Vespertine’s Autumn Programme Launched

This autumn, visitors and residents of York will be invited to become vespertine creatures* to venture into York in the early evening and experience a variety of free contemporary cultural events with the launch of the latest series of events designed to stimulate York’s early evening economy.

There will be a rare opportunity to take a musical guided tour around York’s unfurnished Mansion house; a colourful trail of artworks along Fossgate and Walmgate; theatrical performances in York Castle Museums’ prison cells; as well as an archaeological themed adventure of projections, sculptures and soundscapes at St Saviour’s Church.

“Each of the Vespertine events is very different in format, and we have been delighted with the way that the public has reacted and engaged with the first three Vespertine events that took place over summer,” explains Lucy Barker, one of the projects Creative Producers. “The venues and partners have been incredible to work with: St Helens’ Square, the York Cold War Bunker, Barley Hall, City Screen and St Martins Church. York has so many fantastic spaces and organisations, the possibilities for creating intriguing cultural events are endless!”

The Autumn programme encompasses a wide variety of new collaborations between arts, heritage and commercial organisations. Each event is unique but all have the common aim of creating new, challenging and accessible events for everyone to experience, from local residents who are encouraged to visit the city centre after the normal working day, to visitors looking for something to bridge the gap between daytime and evening activities.

The events will take place monthly from September to December and are all free to attend. Each event takes place for one night only - for more details visit www.vespertineyork.com.

*Vesper is a Latin term meaning evening. Vespertine is an animal, plant or star that is active, blooms or appears in the evening. Eg. fox, moth, bat, orchid, owl…

Photo opportunity:

Free arts event

Sunday 27thSeptember 2015, 4.00-7.00pm

Mansion House and York Food & Drink Festival

Contact:

Lucy Barker (07879048616), Yvonne Carmichael (07815780179)

Email: vespertineyork@gmail.com

Full Programme Details

Vespertine is a series of 18 free, early evening, cultural events to be held in some of York’s beautiful spaces and places of heritage, all held in the early evening

hours between 4pm and 8pm approximately every month.

Mansion House Masquerade

Sunday September 27th 4.00-7.00pm

Mansion House, St Helens Square and York Food & Drink Festival Bar, Parliament Street

Masks will be provided. Appearances may be deceiving.

Vespertine cordially invites the people of York and beyond, to a guided tour of the Mansion House, with a twist!  This event will be a rare opportunity to see the Mansion House as it is awaiting renovation; the unfurnished, raw building will provide the perfect backdrop for performances and music. Contributors will include fine artist and photographer Rhianna Mayhew, multi-instrumental duo McWatt and Sheffield’s 30 piece ‘anti-choir’ Juxtavoices.

This event is free (booking essential though as places are limited) and is part of York Food and Drink festival’s programme.

VESP#04 Partners: York Food and Drink Festival and York Mansion House

Wednesday October 28th 6.00-9.00pm

The Castle Museum

A unique opportunity to spend some time in the depths of the Castle Museum.

Pilot theatre invite you to enter the museum’s corridors and cells housing lost voices and found stories. This event is part of Pilot theatre’s week-long production in the Castle Museum called A Restless Place.

There will also be family workshops and artistic responses inspired by graffiti and poetry taken from the prison cell walls. VESP#05 is part of this year’s Illuminating York.  Food will be provided to fuel hungry festival-goers.

VESP#05 Partners: Pilot Theatre and York Museums Trust

The Silk Road

Wednesday November 11th 4.30-7.30pm

Trail starting at the top of Fossgate leading to National Centre for Early Music

Join us on a colourful trail of performance, music and visual art along Fossgate and Walmgate leading to National Centre for Early Music.

VESP#06 Partners: York St John University and the National Centre for Early Music

Thursday December 10th 4.30-7.30pm

DIG, St Saviour’s Church, St Saviourgate, York YO1 8NN

Exciting and groundbreaking archaeological research taking place at University of York is the inspiration for Vespertine’s final event of 2015! Phytoliths, skeletons of cells that allow identification of plants from thousands of years ago - giving us vital information about our history - are to be transformed into 3-D printed sculptures, light projections and festive decorations. DIG will also play host to a soundscape created through York St Johns’ Converge project and there will be plenty of opportunities to get hands-on with activities for all ages.

In addition, there will be an opportunity to meet the expert, Archaeobotanist and Researcher Hayley Mcparland at 4pm before the event to learn more about this fascinating process.

Notes for Editors

Background info

Vespertine has emerged from a collaboration between York Archaeological Trust, York Theatre Royal, York City Council, Make it York and York at Large to create a series of cultural art installations and events in the early evening between May 2015 and December 2016.  Each free event will provide a platform for new partnerships between heritage organisations, cultural organisations and artists.

The events programme will present a range of art forms from music and performance to light projections and art installations all with the aim of inviting audiences to see York through new eyes. Activities will take place in the early evening for three hours and will bring to life the space between work and play; the time between the shops and offices closing and before the city’s evening activities commence.

Each event will have live and visual elements as well as audience interaction so there will be plenty of opportunities for photographs. Both Yvonne and Lucy are happy to talk further about the project.

CONTACT:

Co-creative Producers

Lucy Barker: 07879048616

Yvonne Carmichael: 07815780179