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Performances and films

Past events

Previous events

Children, Conflict and the Art(s) of Hope

Sunday 25 June 2017

Join us for an exhibition on the life of Anne Frank and a performance by Bootham School pupils. Developed with their tutor Simon Benson, the pupils’ performance is inspired by young people’s art in response to conflicts of the past and present, and the research of the University of York’s Lisa Peschel from the AHRC-funded project Performing the Jewish Archive.

Children, Conflict and the Art(s) of Hope

Saturday 24 June 2017

Join us for an exhibition on the life of Anne Frank and a performance by Bootham School pupils. Developed with their tutor Simon Benson, the pupils’ performance is inspired by young people’s art in response to conflicts of the past and present, and the research of the University of York’s Lisa Peschel from the AHRC-funded project Performing the Jewish Archive.

John Dryden: Amphitryon; Or, The Two Sosias

Sunday 18 June 2017

The Restoration playwright Dryden reinvents this oft-recounted classical myth with brilliant comic invention and a moving sense of human lives turned awry by forces they cannot resist.

LUMA Film Festival

Sunday 18 June 2017

Come along to the LUMA Film Festival for a glimpse of the future of filmmaking. As well as gala screenings of the work of budding filmmakers at the University of York, leading talent from across the UK film and television industry will give talks and run inspirational workshops.

John Dryden: Amphitryon; Or, The Two Sosias

Saturday 17 June 2017

The Restoration playwright Dryden reinvents this oft-recounted classical myth with brilliant comic invention and a moving sense of human lives turned awry by forces they cannot resist.

LUMA Film Festival

Saturday 17 June 2017

Come along to the LUMA Film Festival for a glimpse of the future of filmmaking. As well as gala screenings of the work of budding filmmakers at the University of York, leading talent from across the UK film and television industry will give talks and run inspirational workshops.

John Dryden: Amphitryon; Or, The Two Sosias

Friday 16 June 2017

The Restoration playwright Dryden reinvents this oft-recounted classical myth with brilliant comic invention and a moving sense of human lives turned awry by forces they cannot resist.

Music Beyond Borders

Friday 16 June 2017

Join Amrit Kaur Lohia, a sarangi player and vocalist in the genres of Punjabi folk, jazz and soul, as she explores ‘music beyond borders’. Through music written for women by women, and beginning with pre-partition Punjab, she tells stories of partition and the violence women experienced in 1947. The set features a sarangi instrumental, Punjabi folk songs and the poetry of acclaimed Punjabi writer, Amrita Pritam. Amrit will be accompanied by her brother Pratab Singh on tabla.

Music Beyond Borders

Friday 16 June 2017

Join Amrit Kaur Lohia, a sarangi player and vocalist in the genres of Punjabi folk, jazz and soul, as she explores ‘music beyond borders’. Through music written for women by women, and beginning with pre-partition Punjab, she tells stories of partition and the violence women experienced in 1947. The set features a sarangi instrumental, Punjabi folk songs and the poetry of acclaimed Punjabi writer, Amrita Pritam. Amrit will be accompanied by her brother Pratab Singh on tabla.

Junior Musicians: A Story to Tell

Friday 16 June 2017

Come along and listen to talented young musicians from Scotland’s specialist music school as they make their debut appearance at the Festival. The varied recital by junior instrumentalists from St Mary’s Music School, Edinburgh features strings, woodwind, piano and saxophone - all with a story to tell.

The Brain in Performance

Thursday 15 June 2017

Come along and explore our connections with nature, outer space and the brain through an immersive audio-visual experience. The collaborative project, presented by Beau Stocker, Ben Eyes and Mohammed Mohanna, all postgraduate students at the University of York, will include live experimental electronic/acoustic music and immersive full-wall video projections in the 3Sixty room.

John Dryden: Amphitryon; Or, The Two Sosias

Thursday 15 June 2017

The Restoration playwright Dryden reinvents this oft-recounted classical myth with brilliant comic invention and a moving sense of human lives turned awry by forces they cannot resist.

The Brain in Performance

Thursday 15 June 2017

Come along and explore our connections with nature, outer space and the brain through an immersive audio-visual experience. The collaborative project, presented by Beau Stocker, Ben Eyes and Mohammed Mohanna, all postgraduate students at the University of York, will include live experimental electronic/acoustic music and immersive full-wall video projections in the 3Sixty room.

Beer and Beowulf: The poetry of things

Wednesday 14 June 2017

Beer and poetry often went together in Anglo-Saxon England, and the hall was celebrated as the place of community and creativity. Come and join us in the beorsele or beer-hall of the Duke of York pub, for our annual evening of Anglo-Saxon beer and poetry.

University Choir and Symphony Orchestra

Wednesday 14 June 2017

Walton’s dramatic work for choir and large orchestra 'Belshazzar’s Feast' tells the colourful story of the Babylonian king who, famously, saw the writing on the wall. Baritone Benedict Nelson joins the University Choir for this choral masterpiece. The University of York Symphony Orchestra also performs Berlioz’s 'Grande symphonie funèbre et triomphale' and Walton’s march, 'Crown Imperial'.

A Comedy of Us Jews

Tuesday 13 June 2017

In 1940, Jac Weinstein, a member of the Helsinki Jewish Community, wrote a light-hearted musical cabaret sketch about a Jewish clothing merchant who falls in love with a mannequin he has ordered from Paris. The only reference to the war then raging in Europe – a war Finland would join just half a year later – is a brief mention of the bombing of Paris. Discovered through the research of Simo Muir of the University of Leeds, the script has not been staged since its original production in 1940. This new translation and adaptation by Simo Muir and Lisa Peschel of the University of York, is performed by students from the University of York’s Department of Theatre, Film and Television.

A Comedy of Us Jews

Tuesday 13 June 2017

In 1940, Jac Weinstein, a member of the Helsinki Jewish Community, wrote a light-hearted musical cabaret sketch about a Jewish clothing merchant who falls in love with a mannequin he has ordered from Paris. The only reference to the war then raging in Europe – a war Finland would join just half a year later – is a brief mention of the bombing of Paris. Discovered through the research of Simo Muir of the University of Leeds, the script has not been staged since its original production in 1940. This new translation and adaptation by Simo Muir and Lisa Peschel of the University of York, is performed by students from the University of York’s Department of Theatre, Film and Television.

A Comedy of Us Jews

Monday 12 June 2017

In 1940, Jac Weinstein, a member of the Helsinki Jewish Community, wrote a light-hearted musical cabaret sketch about a Jewish clothing merchant who falls in love with a mannequin he has ordered from Paris. The only reference to the war then raging in Europe – a war Finland would join just half a year later – is a brief mention of the bombing of Paris. Discovered through the research of Simo Muir of the University of Leeds, the script has not been staged since its original production in 1940. This new translation and adaptation by Simo Muir and Lisa Peschel of the University of York, is performed by students from the University of York’s Department of Theatre, Film and Television.

A Comedy of Us Jews

Monday 12 June 2017

In 1940, Jac Weinstein, a member of the Helsinki Jewish Community, wrote a light-hearted musical cabaret sketch about a Jewish clothing merchant who falls in love with a mannequin he has ordered from Paris. The only reference to the war then raging in Europe – a war Finland would join just half a year later – is a brief mention of the bombing of Paris. Discovered through the research of Simo Muir of the University of Leeds, the script has not been staged since its original production in 1940. This new translation and adaptation by Simo Muir and Lisa Peschel of the University of York, is performed by students from the University of York’s Department of Theatre, Film and Television.

Leeds Baroque Orchestra: Made in the North

Sunday 11 June 2017

Leeds Baroque, with their director Peter Holman, celebrates the music made and performed by 18th-century composers from the North of England, including a first modern performance of an extract from an anthem by Edmund Ayrton (1704-1808) from Ripon.

The Pulverised

Saturday 10 June 2017

The Pulverised is a vital new play about escaping the rat race, overcoming borders and discovering new life.

Road to Freedom

Saturday 10 June 2017

Enjoy an exciting joint concert by the SPON Netherlands Wind Orchestra and the University of York Wind Orchestra celebrating freedom. The programme covers a wide range of music to express the musical Road to Freedom and includes works by Elgar, The Beatles, Charles Chaplin, as well as music by composers from The Netherlands.

Traces of Sound and Light

Saturday 10 June 2017

Join us to see St Margaret’s Church through the curious minds of digital artist Annabeth Robinson and audio designer Jez Wells. Explore this medieval building which has transformed over the centuries from a sacred space to an award-winning music venue. You’ll virtually move around in the space and hear in slow motion and shifting detail how it responds to sounds made within it.

Ciné Lumière: Jour de Fête by Jacques Tati

Saturday 10 June 2017

Join us for the classic 1949 French comedy, Jour de Fête. Jacques Tati’s debut feature film, it follows a clumsy, scatter-brained postman François, who is goaded into watching a film about the efficient United States postal system at a village fair. Inspired by the film, a bumbling François sets off on his bicycle to become just like a USA mail carrier…

The Pulverised

Saturday 10 June 2017

The Pulverised is a vital new play about escaping the rat race, overcoming borders and discovering new life.

Ciné Lumière: Ridicule by Patrice Leconte

Saturday 10 June 2017

Join us for a special screening of the 1996 French comedy Ridicule, directed by Patrice Leconte. Set in the 18th century court of Louis XVI, the story examines the social injustices of late 18th century France, showing the corruption and callousness of the aristocrats.

The Pulverised

Friday 9 June 2017

The Pulverised is a vital new play about escaping the rat race, overcoming borders and discovering new life.

A Night at the Movies with ASFF

Friday 9 June 2017

The BAFTA Qualifying Aesthetica Short Film Festival presents a selection of outstanding films from the 2016 edition. The event features the 2015 People’s Choice winner 'Acoustic Kitty' followed by a Q&A with director Jennifer Sheridan and producer Adam Shakinovsky.

Treasures of the Early Baroque

Friday 9 June 2017

Join early song specialists Musicke in the Ayre as they provide luscious lunchtime fare from France and Italy. Written by Luzzaschi, Lambert, Strozzi, Monteverdi and others for the then newly emerging all-female ensembles, these pieces became musical ‘must-haves’ in the noble courts of the time.

The Pulverised

Thursday 8 June 2017

The Pulverised is a vital new play about escaping the rat race, overcoming borders and discovering new life.

Medical Monstrosities and Objects of Terror: Stories of treatments in mental health

Thursday 8 June 2017

Join Out of Character and its sister company, In the Moment, as they perform extracts from their recent co-production Objects of Terror and new material based on their personal stories.

The Pulverised

Thursday 8 June 2017

The Pulverised is a vital new play about escaping the rat race, overcoming borders and discovering new life.

The Pulverised

Wednesday 7 June 2017

The Pulverised is a vital new play about escaping the rat race, overcoming borders and discovering new life.

Improvisations on the Story of Things

Wednesday 7 June 2017

Passion, depth of emotion and innate musical ability are demonstrated in Paul Wilkinson’s improvised piano music. Featuring beautifully crafted melodies, Paul creates his own compositions and explores and interprets the music of others, including a few popular, recognisable songs. With no absolute certainty about content, come along, sit back and enjoy a journey through the art of improvisation.

The Pulverised

Tuesday 6 June 2017

The Pulverised is a vital new play about escaping the rat race, overcoming borders and discovering new life.