Category Archives: Events

Events, News

Driffield Singer To Perform At Whisky Distillery

Driffield singer, songwriter and guitarist Andy Stones has been wooed out of semi-retirement to perform at Spirit of Yorkshire’s next Distillery Session on 29th April.

“Back out of ‘retirement’, we’re extremely excited to welcome the wonderful Andy Stones back to the Pot Still Coffee Shop stage. Writing and playing on and off for 20 years, he’s picked up varied influences along the way from people such as Paul Simon, John Martyn and Clive Gregson, but his style is very much his own. He’ll be playing a mix of covers and his own writing, and we can’t wait to be singing along again,” said Spirit of Yorkshire marketing director Jenni Ashwood.

Spirit of Yorkshire co-founders Tom Mellor and David Thompson share a love of live music and designed the Pot Still Coffee Shop to accommodate a live band without overpowering the room.

Seating just 40, the Pot Still Coffee Shop at the Spirit of Yorkshire is a small, intimate venue that attracts lovers of live music and good food.

Forthcoming events at the Pot Still Coffee Shop at The Spirit of Yorkshire include more Distillery Sessions and the annual Distillery Open Day on 29th July.

Tours of the Distillery, home to Yorkshire’s first single malt whisky, Filey Bay, are available seven days a week. Home-made refreshments are served in the Pot Still Coffee Shop that overlooks the stills from 9.30 am – 4 pm Monday – Saturday and 10 am – 3 pm Sundays.

Arts & Culture Headlines, Events, News, Wakefield

The Weston Gallery Announces Solo Art Exhibition

Lindsey Mendick’s solo exhibition will transform The Weston Gallery at Yorkshire Sculpture Park (YSP), taking the form of a multi-media installation that investigates dreams, Gothic stories, television and cultural experiences from the 1990s. Bringing the artist’s recurring anxiety dream to life, Where The Bodies Are Buried takes the form of a decaying house with dark secrets beneath the floorboards.

Works will include ceramics and stained glass emerging from the floor as hands, feet and limbs, with a film playing across several screens creating a chorus for simultaneous viewing. Anxiety dreams have long inspired artists and writers, ranging from Eve’s prophetic dream about eating the forbidden fruit in Paradise Lost, to Surrealist paintings and sculpture depicting hauntings and dream-states. The phrase ‘where the bodies are buried’ means to possess information or secrets about a person or organisation. In Mendick’s installation, the secrets are both literal and metaphorical, the buried bodies signifying her fear of being ‘found out’ and misdeeds of the past being unearthed.

The installation references the popular 1990s UK soap opera Brookside, in which abusive husband and father Terry Jordache was stabbed to death by his wife Mandy in 1993. Mandy buried his body under the patio, assisted by their daughter Beth who was played by Anna Friel.

In a storyline watched and discussed by millions, the body was eventually discovered in 1995 and Mandy and Beth were charged and imprisoned. Mendick reflects on this plotline and the simultaneous, communal television viewing and shared cultural experience of 1990s soaps. Her work mirrors the tensions, crescendo and drama of years-long narratives, in contrast to contemporary on-demand viewing culture.

Mendick also draws on Edgar Allan Poe’s 1843 short story The Tell-Tale Heart in which a murderer is plagued by the sound of a heartbeat. He assumes it is that of his victim buried below the floorboards, but the sound is likely the narrator’s own heart betraying him. The story is a powerful reflection on paranoia and guilt, driven by the pounding heartbeat as a rhythmic compulsion to confess.

Mendick creates worlds layered with personal anecdotes, timeless myths and popular culture references. She works predominantly with clay – a material that has historically been associated with decoration and the domestic sphere. She acknowledges and subverts these associations, creating intricate works that explore the roles and experiences of women in society. Dark comedy permeates Mendick’s practice, and her confessional approach knowingly combines crushing self-doubt with sensational honesty. Her installations draw on the artist’s own stories and memories, with humorous, grotesque and beautiful results.

While exploring personal anxieties, the installation will draw attention to the layers of history and the lives that have played out on YSP’s grounds over centuries. Seams of clay, Mendick’s primary medium, are present within the earth on the 500-acre site. The clay is intermingled with coal fragments which, via extraction and exhuming elsewhere in Yorkshire, brought wealth and status to the families who shaped this landscape.

The exhibition is supported by Jigsaw Foundation.

Business, Events, Leeds, Manufacturing News, West Yorkshire

Career Opportunities In The Spotlight In Leeds Festival

Manufacturing employers from across Leeds will come together next week to launch a programme of events aimed at highlighting the latest career opportunities available in the modern manufacturing and engineering sectors in the city and the wider region.

A high-profile launch event kicking off the Leeds Manufacturing Festival will take place at Leeds City College’s flagship Printworks Campus on 22 February, with keynote speakers West Yorkshire Mayor Tracey Brabin and Stephen Phipson, chief executive of manufacturing employers’ organisation MAKE UK topping the bill.

West Yorkshire is home to around 5,600 manufacturing firms employing over 104,000 people and Leeds is the UK’s third largest manufacturing centre by local authority area.

Leeds Manufacturing Festival, now in its sixth year, will focus on connecting young people with potential employers, addressing the recruitment challenges that continue to affect the industry, with 85% of employers in the sector struggling to recruit new talent, according to a British Chambers of Commerce survey published this month.

The 2023 festival programme, which runs until July, will include a manufacturing careers showcase, where employers will meet students to talk about the varied roles on offer within the industry; a careers panel enabling school students to question employers and current apprentices face-to-face about the realities of working in manufacturing; as well as factory visits to firms across Leeds.

A highlight of the festival will be the return of the Next Gen Awards, in April, celebrating the achievements of outstanding young people working in the industry and a new category recognising the commitment of employers to training and development of their employees.

West Yorkshire Mayor Tracey Brabin said: “Young people are key when it comes to building a green and resilient manufacturing sector – and there are so many exciting opportunities for them across our region. Whether it be as a budding engineering specialist or a bespoke furniture craftsperson, innovative new ways of manufacturing will help us to achieve our ambition of becoming net-zero by 2038.”

“This unique festival will provide insight into selling West Yorkshire products in the UK and beyond and is sure to inspire the next generation to boost their skills and pursue a career in manufacturing.”

MAKE UK’s Stephen Phipson added: “Manufacturing already provides 2.5m jobs across the whole of the UK, jobs which pay higher wages than the whole economy and give lifelong opportunities for career progression and development. The sector is responsible for 64% of all UK industrial research and development and just over half of Britain’s exports are goods.”

“However, there are currently 78,000 manufacturing vacancies across the UK with many companies saying that key roles are remaining unfilled for 12 months at a time. This chronic labour shortage highlights the vital importance of events like Leeds Manufacturing Festival in attracting new talent into our vibrant, innovative and exciting sector.”

Ben Wilson, chair of Leeds Manufacturing Alliance and director of Leeds-based glass reinforced plastic moulds manufacturer MPM, said: “As we get ready to launch the sixth year of the festival there’s a real buzz around the initiative, with both manufacturing employers and students across Leeds excited about the upcoming programme of events.”

“The festival is all about highlighting the huge range of exciting and well-paid careers that are on offer in the sector. Modern workplaces and innovation are hallmarks of manufacturing in Leeds and we should look to a bright future, and not the misplaced stereotypes of the past. People working in the sector derive immense satisfaction and pride from being part of a practical process that is, actually making things – it’s a hugely creative industry and a great sector to work in.”

Also featured in the Leeds Manufacturing Festival launch event on 22 February will be a panel of industry experts who will take questions from the audience. The line-up will include Amanda McLaren, managing director of iconic Leeds textile company AW Hainsworth; Mitch Scott, head of engineering at Leeds City College; Matt Booth, business manager from manufacturing and engineering sector recruiter E3 Recruitment’s, as well as manufacturing festival chair Ben Wilson.
To find out more about the festival and get involved, visit the event website here

Community, Events, Other News

Celebrations For Anne Lister’s Birthday Festival

Organisations across Calderdale and the wider West Yorkshire region are coming together to celebrate the life, loves and legacy of Shibden Hall’s most famous resident, Anne Lister.

The famous landowner, entrepreneur, mountaineer, scholar, traveller, and lesbian, Anne Lister was born in Halifax on 3 April 1791. To celebrate the anniversary of her birth, Calderdale Council is supporting a packed programme of events as part of the Anne Lister Birthday Festival.

The festival runs from Monday 27 March until Monday 3 April and includes over 70 events, ranging from walks, talks, lectures, painting workshops. The full programme and how to buy tickets is available here. Some events have already sold out, so fans are encouraged to book as soon as possible.

Calderdale Council’s Cabinet Member for Public Services and Communities, Cllr Jenny Lynn, said: “The life and legacy of Anne Lister continues to inspire, and we’re delighted to be able to present a full programme of events to celebrate this extraordinary woman.”

“The incredible success of Sally Wainwright’s, Gentleman Jack brought Anne’s story to a wider audience and we’re expecting visitors from across the world to festival events and Calderdale’s cultural venues.”

“Some events have already sold out and we’ve had a lot of interest, particularly from the USA. In fact, we’re already expecting over 300 people to make the trip from the states to Calderdale for Anne’s birthday.”

Calderdale Council’s Cabinet Member for Regeneration and Strategy, Cllr Jane Scullion, said: “Screen tourism is increasingly important to Calderdale’s visitor economy and the ongoing popularity of the borough as a filming location is bringing further tourism benefits to the area.”

“Gentleman Jack has been a cultural phenomenon and has inspired many visitors to come and walk in Anne’s footsteps and experience our vibrant towns and villages for themselves.”

“The Anne Lister Birthday Festival is an opportunity to explore the places she knew, lived in and visited, and to learn more about her life with new and exclusive events.”

In addition to individual events, Shibden Hall, which was Anne’s home and is the focus of the BBC drama series ‘Gentleman Jack’, will be open daily throughout the festival. Tickets must be booked in advance here, where you can also confirm opening times.

Halifax Minster, where Anne worshipped and was baptised and buried, will also be open every day throughout the festival.

Special events are being held at Bankfield Museum, Halifax Central Library, The Piece Hall and Dean Clough. A special hop-on, hop-off shuttle bus is running throughout the festival, from Halifax town centre to Shibden Hall, Bankfield Museum and Dean Clough on a loop throughout the day.

More information about the festival and other attractions and events happening around the borough, as well as details of where to stay and what to do in Calderdale, is available here

Business, Events, Hull

Hull To Boost Filming Locations

Hull is stepping up its profile as a filming location hotspot just as Apple TV arrive with the city’s biggest production to date.

‘Blitz’ is currently filming at locations across the city, including Hepworth Arcade and Walton Street fairground, over the next two and a half weeks, and has recruited more than 750 extras to be involved.

Hull City Council is now capitalising on this and other successful productions, including Enola Holmes 2, The Crown, The Extraordinary Life of David Copperfield and A Royal Night Out, by developing a TV and Film Prospectus and marketing plan.

The prospectus will detail how the council has moved from simply being a location finder to a full-service provider. It sets out all the services the council can offer, including professional management services, client liaison and onsite operational delivery.

The council’s partnership with Screen Yorkshire has helped to showcase the city to national and international location managers and producers, resulting in regular site visits and more filming already scheduled. The prospectus will help to further promote the city’s offer to this important creative sector.

The Leader of the council, Councillor Mike Ross, said: “The council’s events and destinations teams have been working closely with film and TV location managers for a number of years now, building strong relationships and the reputation of the city as a prime location.”

“It is clear we can and do provide more than just somewhere that looks great – we have an incredibly professional set-up and our reputation is building across the film industry.”

“But now we want to take it up to the next level, and that’s why we’re now launching our prospectus. I am sure our city can reap the reward as Hull takes on more of these exciting productions.”

“Having these large-scale productions in the city is not just fantastic for our residents to see and be part of – it has a real financial benefit. With crews filling our hotel spaces and using our leisure and hospitality offer, most productions will recruit extras from the local area too. This brings in upwards of £250,000 direct spend across the city’s hospitality, retail and accommodation sectors.”

Apple TV’s current filming continues this month across various locations. The TV and Film Prospectus will be launched shortly.

Communication, Communication Headlines, Education News, Events, Feature Headlines, News, News Headlines, People, Sheffield, University Headlines, University News

UK’s Largest Research Streaming Platform Launched

The UK’s biggest research streaming platform has been launched by the University of Sheffield to enable anyone, anywhere to discover and explore its pioneering research.

The University of Sheffield Player, officially launched this week (Monday 30 January 2023), brings together videos, podcasts and digital exhibitions all about University of Sheffield research, which anyone, from anywhere can access at anytime – making the University’s research more accessible than ever before.

From art to artificial intelligence, climate change to cutting-edge medicine, food security to societal issues, there is something on the Player to feed every curiosity.

The unique platform offers a curated library of quality, evidence-based content that showcases the work of Sheffield’s internationally-recognised researchers – who are leaders in their fields, working to tackle many of the problems that affect us all. The Player makes this research accessible, engaging and freely available to all, in one place for the first time.

Professor Vanessa Toulmin, Director of City and Culture at the University of Sheffield, said: “Our vision at the University of Sheffield is to deliver life-enhancing research that not only transforms the lives of our graduates, but shapes the world we live in. A key part of this is sharing our research with people outside of the University – making the breakthroughs our academics achieve accessible to people throughout Sheffield, the South Yorkshire region, the rest of the UK and around the world.”

“By launching the University of Sheffield Player we are making our research more openly available than ever before. It’s bringing our research into one single place that anyone, anywhere can access and explore, which we hope will mean even more people will benefit from the discoveries our academics make every day.”

The Player has been specially designed to be easy to explore and access.

You can start by scrolling through the Homepage to discover featured items on a range of different subjects.

Or, if you are interested in a particular theme or topic, you can take a look at Channels and Categories using dropdown menus at the top of each page. There is a curated selection of videos, podcasts, exhibitions and playlists within the Player’s four Channels: Arts & Culture; Environment & Sustainability; People & Place; and Science & Technology.

To find content relating to more specific topics, you can click on one of the 20+ Category headings in the dropdown menu. The Categories cover everything from Poetry, History and Well-being, to Engineering, Nature and Sustainability.

The Player enables anyone to explore University of Sheffield festivals and playlists, through its Series list. This includes: Highlights from 2021, the Sounds of the Cosmos video series, Festival of the Mind, Off the Shelf Festival of Words and Understanding Society.

Alternatively, a search of the A-Z listings opens up a world of content from Sheffield research such as Age of Love, a light-hearted, sensitive look at sexuality in older age to Zoomshock, a dynamic animated video into the societal effects of remote working.

Professor Vanessa Toulmin, added: “The launch of the platform opens up a world of possibilities for us to further develop how we share our research and make a difference to people’s lives. At launch, the Player has over 250 videos, podcasts and exhibitions, but this is just the start – new content will be added every week and we’re looking forward to exploring how we can use it to share our research with the public.”

Professor Koen Lamberts, Vice-Chancellor of the University of Sheffield, said: “The launch of the University of Sheffield Player marks a key milestone in how the University shares its research with the public. We have long made our research open and accessible, such as through the many different public events our academics take part in throughout each year, the expert commentary they provide to the world’s media and the outreach work they do with schools and groups in our local communities.

“Now the Player brings our public engagement activities together in one place, so that anyone can access it from anywhere at anytime. This provides a platform for our research to reach more people than ever before.”

To start exploring the Player, visit here.

Arts & Culture Headlines, Charity Headlines, Events, Health & Welfare, Lifestyle, News, News Headlines, North Yorkshire

Young & Old Come Together For National StoryTelling Week

A group of pupils from Richard Taylor Primary School joined residents at not-for-profit organisation, Harrogate Neighbours for an afternoon of reading and reminiscing to mark National Storytelling Week (30th January – 5th February).

The year four children were excited to read and share their picture books, school reading books and a few of their personal favourites, including Kitchen Disco, Tear Thief and The Enormous Turnip with the residents at The Cuttings, Harrogate Neighbours’ extra care living scheme.

Talking about the visit, one pupil said, “it was really fun and so nice to see all the older people happy – we were laughing and giggling as Alan read a funny story to us.”

92-year-old, Alan added, “I loved it – I used to read stories to my grandchildren who are now in their 20s!.”

“I used to be a chemist and I have a PHD, but that doesn’t change anything – I like children, I think most people do, and I will do anything to take part, it’s great fun.”

This isn’t the first time the children have visited The Cuttings, the relationship between the school and Harrogate Neighbours was formed during lockdown when pupils were recorded reading stories to residents which were then played at The Cuttings to help with social isolation.

The recent visit forms part of Project CARE – an initiative Richard Taylor Primary School is involved in which seeks to raise awareness for primary aged children of the challenges the aging process brings so they can gain a better understanding and appreciation of older people.

Andrew Symonds, headteacher at Richard Taylor Primary School said, “Our partnership with Harrogate Neighbours is such an important one for Richard Taylor School; bringing the elderly and young together and building friendships and understanding between the two groups is such a valuable project and I hope that it can continue to flourish.”

CEO of Harrogate Neighbours, Sue Cawthray said, “It’s always so wonderful welcoming the pupils from Richard Taylor Primary School. They lift the spirits at The Cuttings and it’s lovely to see them interacting with the residents.”

“Reading and storytelling is a fantastic form of reminiscence therapy, particularly for the residents living with dementia. – we are really grateful for the relationship we have formed with Andrew and the fantastic staff at the school and we’re already looking forward to their next visit.”

To find out more about Harrogate Neighbours, become a volunteer or fundraise, visit here:

Events, Out & About

East Yorkshire Brewery To Introduce Brewhouse Music Sessions

Tickets have gone on sale for the first of an East Yorkshire brewery’s music nights. Emerging Withernsea singer-songwriter, Connor Penson will perform at Wold Newton-based Wold Top Brewery on 17th February and guests can expect a relaxed evening of live music, beer and food.

“We’re very excited to launch our brewhouse sessions with a set from Connor. Influenced by Folk, Country and Blues, he is known for his silky vocals and raw acoustic playing and will be performing both original music and covers. It promises to be a great evening and we’re really looking forward to it,” said Susie Freeman From Wold Top’s events team.

Tickets for the event, which starts at 7pm on Friday, 17th February, cost £10 per person and include a pint or a soft drink. There is an option to pre-order food for an additional £7. You can book online here or by calling 01723 892222.

The music night is one of a series of events to take place throughout the year, including music bingo, a charity quiz night and an open day to celebrate the brewery’s 20th anniversary.

Wold Top was founded in 2003 and is located on the Mellor family farm at Hunmanby Grange near Filey. The team use home-grown barley and water from the farm’s borehole to produce a range of award-winning cask, keg and bottled beers that are available throughout Yorkshire and nationwide.

Arts & Culture, Arts & Culture Headlines, Events, Other News, Out & About

New Solo Exhibition At Sculpture Park Inspired By Wensleydale Landscape

Yorkshire Sculpture Park (YSP) has announced a new, solo exhibition of limited edition prints by Simon Palmer inspired by the landscape of Wensleydale, North Yorkshire.

Regarded as one of the UK’s leading watercolour artists, Simon Palmer’s solo exhibition Observation of Landscape draws inspiration from and celebrates the beauty of the Yorkshire Dales around Wensleydale where he has lived and worked for the last 40 years.

Known for his distinctive approach to watercolour, Palmer intricately captures shapes, patterns, sunlight and shadow. His deep links to a specific place align him to a British landscape tradition that includes artists such as Paul Nash, Graham Sutherland and Eric Ravilious. Palmer walks close to his home every day, filling sketchbooks with rapid pen and ink drawings. Narrow lanes, railway bridges, drystone walls, farms, ancient trees, woodland and the moors; each scene is a starting point for his paintings, which use a subtle colour palette to capture the seasons.

Observation of Landscape features a collection of 18 limited edition giclée prints of original watercolour paintings. The editions will be available to purchase in YSP Shops and online, with proceeds supporting YSP’s charitable work. The prints have been created from Palmer’s much sought-after watercolour paintings dated from 1993-2021, that depict quintessentially English scenes, reminiscent of wartime paintings from the 1940s. Each work is numbered, titled and signed by the artist and printed onto Hahnemuhle Matt Fine Art Textured Albrecht Durer 210 gsm paper in an edition of 100.

YSP has developed a series of products to accompany the exhibition which includes three mini prints featuring the works Cycling Home, Ascending from the Bridge and Novices Searching for Their Souls, and a pack of 10 A5 postcards. The mini prints will retail at £10 and the postcard pack at £12.

Palmer has exhibited worldwide, and his works are in many public collections including the National Trust and the Penn Club, London as well as private collections in the UK, USA, Australia and Japan. He was awarded an honorary membership to the Royal Institute of Painters in Watercolour in 2007.

The exhibition is supported by the Portland Gallery.

Business, Events, Leeds, News, People, People Headlines, Professional Insights

Lean In Leeds Launches Women Of Excellence Awards

Lean In Leeds, one of the biggest women’s networking groups in Yorkshire, is celebrating the incredible women of the region by launching its inaugural Women of Excellence Awards, which will take place at Sky Bet on Wednesday 22 March, to tie in with International Women’s Day.

“We decided it was high time that we celebrated the incredible women in the Yorkshire region with our own awards,” explains Claire Ackers, chair of Lean In Leeds. “Our vision is to do something a little bit different than the other awards ceremonies out there. We want to shine a light on women at all ages and stages, especially those who aren’t typically involved in conventional awards ceremonies.”

Categories include The Yorkshire Rose Award for rising stars, The Sending the Lift Back Down Award for women helping other women up the ranks; and The Grit and Graft Award to recognise extraordinary perseverance and resilience; amongst others. Nominations are free and open to all via the Lean In Leeds website, until Friday 27 January.

The entries will be judged by an independent panel made up of Anna Sutton, CEO of the Data Shed and the Data Refinery, Eve Roodhouse from Leeds City Council, Juliette Atkinson, IT director of University of Bradford, Karen Landells from Deloitte and Tracy Fletcher, MD of Campbell and Fletcher.

Sponsored by a raft of Yorkshire-based businesses including Deloitte, Flutter, Sky Bet, Leeds University Business School, Glean, Panintelligence, XSEM, Bruntwood and Reward Finance Group; the Women of Excellence Awards are fundraising in aid of Smart Works Leeds, which helps women get back into employment.

“The support we’ve had from the Yorkshire business community for these awards, and for our free events and our mentoring scheme has been amazing, continues Claire Ackers. “Thanks to our sponsors, the Women of Excellence Awards are free to attend with charity donations in aid of Smart Works Leeds. To be able to ‘pay it forward’ by supporting a charity which is very close to our hearts, is a real source of pride.”

Lean In Leeds is a not-for-profit organisation run entirely by volunteers. Founded over seven years ago, it has over 1100 members and has run over 60 free events in Leeds and the surrounding areas, supported by local businesses. It also has a thriving mentoring scheme and welcomes anybody who supports their primary focus of gender equality.

Find out more about the awards and make your nomination here.