Brittany Guymer

York’s popular Christmas Market to return 16th November to 22nd December 2023

Make It York News, St Nicholas Fair / By Brittany Guymer

After a hugely successful York Christmas Market in 2022, Make It York have confirmed that plans are underway for Christmas 2023, with the popular market set to return on 16^th November to 22^nd December.

Following last year’s 30^th Anniversary celebrations, the famous alpine chalets will return to line Parliament Street and St Sampson’s Square, creating a festive wonderland of local traders and artisan products.

In 2022, York’s Christmas activities influenced 75% of visitors to come to York, with 49% of visitors visiting for the Christmas market alone. Traffic to the Christmas content on the Visit York website exceeded 515,000 views, with Visit York social channels reaching over 3.9m in November and December. There were also over 194 pieces of media coverage, which had a combined reach of over 91M.

Make It York’s research into 2022 also demonstrated that York Christmas Market had a positive impact on other businesses within the city. 87% of visitors spent their time in York shopping within the Christmas Market itself, with 93% then shopping elsewhere in the city and 80% eating and drinking in venues away from the market.*

Applications for retail businesses to get involved in this year’s York Christmas Market are now open. To be involved, please find out more here. The deadline for applications is the 26th May 2023.

*Data based on 210 visitors interviewed by Qa Research at York St Nicholas Fair 2022. Base: 174 visitors and 36 residents.

For further information please contact:

Brittany Guymer, Communications Coordinator at Make It York

Email: comms@makeityork.com

Notes to Editors

About Make It York

Make It York’s purpose is to develop and promote the city and its surroundings – nationally and internationally – as a vibrant and attractive place to live, visit, study, work and do business. Its mission is to grow the economic prosperity and wider wellbeing of York and its citizens. In practice, this means delivering a range of projects and programmes based around our corporate strategic priorities. These are:

City positioning and profile-raising

Ensuring an exciting city centre
Delivering the city’s ground-breaking Cultural Strategy

Visit York is a part of Make It York and is the leisure tourism brand

Under the brand Visit York, Make It York’s aim is to market York as a must-see world-class destination to the leisure visitor and ensure investment to develop the quality of tourism in York.

First look at Snooks Trail – Coming to York in 2024

Make It York News / By Brittany Guymer

The first look at Snooks has been revealed in York today at a sponsorship event at Middletons Hotel. The 6ft sculpture will be the subject of an 8-week trail across York city centre from February to April 2024. There will be 25 Snooks to find in York’s cobbled streets and hidden gardens in next year’s free trail.

The Snooks, designed by Yorkshire artist Sian Ellis, will be sponsored by businesses who will be paired with artists across the UK to decorate their individual Snooks. Artists across the UK have until 23rd of June to submit their designs under the theme of Yorkshire authors.

Sarah Loftus, Managing Director at Make It York, said: “We’re so pleased to finally be able to reveal the Snook! A brand-new character to 2024, there will be 25 of them to find next year in a trail throughout York. It’s great to see how much excitement there is around this trail, and we can’t wait to see how our artists will decorate these 6ft Snooks and make each one unique and a true celebration of Yorkshire literature.”

Dawn Clements, Director of Income Generation at St Leonard’s Hospice, said: “The trail will be a fun way to help us engage further with our community, not only educating people about our services but also helping to raise vital funds to support people facing life-limiting illnesses and bereavement. We are proud to be partnering with Make It York to represent hospice care in such a unique way and we are also looking forward to working with new supporters and volunteers.”

Sian Ellis, artist of Snooks with Books, said: “I hope everyone shares my excitement in meeting the very first Snooks and seeing these friendly faces on the streets of York in 2024. I cannot wait to see the different personalities that each of the Snooks are given once they are paired up with their artist and sponsors. I am absolutely itching to pick up my paintbrush and bring a Snook to life, for the first time painting a sculpture that already feels like an old friend.”

There are still sponsorship opportunities available, contact events@makeityork.com for more information.

Artists can submit their designs here.

Download high-res images from the event here.

Full programme of free events to celebrate 30 years of St Nicholas Fair on 17th November

Events, Make It York News, St Nicholas Fair / By Brittany Guymer

To mark the 30th Anniversary of St Nicholas Fair, the city will come alive on the opening day of the Christmas market with a special programme of free events and activities for residents and visitors.

From 12pm to 9pm on Thursday 17^th November, there will be live entertainment in St Helen’s Square, Parliament Street and Shambles Market to get everybody in the festive spirit. There’ll be choirs, bands and performances throughout the day and into the evening. Plus, an opportunity to meet St Nicholas himself at Shambles Market.

Those in the city centre on the evening of the 17^th November, celebrating the opening of St Nicholas Fair, will be the first to see the spectacular light display for the 2022 festive season. This year will see more lights, new technology and new areas added to the scheme.

A partnership between York BID and Make It York, this year’s winter light display will increase the use of more sustainable LED and solar lights, with new areas to be lit up including George Hudson Street and Nessgate. The curtain of lights on York’s historic bar walls will remain, along with the magical ‘Tree of Light’ at the Eye of York with its 1km of twinkly LED lights which change colour to mark important dates and festivals.

What’s more, to celebrate the 30^th Anniversary of St Nicholas Fair, all traders at this year’s Christmas market will be offering exclusive discounts for York residents when presented with a valid York Card or identity card with proof of address*. Each trader will offer a discount ranging from 10 to 30% discounts, more details can be found here.

The full schedule of free events on Thursday 17^th November to celebrate the 30^th Anniversary of St Nicholas Fair:

Shambles Market

12.00 – 19.00: Meet St Nicholas!

Suitable for families and children. Learn more about who St Nicholas is and was, all about the naughty list and enjoy some chocolate coins!

13.00: Musical Connections

Join Musical Connections for a special performance. A small charity based in York, empowering people to live happier and healthier lives through music.

St Helen’s Square

12.00: Dunnington Community Choir

Enjoy festive music, performed by local singers.

13.00 – 15.00: Buskers

15.00 – 18.00: York Theatre Royal

Look out for the York Theatre Royal nativity characters, handing out flyers and doing competitions.

16.00: Musical Connections – The Rolling Tones

Join Musical Connections’ The Rolling Tones for a special performance. A small charity based in York, empowering people to live happier and healthier lives through music.

17.00: University of York Brass Band

A selection of classic Christmas carols to get you into the festive mood!

18.00: Lucy’s Pop Choir

A choir performance from grown-ups who love singing!

18.00 – 20.00: The Island

Meet the York-based children’s charity as they fundraise to enhance children’s quality of life through mentoring.

19.00: York Phoenix Harmonies

Join York’s Newest Vocal Harmony Group for a special performance of Christmas carols.

Parliament Street (next to the Christmas Tree)

12.00 – 17.00: Buskers

18.00: York RI Golden Band

6 to 10 players performing Christmas Carols.

19.00: Larks Christmas Band

Lively vintage Christmas performance in full costume.

20.00: Olivia Tingle

An unapologetically authentic duo playing a classy mixture of anthemic covers and soft sympathetic originals. Not to be missed!

Christmas cheer will be spread across the city, with carol concerts, festive events and the return of panto season. For more information about what’s happening in York this Christmas, please visit visityork.org/christmas.

Visit York’s festive press pack can be found here and press images can be downloaded here.

*To qualify for the resident discounts offered by traders at St Nicholas Fair, you must present a valid York Card or identity card that proves York residency. If presenting an identity card, this must clearly state ‘York’ (e.g. driving licence or older person’s bus pass). The full list of offers can be found here.

ENDS

For further information please contact:

Sarah Foster and Brittany Guymer

Communications team at Make It York

Email: comms@makeityork.com

Notes to Editors:

St Nicholas Fair runs from 17^th November to 23^rd December on Parliament Street and St Sampson’s Square, open daily from 10am to 7pm. St Nicholas Fair is a Make It York event.

About Make It York

Make It York

Make It York’s purpose is to develop and promote the city and its surroundings – nationally and internationally – as a vibrant and attractive place to live, visit, study, work and do business. The company’s remit covers leisure and business tourism, city centre management, Shambles Market and festivals and events.

Visit York is a part of Make It York and is the leisure tourism brand.

Under the brand Visit York, Make It York’s aim is to market York as a must-see world-class destination to the leisure visitor and ensure investment to develop the quality of tourism in York.

Bonfire Night in the home of Guy Fawkes

Events, Make It York News / By Brittany Guymer

Wrap up warm and celebrate Bonfire Night in the birthplace of Guy Fawkes, with a visit to York this November.

Learn about the history of Guy Fawkes from visiting his childhood home, walking tours and explosive new shows. In 1570, Guy Fawkes was born in York. He spent his childhood years in the building now home to the Guy Fawkes Inn on High Petergate and was baptised in St Michael Le Belfrey Church.

Here are some top picks on how to spend Bonfire Night in York:

Guy Fawkes at the York Theatre Royal (28^th October – 12^th November)

An explosive new comedy by David Reed brings a hilarious new take on one of the most notorious tales of all time. This brand-new comedy about York’s traitorous trigger man is a devilishly dangerous mix of Blackadder and Horrible Histories – and sure to be a barrel of laughs. Recommended for ages 14+, find out more here.

The York Dungeon

Guy Fawkes might have been caught underneath the Houses of Parliament, but his story began in York, where he was born in 1570. You’re about to meet him; well, what’s left of him…

Discover what really happened on the 5th of November 1605, the plot behind gunpowder and treason and exactly what happened to Guy across 10 days of torture at The York Dungeon. You can find out more here.

Little Peasants City Walking Tour

Little Peasants and their families are invited to embark on a new City Walking Tour to discover the toe-curling tales of York. Join two favourite York Dungeon residents, the ever so slightly bonkers Dungeon Jester and the smelliest peasant Smedley, as to learn more about York’s famous characters such as Dick Turpin, Guy Fawkes and the Pearl of York, Margaret Clitherow. There’ll be plenty to see, lots to learn and a barrel of laughs on this City Walking Tour. You can find out more here.

Guy Fawkes Inn

Why not enjoy an evening at the Guy Fawkes Inn, the childhood home of Guy Fawkes. Centuries have passed but this historic building has been beautifully restored into an AA Rosette candle-lit restaurant with regional real ales and classic British food. Hear and see the historic sights of York with a free guided tours when you stay in one of their thirteen rooms, available Friday – Wednesday.

Bonfire Night 2022 with Sandburn Hall (4^th November)

Wrap up warm and enjoy a spectacular evening of fireworks and family-fun at Sandburn Hall on the 4^th November. With family-friendly amusement rides, face painting, hot food and a York Gin bar for the adults, be sure to book your tickets in advance.

The Bar Convent

The Bar Convent is England’s oldest living convent and has lots of history dating back to the Gunpowder Plot. Mary Ward, who first brought education for girls to England and foundress of the order at the Convent, was the niece of two Gunpowder Plotters. Learn about Mary Ward in the exhibition, with the opportunity to see a 400-year-old crucifix on display linked to the Gunpowder Plot. More information here.

Scampston’s Firework Spectacular: ‘Musical Movie Magic’ (4th November)

Arrive into the stunning Scampston Hall’s 70-acre Parkland for a night of spectacular Pyromusical Fireworks, choreographed to a popular soundtrack from Movie Musicals! Sing and dance along to classic tracks from the past as well as some more popular up to date movies. Find more information here.

The Story of Guy Fawkes Tour

Beyond a tale of gunpowder, learn about Guy Fawkes, his family history and the influences surrounding him as a Protestant and later a recusant Catholic.

Each tour is operated by people affected by homelessness and shaped by their own interests or personal experience of the city. The Story of Guy Fawkes is run by Vicki, who interweaves her own personal journey of being diagnosed with stage 4b cancer, treatment, and remission, with the story of his life. Found out more here.

For more inspiration this half term, there’s plenty of Halloween fun to be had in York. Visit the Haunted York hub page at visityork.org/haunted for more inspiration.

ENDS

For more information:

Sarah Foster and Brittany Guymer

Communications team at Make It York Comms@makeityork.com

About Make It York

Make It York’s purpose is to develop and promote the city and its surroundings – nationally and internationally – as a vibrant and attractive place to live, visit, study, work and do business. The company’s remit covers leisure and business tourism, city centre management, Shambles Market and festivals and events.

Visit York is a part of Make It York and is the leisure tourism brand

Under the brand Visit York, Make It York’s aim is to market York as a must-see world-class destination to the leisure visitor and ensure investment to develop the quality of tourism in York.

York Civic Trust awarded £250k National Lottery Heritage Fund grant for York Trailblazers

Culture, Make It York News / By Brittany Guymer

York Civic Trust, working in partnership with Make it York and partners across the city, has been awarded £249,999 from The National Lottery Heritage Fund to deliver the York Trailblazers project.

Trailblazers will be an exciting and inclusive city-wide programme of events and activities across 2023 – 25, celebrating York’s heritage. Shaped around significant anniversaries, Trailblazers will inspire residents and visitors on York’s collective history and empower new generations to create and discover new interpretations of our heritage.

The activities funded by The National Lottery Heritage Fund will enable York Civic Trust, Make It York and partners to uncover lesser-known heritage stories of York through workshops, sculpture trail, community grant funding, partner events and marketing.

York Civic Trust and Make It York will develop and deliver the project together, leading on their areas of expertise within culture, community and heritage in York. A mix of 40 organisations, from small voluntary groups to big institutions, supported York Civic Trust and Make It York’s bid to make Trailblazers a reality. The project is made possible by The National Lottery Heritage Fund and National Lottery players.

Andrew Morrison, Chief Executive Officer at York Civic Trust, said: “Our project York Trailblazers will be a fantastic opportunity for people to discover and celebrate the heritage stories of people who are important to their communities. The National Heritage Lottery Fund’s support of our project is an incredible boost and will enable the project to reach out to all parts of the city.”

Helen Apsey, Head of Culture & Wellbeing at Make It York, said: “A huge thank you to The National Lottery Heritage Fund and to all the organisations who have come together to support our bid – we’re absolutely thrilled to have been awarded the funding for York Trailblazers. It will make such a difference, and enable Make It York and York Civic Trust to develop a really meaningful celebration of our history and heritage across 2023 – 25, working with partners across the city, and engaging with residents, schools and community groups. We’ve got a lot of activity planned, so watch this space!”

Anne Jenkins, Executive Director of Business Delivery at The National Lottery Heritage Fund, said: “We are thrilled to be able to support York Civic Trust and Make It York in celebrating and exploring the significant heritage that their city is home to. Thanks to National Lottery players, this project will allow local communities to delve into the varied history of their city and help others discover stories they haven’t heard before. York is home to fascinating heritage and we know it is a great way of bringing people together and creating a sense of pride of place, that in turn can deliver much wider benefits, and we’re excited to see how this project achieves just that.”

ENDS

For more information:

Livvy Golby-Kirk, Marketing & Communications Officer at York Civic Trust

events@fairfaxhouse.co.uk

Sarah Foster, Communications Manager at Make It York

Comms@makeityork.com

Notes to Editors:

About Make It York

These are:

City positioning and profile-raising
Ensuring an exciting city centre
Delivering the city’s ground-breaking Cultural Strategy

About York Civic Trust

York Civic Trust is a membership organisation open to all who wish to protect and enhance York’s architectural and cultural heritage, to champion good design and to advance the high place which York holds amongst the cities of the world. Founded in 1946, it has the key objectives of “Promoting Heritage—Shaping Tomorrow” at the heart of its work. Since an extensive conservation-repair programme in the 1980s, the Trust has restored Fairfax House on York’s Castlegate to its former grandeur. It is one of England’s finest Georgian townhouses and now a museum and offices of the Trust.

About The National Lottery Heritage Fund

Using money raised by The National Lottery, we Inspire, lead and resource the UK’s heritage to create positive and lasting change for people and communities, now and in the future. www.heritagefund.org.uk.

Follow @HeritageFundUK on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram and use #NationalLotteryHeritageFund

Since The National Lottery began in 1994, National Lottery players have raised over £43 billion for projects and more than 635,000 grants have been awarded across the UK. More than £30 million raised each week goes to good causes across the UK.

Cultural Wellbeing Grant supports Foss Fairy Trail

Case Studies, Culture, Culture and Wellbeing / By Brittany Guymer

As part of York’s Culture Strategy, Make It York, York CVS, and City of York Council have come together to award funding of more than £60,000 to nineteen social and cultural initiatives across the city – with the aim of easing loneliness, isolation, and mental ill-health across the city.

The grants, which were made available via the Better Care Fund and Ways to Wellbeing, were set up in recognition of the impact the coronavirus pandemic has had on people’s wellbeing – through shielding, self-isolation, and social distancing. This series of case studies profiles each of the 2021 recipients:

One of the projects which has been supported by the grants was the Foss Fairy Trail, a public river walk created by Tracy Ostle, to encourage families to discover the magical hidden fairy world on the banks of the river Foss.

The Foss Fairy Trail allows those walking along the river edge to explore a fairy village and discover the folklore, flora and fauna of the enchanted homes.

Tracy, the founder of the Fairy Trail, began the project after walking down the river pathway during lockdown and seeing a fairy door leaning against a tree – the little door added magic to an area that had otherwise been neglected and abandoned.

This little door inspired Tracy to create a series of ‘Nut Huts’ for the local squirrels, and the first of many fairy houses which have now been placed along the river with the aim to make people smile. To date, there are X number of fairy houses and magical installations across the river Foss.

With the help of local funding, the project has escalated with the support of volunteers and community members, with regular clean-up projects taking place along the riverbed as well as a variety of workshops and children’s events.

With this support and sheer determination, the Foss Fairy Trail has now become a retreat for many people. Volunteers regularly comment on how the fairy houses and general enhancement of the area have lifted the community as a whole.

One anonymous volunteer said, “Being a volunteer for the Foss fairy trail really saved me from a dark hole of depression and fear, I felt welcomed into a world of nature and magic, I felt part of a community I can’t begin to say how much that helped me. Volunteering for the fairy trail lifted my depression enough for me to make some good decisions on where to go next in life coming across so many good people inspired me to go back and get Maths and English qualifications and do the thing I always dreamed of – going to university to study art. The Foss fairy trail volunteering gave me confidence and hope that I could do this. Thanks to the Foss Fairy trail I feel filled with hope in the future once more.”

Tracy, founder of the Foss Fairy Trail, said, “From what started as a bit of a joke in lockdown, laying down fairy houses to make people smile has now become an increasingly popular river walk with locals and tourists alike. The area is now providing free fun for families, helps people escape the drudgery of daily life and students sometimes study or sketch there. I am thrilled that all the hard work myself and the volunteers have put into the project has paid off! I get such joy from seeing a diverse number of people enjoying themselves, and all for free! You don’t often get that nowadays!”

“A number of people have approached me when working down the trail and commented on how the changes to the area have helped improve their wellbeing. . . A gentleman homeless alcoholic comes to mind. He often sat on the trail watching people enjoy themselves and would love to have a chat. He bought us some solar fairy lights and said he had been so inspired by the efforts of the trail it had inspired him to become a better person.”

Tracy has also published her own book ‘Why it all began’ – a tale of the fairies travelling down the river path and interactive with nature watching. All proceeds will go towards the continuation of the Fairy Trail.

You can also find out more about upcoming Foss Fairy Trail events here.

Cultural Wellbeing Grant Supports Wilberforce Trust

Case Studies, Culture and Wellbeing / By Brittany Guymer

One of the projects which has been supported by the grants was ‘Where’s Wilber?’, a Ways to Wellbeing project from the Wilberforce Trust.

The Wilberforce Trust is an organisation that supports those in York, and further across North Yorkshire, with visual and hearing impairments through a variety of initiatives. One of these is ‘Club Wilber’, a local group for the families of children with visual impairments. This group runs adapted activities, events and trips, allowing visually impaired children and their siblings to safely experience recreational activities in an inclusive environment. The group also connects parents of visually impaired children, creating a supportive network within the York community.

The ‘Where’s Wilber’ project grows on this – research by the Wilberforce Trust showed that children with disabilities have been particularly struggling with their mental wellbeing, with 93% of families saying that Covid had a negative impact on their children’s access to social experiences and peer support. This is due to the vulnerability of those with disabilities, meaning they needed to isolate even after watching their peers return to pre-lockdown life.

With few community initiatives helping this these young people, the Wilberforce Trust were able to use the provision of online and electronic resources to create a wide range of appropriate activities as part of ‘Club Wilber’, that these children could enjoy to reduce their mental stress.

17 new activities were created to boost the mindset of the children involved, including interactive storytelling, relaxation workshops, theatre workshops with York Theatre Royal, and a range of interactive activities to take part at home such as Lego creation, baking and creating bird feeders.

105 children took part in these activities, 50 of whom were visually impaired.

86% of families from a recent impact report felt that this project had increased the variety of activities they have access to and 79% reported that they had greater access to more inclusive activities which include both visually impaired and sighted children.

Comments from participants include:

“Amazing people that run an amazing club giving families the opportunity to participate and enjoy activities together.”

“It is a big part of our lives and we rely on them for information about how to support our daughter.”

“My daughter’s brother was amazed when he saw the other children with canes – like his sister; it has been great for him to see and understand VI a little more and to meet other siblings and make friends.”

Pip Myring, Club Wilber Co-ordinator, says “The difference the extra hours have made to the service and the impact this has had on the children’s mental health and well-being has been phenomenal. The new sessions we can now provide for them have seen them flourish and the grant has made all this possible.”

Cultural Wellbeing Grant Supports Pilot Theatre

Case Studies, Culture and Wellbeing / By Brittany Guymer

One of the projects supported by the grants is ‘Creative Connections with Sanctuary-Seekers’ – a project by Pilot Theatre which aims to creative a safe space to welcome sanctuary-seekers to York and encourage them to connect and socialise with others using a series of art, dance and craft sessions.

Across a two-month period, Pilot Theatre delivered six creative sessions with families from sanctuary-seeker communities in York. Working closely with Stand and Be Counted Theatre, they partnered with organisations and freelancers to deliver the free activities across the city in cultural spaces, with the sessions covering a range of activities including drumming, singing, arts and crafts, dance, storytelling and creative writing.

Participants ranged in age from early-years to middle-aged adults, predominantly from Syrian, Turkish and Nigerian origin.

Firas Chihi was the lead practitioner working with Pilot Theatre on the delivery of the project, co-curating and co-facilitating all the creative sessions and liaising with participants. The sanctuary-seeker families were all known to him from his connection with Refugee Action York, which allowed them to instantly feel at ease during these sessions. Firas is also a multi-linguist, and delivered the sessions in Arabic and English, and interpreted for other practitioners as well.

He said, “Working with Refugee Action York gave me the opportunity to realise that sanctuary seekers in York need a place where they can come together with their families, have a fun day, develop their skills, practise English, and get the chance to make some friends. This was made possible with the collaboration between Pilot Theatre and Stand and Be Counted Theatre. This project gave me the chance to better develop a relationship with our participants, understand their needs, find out what they enjoy doing the most and especially what makes them feel most welcome to a new city! It also made me realise that art and theatre can bring people together no matter where they came from or what their backgrounds are.

“In this project we had participants from a range of countries and cultures – they mentioned that they loved the fact that we gave them a space where they can get to know each other. As one of the participants mentioned, she has been living in York for the past seven years and she has never had the opportunity to take part in any sort of activity like this. So I think it’s quite important to keep this workshop going.”

The project proved successful in bringing sanctuary-seeker communities in the city together, developing community belonging, improving wellbeing, and increasing engagement with cultural activity.

Amanda Smith, Executive Producer and Joint-CEO of Pilot Theatre, said: “The support from Make It York enabled Pilot Theatre and our partner organisations to actively engage with the local sanctuary-seeker communities of the city by offering free creative activities in welcoming and accessible locations. Bringing people together in this way has helped to strengthen social connections, improve wellbeing and to develop creative skills.”

Cultural Wellbeing Grant Supports Movers and Shakers Project

Case Studies, Culture and Wellbeing / By Brittany Guymer

One of the projects supported by the grants is Movers and Shakers – a weekly programme of music, movement and social sessions for adults across York. Participants were all adults from across the city living with a range of learning and physical disabilities, sensory impairments and/or consciousness disorders.

Across 24 sessions, 18 participants took part in fun musical games, movement activities, storytelling and dressing up. These were all led by participant interests, with participants being asked to choose which themes they’d like to explore before the sessions began. Each session also centred around a different participant’s favourite music to encourage them to connect and engage with the content.

Following the end of the programme, 100% of participants said the Movers and Shakers project made them feel happy and more confident, whilst 90% said the sessions helped them to make new friends. 100% of participants said that they feel more confident in making their own decisions and feel more independent.

Support workers also regularly commented on how participant behaviour positively changed throughout the course of the sessions, with comments such as: “E looks forward to coming and stands by the door waiting to come and always says she’s had a lovely time’’ and “B noticed the photo booth that Alison had set up, and stood up, ready for his turn without any prompting. This was fantastic as he doesn’t normally move around the room without encouragement.”

Rose Kent, Creative Director of Accessible Arts and Media, said: ‘Thanks to a grant from Ways to Wellbeing we’re thrilled to be able to re-start our Movers and Shakers group in-person – one of our most popular sessions prior to the pandemic. Covid-19 had left our participants isolated. Now that sessions have started back up it is fabulous seeing their confidence rebuild and supporting them to re-connect with their friends whilst supporting their wellbeing. The smiles on everyone’s faces each week is testament to this!’

Nine Organisations Awarded Cultural Wellbeing Grants 2022

Culture, Make It York News / By Brittany Guymer

Nine York-based charities, social enterprises, community groups and individuals have been awarded grant funding by Make It York and City of York Council, made available via the Better Care Fund. The Cultural Wellbeing grant funding will support a range of initiatives for York residents, which are designed to support mental wellbeing and reduce loneliness and isolation.

A total of £30,000 was made available for organisations to help isolated people engage in their communities, combat mental ill-health, improve physical health, enable participation in culture and creativity, or access to employment and learning opportunities. Organisations were invited to apply to grants up to £5,000 to aid initiatives throughout the city, which will be taking place from summer 2022 through to March 2023.

The projects that will be funded through the Cultural Wellbeing Grants 2022 are:

Singing for all with Jessa – ‘Singing For All York’ – reducing loneliness and isolation by providing inclusive and informal singing sessions for those living with dementia or other physical/mental health conditions, carers, and those in good health.

New Visuality – ‘Intergenerational Art: Memories and Hope’ – encouraging the sharing of memories, stories, and anecdotes by elderly people to make them feel more part of their community and more connected with younger people, which will then form various art projects throughout the city
Next Door But One – ‘A Rehearsal for Life’ – providing young adults with multiple and complex disabilities a safe space to explore feelings of fear, anxiety and safety about real-life experiences through theatre, to help them develop personal resilience and social skills for when these scenarios arise
Thunk-It Theatre – ‘Enchanted’ – enticing members of the local community to enjoy creative green spaces in our city to reduce isolation and loneliness using craft-making and storytelling
Pilot Theatre – ‘Creative Connections with Sanctuary-Seekers’ – creating a series of arts, crafts, and dance sessions to welcome sanctuary-seekers into York and provide them a safe space to socialise, including Ukrainian refugees in York
Converge – ‘An Exhibition of Sanctuary: from the hospital to the city’ – creating works of art with patients at Foss Park Mental Health Hospital to explore ideas of sanctuary in a stressful, busy world which will later form an exhibition in the city

National Centre for Early Music – ‘Baroque around the Books’ – a tour of musical performances around York Explore community libraries to encourage creative conversations and share musical experiences with members of the community
Bolshee – ‘Bolshee Women’ – an exploration of contemporary autobiographical performance techniques which will result in a co-created performance that aims to combat social isolation of women over the age of 25
‘The Artery for Health’ led by heritage and cultural learning consultant Karen Merrifield – establishing a programme to understand how artists and cultural organisations can provide solace, support and comfort for patients and healthcare professionals through art therapy and art interventions.

Helen Apsey, Head of Culture and Wellbeing at Make It York, says: “This year’s Cultural Wellbeing Grants projects reflect the immense breadth and diversity of cultural initiatives taking place in the city to support people’s mental wellbeing, and to reduce isolation. They range from creative activity sessions for sanctuary-seekers in York, to an art exhibition by patients at Foss Park Mental Health Hospital, through to a programme of performance techniques to combat social isolation in women over 25.

“The Cultural Wellbeing Grants are a really important scheme to support residents’ wellbeing, which is at the heart of the York Culture Strategy. It’s a privilege to be able to support these vital initiatives from Make It York.”

Councillor Darryl Smalley, Executive Member for Culture, Leisure and Communities, says: “The Cultural Wellbeing Grants are a really vital scheme, building on our work in tackling isolation and supporting mental health across the city. This is particularly important in the aftermath of the pandemic. Thank you to all those organisations who submitted so many excellent bids, it’s great once again to see how many creative institutions there are across York.

“The successful projects, from singing lessons to intergenerational art, will all deliver crucial support in bolstering residents’ health and wellbeing. I look forward to seeing these projects deliver a real difference across York’s communities.”

ENDS

For more information:

Sarah Foster and Brittany Guymer, Communications Team at Make It York

Comms@makeityork.com

Notes to Editors:

Further information for the Cultural Wellbeing grants can be found here: https://www.makeityork.com/culture/cultural-wellbeing-grants

If you have any queries or need support with the grant processes, please email: Carl.wain@york.gov.uk

About Make It York

These are:

City positioning and profile-raising
Ensuring an exciting city centre
Delivering the city’s ground-breaking Culture Strategy

Brittany Guymer

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