Baps & Buns is back at Bluebird Bakery

Burlesque show of the week: Freida Nipples presents Baps & Buns Burlesque, Rise@Bluebird Bakery, Acomb Road, Acomb, York, Bakery, March 28, doors 7pm for 8pm start

YORK’S award-winning queen of burlesque, Freida Nipples, returns to Rise with the first Baps & Buns cabaret bill of 2025. On the menu at York’s regular burlesque night in a bakery will be a collection of sensational cabaret artists, fronted by Freida, of course.

Further Baps & Buns will be on the Rise on May 30, June 27, September 19 and December 13. Box office: bluebirdbakery.co.uk.

Will Smith: Off to the seaside to perform at Scarborough Open Air Theatre in August

Gig announcement of the week: Will Smith, Based On A True Story Tour, TK Maxx Presents  Scarborough Open Air Theatre, August 24

WILL Smith, the Grammy Award-winning American screen actor, entertainer and recording artist, will promote his first full-length album in 20 years, Based On A True Story, on his debut UK headline travels that will open on the Yorkshire coast.

Songs from his March 28 release will be complemented by such hits as Jiggy Wit It, Miami, and Summertime. “Yo UK, my first ever tour. You got to go get it. I’m on my way,” says Smith, 56. “That’s my airplane. Scarborough, Cardiff, Manchester, London, it’s going to be hot! I’m about to go to the airport. I’m leaving now!” Box office: scarboroughopenairtheatre.com.

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Illustrator Ric Liptrot to launch York Past & Present calendar trip down memory lane

Illustrator Ric Liptrot sketching in the York plein air

YORK artist Ric Liptrot is launching his 2025 calendar, York Past And Present, at the end of October,

Based at PICA Studios, in Grape Lane, York, freelance illustrator Ric is “obsessed with York’s architecture” and is in high demand for projects relating to buildings, shop fronts and grounds in the city.

Next year’s calendar is a “gift of nostalgia”, exploring forgotten shops such as Fossgate Books and Ken Spelman’s Booksellers, Dave Dee’s Banana Warehouse and Bootham Crescent, the former home of York City FC, as well as present-day places, from The Cat’s Whiskers café to the York Nut Centre in Market Street.

Ric has produced work for Bettys Tearoom, St Michael le Belfrey and The Pig & Pastry café, creating drawings, prints and collages for his clients, who include the Guardian and The Big Issue.

Last year’s calendar, his own venture, was a celebration of York’s buildings and was so popular that he decided to launch a 2025 follow-up, but this time focusing more on the hidden past of York’s popular shops.

“I miss Fossgate Books, with its window packed full of books, and Ken Spelman’s treasure trove of old wooden panels housing all sorts of historic secrets,” says Ric.

Here Ric Liptrot discusses York past and present with CharlesHutchPress

The Banana Warehouse, illustration, by Ric Liptrot. Once home to FT Burley’s wholesale fruit merchants, then to “Dave Dee Shifts Things'” Aladdin’s Cave of second-hand goods, now only the 1925 facade will remain as the 168-bedroom Banana Warehouse Hotel rises in its stead

How would you describe your artistic style, Ric?

“My artistic style is representational, using drawings made from studying buildings in York. I like to create textures using collage and stencils, which I produce using paint rollers. I also use pen and ink for detail. 

“I use these techniques to bring out the characterful elements of shop windows, for example, signage and tiles.

“When I decide to create an image, I draw outside and study the windows and the building. Passers-by take an interest and I love to talk about what I’m doing.”

What makes York such a hot spot for artists to represent in paint/street art/whatever?

“I think it’s a mixture of characterful buildings with their wonky rooftops and intricate brickwork, as well as the history. The city is packed full of historic importance and stories. This helps artists to give more life to the artwork.”

In turn, what makes York so ideal to be represented in a calendar?

“We are lucky in York to have so many inspiring scenes to paint and draw. As well as fantastic independent businesses that I believe are very important to the local community and economy. There are not many places like York left in the UK. Cities are changing, York is one of few which still attracts a large number of visitors.” 

The cover artwork for Ric Liptrot’s 2025 calendar, York Past & Present

You describe yourself as “obsessed with York’s architecture”. In a city that hosts such events as York Residents Festival and York Unlocked, is one of the joys behind that obsession finding new architectural gems to depict?

“Absolutely! I’m still finding parts of York I’ve never noticed before. I find myself looking up at buildings and noticing the intricate detail, something I encourage others to do. It makes you really appreciate the city.”

Has any other city struck you in the same way?

“I love cities, maybe it’s because I grew up near Liverpool and Manchester. Edinburgh stands out as one of my favourites. It is such a beautiful city with its castle high up on the rock and the grand Georgian buildings of the New Town.”

York is ripe for nostalgia, both ancient and more recent. Discuss…

“There’s a huge amount of history in York, which attracts a lot of tourists year on year. When speaking to people, I hear so many stories of their fond memories of shops and places that no longer exist. The Banana Warehouse, for example, that armoured figure standing outside the door.

“A life-long York City FC fan got in touch with me to ask if I could draw Bootham Crescent before the club moved to their new stadium outside of York city centre [York Community Stadium, Monks Cross, Huntington]. It’s been such a popular illustration of mine as it evokes so many memories for fans. I love hearing their stories and seeing how much it means to them.”

The Perky Peacock cafe, at Barker Tower, North Street, York: Ric Liptrot’s illustration for September in his 2025 calendar

 Where were you born? Did it have an impact on your artistic work?

“I was born in Chester and grew up in Runcorn. During my foundation year on the outskirts of Liverpool, we would go and sit outside around the city. It’s where it all began for me, quietly sitting and taking in the cityscape. When I sit and draw outside, I lose myself in the drawing. I find it very calming, unless someone is watching me.” 

Why did you move to York?

“I moved to York two years after finishing my illustration degree at UCLAN [University of Central Lancashire] in Preston. My circumstances at the time brought me to the city but I’ve now lived here for 15 years.

“York was the perfect place for me to develop my drawing. I began by drawing a lot of the traditional pubs in York, which developed into drawing the independent shops and cafés too.” 

York artist Ric Liptrot with his plywood panels depicting central York, commissioned by York Conservation Trust for the entrance hall to its new offices at De Grey House, York

You are serving as York Conservation Trust’s artist in residence this year.  When does the work go on show?

“I was commissioned at the start of 2024. They wanted some artwork to be displayed in the entrance hall of their new offices at De Grey House. 

“We met a few times and developed an idea of painting on to five large plywood panels. Each panel depicts a quarter of central York – North, East, South and West – with a fifth concentrating on the central/cultural quarter, Exhibition Square and Museum Gardens.

“Each panel is a montage of the Trust’s buildings alongside other significant and iconic buildings and elements in those areas. I tried to used colour and texture to help represent the different periods of architecture in the city.

“I’ve been working on this exciting piece for six months, totally inspired by the history and stories of York. I’ve noticed so much more detail in the city stone, walls and windows. The King’s Manor has the smallest window in York and that image has entered into this commission.

“The final boards will be hung at the beginning of November 2024 and will be available for the public to see. We’ll be releasing limited-edition prints very soon.”

The Central York North panel from Ric Liptrot’s commission for York Conservation Trust, whose chief executive, Guy Bowyer, says: “We are delighted with the artwork Ric has produced for us. His five panels are an expressive, playful and an accurate take on the colours and textures of York’s historic streetscapes.
We are very much looking forward to installing them at De Grey House and will be very
pleased to welcome anyone that would like to see them in person” 

You have taken part in York Open Studios in the past. Will you be doing so in 2025?

“Unfortunately I haven’t been selected for 2025. However, I will be taking part in North Yorkshire Open Studios on June 7, 8, 14 and 15 2025. We’ll be holding our annual festive open studio at PICA Studios [7 Grape Lane, York, YO1 7HU] on November 30 and December 1.”

How did you decide on the triptych of shields, cats and Bars for this year’s Last Drop Inn commission? 

“I had never painted such a large mural before, but the landlord was keen for me to give it a go. The brief was to create a blend of York’s iconic buildings.

Ric Liptrot with his central York panels for York Conservation Trust

“The idea came from a map, using the city ‘Bars’ at Bootham, Micklegate and Monk Bar. I then filled in the areas with other buildings and landmarks, including Clifford’s Tower, York Minster and Fairfax House. I wanted to add other elements, such as the crossed keys badge and cat figure, as those on important parts of the city and add character and intrigue. The design was inspired by an illustration of London by Edward Bawden.” 

Any more commissions coming up?

“Yes, I have a number of commissions lined up, including Silvarious, a jeweller on Petergate, and Heppni Bakeri on Swinegate.”

 Do you have a “day job” too?

“I work part-time on an organic vegetable farm in Strensall, Goodness Growing. I help to plant, weed and hoe the land, as well as harvest vegetables for packing into bags, which are delivered around York.”

Ric Liptrot’s York Past & Present 2025 calendar will be available from www.ricliptrot.bigcartel.com. Pre-order now, to be delivered/ready to collect by mid-end October 2024. “Yorkies can either collect from central York or I can deliver for free,” advises Ric. “Beyond York is £3 p&p.”

King’s Manor, Ric Liptrot’s October illustration for his 2025 calendar
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Christopher, Emily and Amy Stubbs exhibit together for first time at Pyramid Gallery

“Coming together now to showcase our work as a family is incredibly special,” says PICA Studios cereamicist Emily Stubbs

FAMILY artistry unites in Stubbs3 – Canvas, Clay and Cloth, a unique exhibition by sisters Emily Stubbs and Amy Stubbs, regular participants in York Open Studios, and their West Yorkshireman father, Christopher Stubbs, at Pyramid Gallery, York, from June 15 to August 3.

All three will attend Saturday’s launch at Terry Brett’s gallery in Stonegate in a Meet The Artists reception from 12 noon to 2pm.

Their first-ever joint showcase brings together diverse artistic media in a celebration of family creativity. Contemporary ceramicist Emily Stubbs works from PICA Studios, in Grape Lane; Amy specialises in textile and surface pattern design in a range of homeware and wearable art; Christopher, from Hepworth, will be exhibiting framed paintings and sketches.

Vessels, by Emily Stubbs, at Pyramid Gallery, York, from Saturday

“It’s incredibly rewarding to see my daughters continuing our family’s creative tradition,” says Christopher. “Exhibiting together is a wonderful experience, and it fills me with pride.”

Emily, who studied ceramics at Cardiff University, creates contemporary ceramic vessels that explore the relationship between colour, form and texture. Her work is characterised by the juxtaposition of contrasting elements, which she achieves through a process of sketching, drawing and collaging.

Emily’s ceramics are exhibited in galleries and events across Great Britain. In her latest exhibition, she will be showing a selection of abstract vessels.

Throughout the years, our work has clearly inspired one another,” says Amy Stubbs

“This exhibition is an exciting milestone for us,” she says. “Growing up immersed in Dad’s artwork profoundly inspired my creative journey. Studying an art foundation degree in Dewsbury, I realised my passion for ceramics.

“Amy, too, pursued her creative calling in textiles. Coming together now to showcase our work as a family is incredibly special.”

Amy, who studied at Falmouth University, combines manual print-making techniques with digital manipulation to create intricate surface patterns. Her work includes lampshades, cushions, silk scarves, other home furnishings and fashion accessories.

Cushions, by Amy Stubbs, on show at Pyramid Gallery from Saturday

Her designs are influenced by nostalgia and family heritage, reflecting a blend of traditional and contemporary style in her homeware and wearable art.

“Throughout the years, our work has clearly inspired one another,” says Amy. “We share a common language of mark-making and shapes, with a vibrant love of colour that resonates across all our pieces.”

Christopher is a seasoned artist with a multifaceted career since leaving school at 15 and working in engineering and textiles before transitioning to psychiatric nursing. He later studied fine art at Huddersfield College of Art, where he was influenced by the great masters and the importance of observation under the tutelage of William Cowper.

“Exhibiting together is a wonderful experience, and it fills me with pride,” says Christopher Stubbs

Further honing his skills in printmaking at Leeds Polytechnic, he drew inspiration from renowned artists such as Henri Matisse, Picasso and Willem de Kooning.

Over his career, Christopher has created works for such clients as J P Morgan, Royal Mail and British Steel and he has been the director of his own design company, alongside wife Joy, for more than 30 years.

Stubbs3 – Canvas, Clay and Cloth, Pyramid Gallery, Stonegate, York, June 15 to August 3. Opening hours: Monday to Friday, 10am to 5pm; Saturdays, 10am to 5.30pm.

Untitled, by Christopher Stubbs, from Stubbs3 – Canvas, Clay and Cloth
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Home is where the heart and art is for South Bank artist Carolyn Coles as she launches seascape show at Bluebird Bakery

Home Is Where The Heart Is, the seascape that provides the title for Carolyn Coles’s exhibition at Bluebird Bakery, Acomb

BLUEBIRD Bakery, in Acomb Road, Acomb, is where the art is from May 30 when Carolyn Coles unveils Home Is Where The Heart Is.

Specialising in atmospheric, impressionistic and abstract seascapes, South Bank Studios artist Carolyn paints mostly with acrylics on stretched canvasses, using an array of techniques and implements.

Known for evoking emotional responses, her latest exhibition reflects her love for the Yorkshire landscape in paintings that offer a direct connection to places that feel like home.

Carolyn’s artistic journey is flourishing within the womb of South Bank Studios, where 19 artists share workspaces and collaborate in their creative endeavours. Often she can be found working in her studio or in the open air with an easel or sketchbook.

York artist Caroyn Coles in her South Bank studio

Her education and career path have focused on creativity as a main drive, working initially in marketing for a mail order arts and crafts material company, then for Newsquest in editorial graphics and the advertising graphics department at The York Press, in Walmgate.

Utilising her background of studies of general art, illustration and design, Carolyn finally realised her dream of being a professional fine artist and now sells work at home and internationally, with a waiting list for commissions, as well as participating regularly in York Open Studios.

Exploring colour, mark making and emotion, Home Is Where The Heart Is highlights a challenging period for Carolyn, who lost her mother, Jo, soon after the works were produced.

Jo’s Place, by Carolyn Coles, painted in honour of her late mother

“My mother certainly inspired a new use of colour and direction, with her advice that ‘light can brighten people up’ during one of our many chats on Messenger,” says Carolyn.

One of the pieces emerged in direct response to what she imagined as the perfect piece, Jo describing this plainly as: “Beautiful moorland, colourful heather, sparkling water on lake”. Jo’s Place was completed after she passed away, in her memory, fuelled by Carolyn’s need for connection. “I use art as therapy and always have,” she says.

 “It’s not that I don’t like using colour. I just really enjoy the soft subtle mood that the seascapes often bring – which is why I have a relatively muted palette. I really wanted to connect with my love of nature, differently and in honour of Mum, so I chose to turn my usual style on its head and pick colours that really vibrate with each other.”

The best example of this, she says, is Home Is Where The Heart Is “because it represents how I feel when I approach that area of the Yorkshire coast” (at Port Mulgrave).

Wild Temptation, seascape, by Carolyn Coles

“It’s an area that I used to go a lot when I was younger. The area is simply stunning. I’ve been there in every weather and have always felt extreme happiness. It makes my heart sing.”

Other pieces are much more explosive in technique. “I managed this by using a whole array of different tools, including window squeegees, sweeping brushes, palette knives. I made a right mess of my studio and loved every minute of it,” says Carolyn. 

“When you start working on a scale this large – 1.5m – you really do have to go up in brush size. I found some lovely decorators’ brushes, and some of them really create waves brilliantly. I couldn’t possibly go into too much detail, otherwise I knew I would end up getting sucked into some kind of peculiar vortex of insanity. I’ll leave that for other artists!”

Carolyn Coles, Home Is Where The Heart Is, Bluebird Bakery, Acomb Road, Acomb, York, May 30 to August 1. Everyone is welcome at the 6pm to 9pm launch on May 30 when Carolyn will be happy to answer questions.

The poster for Carolyn Coles’s Home Is Where The Heart Is exhibition at Bluebird Bakery, Acomb
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More Things To Do in Ryedale, York and beyond “the carriage ride of your life”. Hutch’s List No. 11, from Gazette & Herald

Katherine Lea: Making her Hotbuckle Productions debut in Pride & Prejudice

BUCKLE up for Austen’s sister act, Shakespeare’s battle of the sexes and Sheridan’s scandalous comedy of manners, plus music, art and poetry in the library, baroque and blues concerts and tragic opera, advises Charles Hutchinson.   

Ryedale play of the week: Hotbuckle Productions in Pride & Prejudice, Helmsley Arts Centre, Saturday, 7.30pm

IN artistic director Adrian Preater’s humorous, multi role-playing adaptation of Jane Austen’s 1813 novel, Hotbuckle Productions enter the world of the Bennets.

From headstrong Elizabeth to proud Mr Darcy, rich characterisations abound as five sisters deal with marriage, morality and misconceptions. “Hotbuckle up for the carriage ride of your life” with Joanna Purslow, Tomas Mason and company newcomer Katherine Lea. Box office: 01439 771700 or helmsleyarts.co.uk.

Patricia Qua: Ceramicist and graphic designer taking part in York Open Studios for the first time in Hempland Drive, York

Art around every corner: York Open Studios, Saturday and Sunday, 10am to 5pm

AS many as 156 artists and makers who live or work within a ten-mile radius of York will be welcoming visitors to 106 workspaces to show and sell their art, ranging from ceramics, collage, digital, illustration, jewellery and mixed media to painting, print, photography, sculpture, textiles, glass and wood. Among them will be 31 new participants. Full details and a map can be found at yorkopenstudios.co.uk. Look out for booklets around the city too.

Keeping an eye on things: English Touring Opera in Puccini’s Manon Lescaut at York Theatre Royal

Opera of the week: English Touring Opera in Manon Lescaut, York Theatre Royal, Friday, 7.30pm

ENGLISH Touring Opera returns to York in Jude Christian radical production of Giacomo Puccini’s heartbreaking Manon Lescaut, for which she brings incisive direction to her sharp, poetic new translation.

Puccini’s 1892 breakthrough hit presents a devastating depiction of a woman wrestling with her desire for love on her own terms and the rigid double standards imposed on her by society. Box office: 01904 623568 or yorktheatreroyal.co.uk.

London Obbligato Collective: Opening the York Baroque+ Day at the NCEM

Classical concert of the week: London Obbligato Collective, York Baroque+ Day, National Centre for Early Music, York Saturday, 12 noon  

FORMED by Masumi Yamamoto, the new London Obbligato Collective focuses on “accompanied harpsichord sonatas”, where the harpsichord is given the solo role within the trio sonata texture, highlighting and enriching the colours and nuances of the instrument.

Next Saturday’s programme includes 18th century music by Felice Giardini, Johann Christian Bach and Carl Friedrich. Box office: 01904 658338 or ncem.co.uk.

Lydea Perkins, as Lady Teazle, and Joseph Marcell, as Sir Peter Teazle, in Tilted Wig’s The School For Scandal. Picture: Anthony Robling

Touring play of the week: Tilted Wig, Malvern Theatres and Theatre by the Lake, Keswick, present The School For Scandal, York Theatre Royal, April 23 to 27, 7.30pm plus 2pm Thursday and 7.30pm Saturday matinees

JOSEPH Marcell, fondly remembered as Geoffrey the butler in the American comedy series Fresh Prince of Bel Air, stars in Seán Aydon’s new production of Richard B Sheridan’s comedy of manners The School For Scandal, where gossip never goes out of fashion.

Marcell plays Sir Peter Teazle, who believes his young wife is sleeping with someone else. Not true, but she is starting to think that if her husband believes it, she should give it a go. After all, if you are going to cause a scandal, you may as well enjoy it. Box office: 01904 623568 or yorktheatreroyal.co.uk.

Florence Poskitt: Stepping in to play Kate in York Shakespeare Project’s The Taming Of The Shrew

Seventies’ Shakespeare play of the week: York Shakespeare Project in The Taming Of The Shrew, Theatre@41, Monkgate, York, April 23 to 27, 7.30pm plus 2.30pm Saturday

IN a late change of cast, actor-musician Florence Poskitt, from the York musical comedy duo Fladam, is taking over the principal role of Kate in Maggie Smales’s production of Shakespeare’s controversial battle of the sexes, now set in 1970.

A psychedelic world is opening up, promising peace, love and equality, but Kate was born to be wild and wants a voice of her own. The times they are a’changin’ and the old order is dead…or is it? Let battle commence. Box office: tickets.41monkgate.co.uk.

Redfish Blues Band: Returning to Milton Rooms, Malton

Blues gig of the week: Redfish Blues Band, Ryedale Blues Club, Milton Rooms, Malton, April 25, 8pm

NOMINATED for Blues Band of the Year and Blues Album of the Year in the UK 2024 Blues Awards, Redfish Blues Band return to Malton with Christian Sharpe on vocals and guitar, Steve McGuckin on Hammond, Rod Mackay on bass and Steve Gibson on drums.

As witnessed on their Together Is Better album and Soho Rising (Girls, Girls, Girls) single, they play a delicious, bubbling gumbo of blues, soul, gospel and funk in live performances defined by energy and restraint. Box office: 01653 696240 or themiltonrooms.com.

Kai West’s poster for Bull’s Live At The Library day on May 19, based on the Cluedo board game design

Gig announcement of the week: Bull present Live At The Library, York Explore Library & Archive, Library Square, York, May 19, from 12 noon

YORK Explore and Please Please You team up with York band Bull for a day of music, art and poetry to celebrate Explore York’s tenth birthday and raise funds for York’s libraries. The climax will be a 6.30pm to 10pm gig by Bull, Marnie Glum, Rowan and performance poet Stu Freestone (tickets, tickettailor.com/events/exploreyorklibrariesandarchives/1216274).

Free activities include open mic-style performances run by Bull frontman Tom Beer in the Marriott Room from midday, featuring Gabbie Lord, Maggie, Gilles, She Choir, Filipe, Old Time Rags, Eve Thomas & Co and more,  plus art workshops for all ages hosted by Izzy Williamson (lino printing, 1pm) and Bull bassist and illustrator Kai West (T-shirt design and screen printing, 12 noon to 2pm) in the Garden Room, with donations welcome.

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More Things To Do in York and beyond as art bursts out of every corner. Here’s Hutch’s List No. 16, from The Press

Impressionist oil painter Michael Hasan Reda: Making his York Open Studios debut in Prices Lane

ART from the city and out of this world, an orchestra of two, Canadian rock, Italian opera and a courtroom thriller have Charles Hutchinson reaching for the front door key.

Art event of the fortnight: York Open Studios, today and tomorrow; April 20 and 21, 10am to 5pm

AS many as 156 artists and makers who live or work within a ten-mile radius of York will be welcoming visitors to 106 workspaces to show and sell their art, ranging from ceramics, collage, digital, illustration, jewellery and mixed media to painting, print, photography, sculpture, textiles, glass and wood. Among them will be 31 new participants. Full details and a map can be found at yorkopenstudios.co.uk. Look out for booklets around the city too.

East Riding Artists: Addressing climate change in From The Earth exhibition at Nunnington Hall

Ryedale exhibition of the week: From The Earth, East Riding Artists, at Nunnington Hall, Nunnington, near Helmsley, until May 12, 10.30am to 5pm

THE climate crisis is high on the worldwide agenda; evidence of nature’s fragility can be found everywhere we turn, and few would question that our Earth is changing dramatically, in some cases irrevocably. Nature, however, is a force to be reckoned with, prompting 32 painters, potters and creatives from East Riding Artists to celebrate everything our natural world has to offer.

From the power of the North Sea and the beauty of Yorkshire’s countryside and coastline to the food we grow and the flowers we cultivate, From The Earth cherishes the best of our ever-changing world. Normal admission applies; National Trust members, free.

In Flight: Barenaked Ladies land at York Barbican on Sunday

Pinch me, look who’s coming to York: Barenaked Ladies, In Flight UK Tour 2024, York Barbican, Sunday, 7.50pm

IN the words of Barenaked Ladies drummer Tyler Stewart: “Our In Flight UK Tour 2024 will feature tasty new songs from the album and of course, a whole slew of BNL hits spanning 35 years. So come on Subjects! It’s time to ring in spring with your favourite Canadians, Barenaked Ladies. We look forward to seeing your happy faces.” Support acts will be Callum Beattie and Ferris & Sylvester.

Sold out already in the York Barbican week ahead are the Modfather Paul Weller’s return on Wednesday and arch comedian Tom Allen’s Completely gig on Thursday. Box office: yorkbarbican.co.uk.

The Blackheart Orchestra: Two musicians, Chrissy Mostyn and Rick Pilkington, play 13 instruments between them at Helmsley Arts Centre

Prog rock for the space age: The Blackheart Orchestra, Helmsley Arts Centre, Friday (19/4/2024), doors, 7.30pm

CHRISSY Mostyn and Rick Pilkington’s two-piece “orchestra” play 13 instruments between them from their prog-rock space station on stage, from acoustic and electric guitars, bass and bowed guitar to piano, organ, vintage synthesisers, omnichord, melodica and electric percussion.

Drawing on influences as varied as Kate Bush, Portishead, Cocteau Twins, Steve Reich and Philip Glass, they combine folk and rock roots with electronica and classical music. Foxpalmer, alias London singer-songwriter Fern McNulty, supports, from 8pm. Box office: 01439 771700 or helmsleyarts.co.uk.

Patrick Draper, Tony Jameson and Alfie Joey: Comedy at the treble on Friday at the Milton Rooms, Malton

Hilarity Bites Comedy Club: Alfie Joey, Patrick Draper and Tony Jameson, Milton Rooms, Malton, Friday, 8pm

ALFIE Joey is a polymath: artist, radio presenter, podcaster, comedian, communication coach, Ted X speaker, impressionist, interviewer, charity auctioneer, motivator, children’s author, master of ceremonies, pantomime player, sitcom actor, Britain’s Got Talent participant and illustrator for York writer Ian Donaghy’s book Never Stop Drawing.

Comedy will be his focus in Malton, where he will be joined by Patrick Draper, purveyor of deadpan jokes, visual gags and songs, and host Tony Jameson. Box office: 01653 696240 or themiltonrooms.com.

Keeping an eye on things: English Touring Opera in Manon Lescaut. Picture: Richard Hubert Smith

Opera of the week: English Touring Opera in Manon Lescaut, York Theatre Royal, Friday, 7.30pm

ENGLISH Touring Opera returns to York in Jude Christian radical production of Giacomo Puccini’s heartbreaking Manon Lescaut, for which she brings incisive direction to her sharp, poetic new translation.

Puccini’s 1892 breakthrough hit presents a devastating depiction of a woman wrestling with her desire for love on her own terms and the rigid double standards imposed on her by society. Box office: 01904 623568 or yorktheatreroyal.co.uk.

London Obbligato Collective: Opening York Baroque+ Day at the NCEM

Classical concert of the week: London Obbligato Collective, York Baroque+ Day, April 20, 12 noon  

FORMED by Masumi Yamamoto, the new London Obbligato Collective focuses on “accompanied harpsichord sonatas”, where the harpsichord is given the solo role within the trio sonata texture, highlighting and enriching the colours and nuances of the instrument.

Next Saturday’s programme includes 18th century music by Felice Giardini, Johann Christian Bach and Carl Friedrich. Box office: 01904 658338 or  ncem.co.uk.

Jury service: Christopher Haydon’s cast for Reginald Rose’s courtroom thriller Twelve Angry Men at the Grand Opera House, York

Show announcement of the week: Twelve Angry Men, Grand Opera House, York, May 13 to 18, 7.30pm plus 2.30pm Wednesday and Saturday matinees

CHRISTOPHER Haydon’s touring production of Reginald Rose’s Twelve Angry Men for Bill Kenwright Ltd returns to York on the American courtroom thriller’s 70th anniversary tour, having last played the Grand Opera House in April 2015.

Tristan Gemmill, Michael Greco, Jason Merrells, Gray O’Brien and Gary Webster feature in the cast for this study of human nature and the art of persuasion set in the jury deliberating room, where 12 men hold the fate of a young delinquent, accused of killing his father, in their hands. What looks an open-and-shut case soon becomes a dilemma as the jurors are forced to examine their own self-image, personalities, experiences and prejudices. Box office: atgtickets.com/york.

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Putting you in the picture for More Things To Do in Ryedale, York and beyond. Here’s Hutch’s List No. 10, from Gazette & Herald

Michael Hasan Reda: Impressionist oil painter of landscapes, cityscapes and gardens, making his York Open Studios debut at his studio in Prices Lane, York

ART out of this world, comedy in the news, a poetic war of words, an orchestra of two, a very colourful musical and a courtroom thriller have Charles Hutchinson reaching for the front door key.

Art event of the fortnight: York Open Studios, April 13 and 14, April 20 and 21, 10am to 5pm; preview, Friday, 6pm to 9pm

156 artists who live or work within a ten-mile radius of York will be welcoming visitors to 106 workspaces to show and sell their art, ranging from ceramics, collage, digital, illustration, jewellery and mixed media to painting, print, photography, sculpture, textiles, glass and wood. Among them will be 31 new participants. Full details and a map can be found at yorkopenstudios.co.uk. Look out for booklets around the city too.

News alert: The Drop The Dead Donkey newsroom team reunites for Andy Hamilton and Guy Jenkin’s new play at Leeds Grand Theatre

Breaking News of the week: Drop The Dead Donkey: The Reawakening!, Leeds Grand Theatre, until April 13

THIRTY years since the launch of the trailblazing television series Drop The Dead Donkey, the Globelink News team is back, live on stage for the first time. Original cast members Stephen Tompkinson, Neil Pearson, Susannah Doyle, Robert Duncan, Ingrid Lacey, Jeff Rawle and Victoria Wicks reunite for a new, constantly updated script by sitcom writing duo Andy Hamilton and Guy Jenkin, under Lindsay Posner’s direction.

“It’s going to be hugely enjoyable to watch those seven funny, flawed characters from Globelink News being plunged into the cutthroat world of modern 24-hour news-gathering and trying to navigate their way through the daily chaos of social media, fake news and interim Prime Ministers,” say the writers. Box office: 0113 243 0808 or leedsheritagetheatres.com.

Reuben Khan: Playing the lead role in York Stage’s Joseph And The Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat

Musical of the week: York Stage in Joseph And The Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat, Grand Opera House, York, April 12 to 20, 7.30pm except April 14, 15 and 19; 2.30pm, April 13 and 20; 4pm, April 14; 5pm and 8pm, April 19

BE ready to paint the city in every colour of the rainbow as Andrew Lloyd Webber and Tim Rice’s musical dazzles the Grand Opera House in York Stage’s vibrant production, directed by Nik Briggs, with musical direction by Adam Tomlinson and choreography by Lesley Hill.

Reuben Khan leads the cast as Joseph, joined by Hannah Shaw as the Narrator, Carly Morton as Pharaoh, Martin Rowley as Jacob, Finn East as Simeon, Matthew Clarke as Potiphar, among others. Tickets are selling fast at atgtickets.com/york.

Shareefa Energy!: Guest performance poet at Friday’s Say Owt Slam clash at The Crescent, York

Spoken word clash of the week: Say Owt Slam, featuring Shareefa Energy!, The Crescent, York, Friday, 7.45pm

SAY Owt, “York’s loveable gobby gang of performance poets”, take over The Crescent for a raucous, high-energy night of verse that combine a slam war of words with a guest performer. “In a slam, poets have three minutes to wow the audience,” says host Henry Raby. “It’s fast, frantic and fun: perfect for people who love poetry, and those who think they hate poetry too.”

Special guest Shareefa Energy! is a poet, writer, activist, educator, creative campaigner, workshop facilitator and arts and wellbeing practitioner of Indian and Muslim heritage from working-class Highfields in Leicester. Box office: thecrescentyork.com or on the door.

East Riding Artists: Exhibiting at Nunnington Hall in From The Earth’s celebration of the natural world

Ryedale exhibition of the week: From The Earth, East Riding Artists, at Nunnington Hall, Nunnington, near Helmsley, until May 12, 10.30am to 5pm

THE climate crisis is high on the worldwide agenda; evidence of nature’s fragility can be found everywhere we turn, and few would question that our Earth is changing dramatically, in some cases irrevocably. Nature, however, is a force to be reckoned with, prompting 32 painters, potters and creatives from East Riding Artists to celebrate everything our natural world has to offer.

From the power of the North Sea and the beauty of Yorkshire’s countryside and coastline to the food we grow and the flowers we cultivate, From The Earth cherishes the best of our ever-changing world. Normal admission applies; National Trust members, free.

The Blackheart Orchestra’s Chrissy Mostyn and Rick Pilkington: Thirteen instruments divided between two musicians at Helmsley Arts Centre

Prog rock for the space age: The Blackheart Orchestra, Helmsley Arts Centre, April 19, doors, 7.30pm

CHRISSY Mostyn and Rick Pilkington’s two-piece “orchestra” play 13 instruments between them from their prog-rock space station on stage, from acoustic and electric guitars, bass and bowed guitar to piano, organ, vintage synthesisers, omnichord, melodica and electric percussion.

Drawing on influences as varied as Kate Bush, Portishead, Cocteau Twins, Steve Reich and Philip Glass, they combine folk and rock roots with electronica and classical music. Foxpalmer, alias London singer-songwriter Fern McNulty, supports, from 8pm. Box office: 01439 771700 or helmsleyarts.co.uk.

Patrick Draper, Tony Jameson and Alfie Joey: April 19’s comedy line-up at the Milton Rooms, Malton

Hilarity Bites Comedy Club: Alfie Joey, Patrick Draper and Tony Jameson, Milton Rooms, Malton, April 19, 8pm

ALFIE Joey is a polymath: artist, radio presenter, podcaster, comedian, communication coach, Ted X speaker, impressionist, interviewer, charity auctioneer, motivator, children’s author, master of ceremonies, pantomime player, sitcom actor, Britain’s Got Talent participant and illustrator for York writer Ian Donaghy’s book Never Stop Drawing.

Comedy will be his focus in Malton, where he will be joined by Patrick Draper, purveyor of deadpan jokes, visual gags and songs, and host Tony Jameson. Box office: 01653 696240 or themiltonrooms.com.

Jury service: Christopher Haydon’s cast for the courtroom thriller Twelve Angry Men, on tour at Grand Opera House, York

Show announcement of the week: Twelve Angry Men, Grand Opera House, York, May 13 to 18, 7.30pm plus 2.30pm Wednesday and Saturday matinees

CHRISTOPHER Haydon’s touring production of Reginald Rose’s Twelve Angry Men for Bill Kenwright Ltd returns to York on the American courtroom thriller’s 70th anniversary tour, having last played the Grand Opera House in April 2015.

Tristan Gemmill, Michael Greco, Jason Merrells, Gray O’Brien and Gary Webster feature in the cast for this study of human nature and the art of persuasion set in the jury deliberating room, where 12 men hold the fate of a young delinquent, accused of killing his father, in their hands. What looks an open-and-shut case soon becomes a dilemma as the jurors are forced to examine their own self-image, personalities, experiences and prejudices. Box office: atgtickets.com/york.

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York Open Studios artist Nduka Omeife to take part in York Cultural Awareness Week

York Open Studios artist Nduka Omeife: Playing his part in York Cultural Awareness Week

YORK Open Studios 2023 artist Nduka Omeife will give a demonstration of his working practices tomorrow (25/4/2023) afternoon at the York Cultural Awareness Week, run by York and Scarborough Teaching Hospitals.

Nigerian watercolour artist Nduka, whose wife is a nurse at York Hospital, will be taking part in the African/Caribbean Day, held in the MEC Classroom 1 and 2 on the Fifth Floor.

Nduka, who moved to York 18 months ago, exhibited his portraits, figures, street scenes and studies of still life and nature in Baker Street, Clifton, in his York Open Studios debut over the past two weekend. His latest work finds him embracing York’s architecture and cyclists.

One of Nduka Omeife’s watercolours from his York Open Studios portfolio

Nduka is a first class honours graduate in graphic design from the University of Benin, Nigeria. A Nigerian Breweries scholar, he has worked in various organisations as a graphic artist, head of creative and brand alignment officer, his last Nigerian post being as the creative head of one of the African country’s largest banks. 

A prolific painter, whose work explores wet-on-wet and dry approaches to watercolour painting, his official engagements have not deterred him from his love of painting. He owns a gallery and has many art collections. 

York Cultural Awareness Week runs from today until Saturday. Highlights include A Family Day Out in Bootham Park from 10am to 3pm on Saturday. The festival’s cultural focus will fall on Africa and the Caribbean; Great Britain, Europe and America; the Philippines, and Asia, India, Nepal and Pakistan.

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