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Community events

Community events‌

As well as a range of talks and performances, the Festival of Ideas also includes a wide variety of events for the whole community in the city. Whether you're learning creative writing or finding out about orienteering, the whole family can find something to enjoy.

Throughout the festival

These events take place throughout the Festival, at various times.

Early years sessions at DIG - weekends, 11am-3pm, DIG York

Events for children under 5. "The Frozen North" on the first weekend, "The Sunny South" on the second. £3 per child, with one adult/carer free.

Celtic eucharist - daily except Wednesday and weekends, 12pm, St Helen's Church

Drawing on the treasures of the Celtic Christian tradition, these sessions of worship are an opportunity to participate in the forms of worship which predominated in York when it was the capital of the kingdom of Deira in Northumbria, and before the synod of Whitby in 664 determined that England should follow the traditions of the Roman Church.

Jacobean schools comedy workshop - times by arrangement, Department of theatre, film and television, University of York

To coincide with The Dutch Courtesan, theatre director Tom Wright explores the challenges of staging Jacobean comedy in this fun and practical workshop. Tom will use techniques drawing from mask, clowning and commedia del arte to explore the skills needed to play a trickster on stage.

Past events

Faber Academy: How to get published

Saturday 29 June 2013

From the grand old publishing houses through to self-publishing on Amazon, never before have there been so many options open to new writers wanting to publish their first novel. Richard Skinner will discuss the pros and cons of these options. He will also discuss how to write synopses, pitches and letters to agents.

Faber Academy: From idea to first draft

Saturday 29 June 2013

Where do ideas for novels come from? And how do we ensure we make it to the end of a first draft? Using plenty of examples and writing exercises, Richard Skinner will discuss and explore ways of creating ideas, how to plan your novel and how to complete a first draft.

Jacobean comedy workshop

Saturday 22 June 2013

To coincide with The Dutch Courtesan, theatre director Tom Wright explores the challenges of staging Jacobean comedy in this fun and practical workshop. Tom will use techniques drawing from mask, clowning and commedia del arte to explore the skills needed to play a trickster on stage. Open to all.

Storytelling - Tales from Yorkshire

Saturday 22 June 2013

Artefacts on display in the Yorkshire Museum are brought to life through stories written by University of York students. Inspired by three exhibitions at the Museum, these stories will explore York’s Anglo Saxon heritage, the life of the Mesolithic site at Star Carr, and the life and adventures of Tempest Anderson.

Making the Chocolate City

Saturday 22 June 2013

Learn how to make the products that made York the Chocolate City, visit the Lord Mayor’s kitchen to discover the ingredients and recipes that sweetened York's story as it developed from a Medieval trading city to become the home of the world's most famous chocolate bars.

Science out of the lab

Saturday 22 June 2013

Come along to this hands-on interactive event which explores the treatment and prevention of a range of chronic diseases and disorders that affect people of all ages. This is an opportunity to talk face-to-face with scientists who work to prevent and cure disease to develop an understanding about the various dimensions of chronic diseases and disorders – scientifically and historically.

Orienteering event

Wednesday 19 June 2013

Everyone is welcome at this informal evening event whether beginner or expert. You will receive a large-scale map of Brayton Barff and have to navigate around a course of about two-miles in length – it will (should) take you less than an hour and you will receive a finishing time. Bring a compass and wear outdoor clothing.

Writing on the edge

Tuesday 18 June 2013

A two-hour workshop, open to all, which will explore the notion of edges: the borders of conscious/unconscious, the shoreline, space, urban/rural, the edges of lands and bodies. Abi Curtis and JT Welsch, writers and lecturers on the York St John Creative Writing programme, will facilitate discussion and writing exercises.

Eborienteers Club Championships

Sunday 16 June 2013

Everyone is welcome at the Club Championships whether beginner or expert. Have a go at navigating around a two-mile course on Clifton Backies Nature Reserve – it will (should) take you less than an hour and you will receive a finishing time. Bring a compass and wear outdoor clothing.

Festival Fringe family fun afternoon

Saturday 15 June 2013

An afternoon of fun activities for the community - suitable for children and their parents - led by postgraduate students from the University of York.

Chemistry, collections and conservation

Saturday 15 June 2013

Join curators and learning staff at the Yorkshire Museum to find out why an understanding of chemistry is essential to caring for their internationally significant natural science collections. See examples of conservation, good and bad, and learn about the effects of the environment on the specimens.