Calendar of events
Browse our calendar and plan which events to attend each day of the Festival. All times are British Summer Time (BST, UTC+1), so please check your specific time zone if you are joining us for online events from outside the UK.
All events
Past events
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Bullingdon Club Britain: The ransacking of a nation
Writer and editor Sam Bright tells the story of how a privileged elite has emulated the infamous Oxford dining society, inflicting its debauchery and destruction on the nation to inflate its own power, money and ego.
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Tyred: The economy and ecology of waste tyres in Lagos, Nigeria
Join us for a panel discussion on urban sustainability, focusing on how waste tyres are being made into new resources in the megacity of Lagos, Nigeria.
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This Is Nothing New: Rediscovering the internet
Join us as we explore and reminisce on what the internet has been, and how this helps us build paths forward into the digital future.
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Emeralds and Ink: Rediscovering British history
From Colombian emeralds in Tudor jewellery to Black voices in 18th-century novels, Lauren Working and Olivia Carpenter of the University of York invite you to reimagine and rediscover British art and literature.
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The Spike: An epic journey through the brain in 2.1 seconds
Neuroscientist Mark Humphries takes you on an epic journey to discover what happens in our brain in a single, brief action.
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Greener Futures
Find out how a collaborative project between the Universities of York and Maastricht is helping to transform our food system through business model innovation.
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‘hidden’: Joanna
Join us for an immersive audio experience that tells the story of a digitally excluded user of mental health services, challenging you to walk in her shoes and think how you can help.
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Who Are York’s Trailblazers?
Come along to the York Trailblazers workshop to hear and share stories about local heroes that have been forgotten, ignored or overlooked, and to help shape a city-wide sculpture trail in 2024.
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Slums or Formal Housing? Looking through urban women’s eyes
Human geographer Anika Haque of the University of York discusses the importance of gender equality for sustainable development.
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Reimagining Pharmaceutical Innovation
Our expert panellists discuss how reimagining the way we incentivise drug development could lead to innovation at a reasonable price.
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Are You Being Nudged? Spotting and responding to hidden persuaders
Geoff Ashton, former Head of Employer Insight at a UK Government department, will explain the nine factors that influence people’s behaviour and lead a discussion on how these might be showing up in our daily lives.
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Sculpture Trail - CANCELLED
Join us for a sculpture trail consisting of 15 sculptures, all of which are part of the University's art collection.
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Forgotten Peoples of the Ancient World
Writer and educator Philip 'Maty' Matyszak reveals the lost peoples and cultures who flourished and fought for survival alongside the Egyptians, Greeks and Romans.
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Sita: The multifaceted heroine of Ramayana
In this concert, musicians Supriya Nagarajan and Duncan Chapman take you on a wonderful journey into the world of Sita, the queen of Ayodhya and central figure in the ancient Sanskrit epic Ramayana.
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The Nature of Mindfulness in Buddhism
Join Peter Harvey, teacher of mindfulness of breathing and scholar of Buddhism, to find out more about mindfulness as understood in Buddhist philosophy.
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From Cave to Cosmos: YPS science in York
Discussing her book, ‘From Cave to Cosmos: A History of the Yorkshire Philosophical Society’, author Sarah Sheils will explore the ideas and scientists forming part of the society’s distinguished 200-year-long history.
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How to Speak Whale: A voyage into the future of animal communication
Join wildlife filmmaker Tom Mustill for a thrilling investigation into the pioneering world of animal communication, where big data and artificial intelligence are changing our relationship with animals forever.
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Winters in the World: A journey through the Anglo-Saxon year
Medievalist Eleanor Parker of the University of Oxford explores the fascinating history of Anglo-Saxon festivals, customs and traditions linked to the different seasons.
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Communicating About Bodies During Childbirth
This workshop, hosted by University of York sociologists, will explore how women communicate their body sensations during labour, and the ways in which midwives respond.
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Reimagining Cartimandua: The original Queen Guinevere?
Join historian Gillian Waters for an exploration of a love triangle that may have been the inspiration for the medieval Arthur, Guinevere and Lancelot stories.
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Social Justice, Inequality and the Question of Ownership
Focusing on democratic ownership solutions, our expert panel reflects on what it would look like to have economic institutions that worked to reduce inequality and create a more democratic economy.
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Their Finest Hour
Bring your family’s WWII stories and objects to this Digital Collection Day hosted by ‘Their Finest Hour’, a nationwide campaign to digitally preserve the stories and objects of the Second World War.
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Fearless: Adventures with extraordinary women
Join BBC presenter and Team GB triathlete Louise Minchin for a celebration of adventurous, brave, courageous women who are doing extraordinary things through sport, exercise and a love of the great outdoors.
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Ancient Greek ‘Oral’ Histories: Old flames, new science
Archaeological chemist Stephen Buckley reveals the unexpected tales preserved on ancient Greeks’ teeth, showing how their chemical ‘fingerprints’ provide the earliest evidence for the use of coal in the western world.
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War Horse: The concert
Come along for a powerful performance of 'War Horse', one of the most beloved books by renowned British children’s author Michael Morpurgo, in concert here with Ben Murray.
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Egypt in North Yorkshire
Egyptologist Jo Fletcher introduces you to some of North Yorkshire’s wonderful Egyptian treasures.
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Once More, With Feeling!
Curator and music expert Claire McGinn will explore whether it might be possible to play ‘expressively’ with mechanical instruments, which haven’t always been taken seriously in the history of performance.
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York’s Medieval City Walls
(Re)discover York’s medieval city walls with archaeologist Barry Crump, who will make you see our city’s iconic landmark in a new light.
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Shoes: An illustrated history
From chopines to stilettos and Louis XIV to Louboutin, Senior Shoe Curator Rebecca Shawcross takes you on a fascinating journey exploring the history of shoes, from antiquity to the present.
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Who Shot Van Gogh? Facts and counterfacts about the world’s most famous artist
This illustrated talk by Alan Turnbull, author of Who Shot Van Gogh?, follows the extraordinary story of his Sunflower paintings - from the artist’s easel to a London auction house a hundred years later.
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Hands of Time: A watchmaker’s history - CANCELLED
Discover the hidden world of watchmaking with award-winning designer, watchmaker and historian Rebecca Struthers, who will reveal the ways in which timekeeping has shaped our attitudes to work, leisure, politics, and more.
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Back to the Moon: The next giant leap for humankind
Renowned astrophysicist Joseph Silk discusses his inspiring vision of our return to the Moon and the importance of prioritising science in lunar exploration.
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Imagining England’s Past: Inspiration, enchantment, obsession
Art historian and curator Susan Owens takes a look at England’s invented histories, from the glamorous to the disturbing, from the eighth century to the present day.
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Picking a Partner in Medieval York
Find out about medieval ‘dating’ culture in York in this entertaining and engaging performance including a Q&A session with experts from the University of York’s Department of History.
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Rediscover D-Day
Join the East Yorkshire Regiment Living History Group to find out about the men, kit and vehicles involved in the 1944 Normandy landings.
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Toy Stories
Kids, join us for an interactive workshop that will give you the unique chance to turn your favourite toy into the star of a fully-animated short film.
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A Pilgrimage of Sound
Join us for an evocative journey through the acoustic world of 16th-century York that will allow you to view our city’s rich natural heritage from a fresh perspective.
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Anna Phoebe: Sea Souls
Come along to experience the comfort and inspiration of the ocean, beautifully conveyed by violinist and composer Anna Phoebe, who will be joined by Klara Schumann and Jacob Kingsbury Downs.
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Great Kingdoms of Africa
From ancient Egypt and Nubia to the Zulu Kingdom almost two thousand years later, learn about Africa’s rich political and social history.
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Vampyres: A literary anthology
From Dracula to Twilight, explore the history of vampires in literature with award-winning broadcaster, writer, art educator and cultural historian Christopher Frayling.
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A Turbulent Entanglement: German-Greek relations
This intriguing talk examines the circulation of Modern Greek literature in Germany and how specific publishers enact German-Greek cultural relations.
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As Good as a Marriage: The Anne Lister diaries
Award-winning writer and historian Jill Liddington discusses Anne Lister’s 1836-38 diaries, focusing on Anne’s relationship with wealthy local heiress Ann Walker.
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Whiteness, Religion and Food Banks
University of York researcher and activist Maddy Power exposes the inner workings of Britain’s food banks, revealing how religion structures food distribution and how Whiteness shapes the daily practices of food banks.
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The Uncomfortable York Tour
Travel back in time on this guided walking tour focusing on York’s industrial heritage and its colonial significance as ‘chocolate city’.
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How to Have a Good Death
Explore issues about ‘end of life’ with our expert panellists, including Yorkshire author Colin Philpott.
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Pride Parade and Festival
Come and celebrate inclusivity and diversity with us at North Yorkshire’s biggest annual LGBTQ+ event, which returns with a colour-filled parade and festival.
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Research in UK and French Creative Industries
Join our panellists from France and the UK as they discuss their experiences of cultural regeneration, examples of best practice and new approaches to research, creation and innovation.
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Discovery Zone
Join us in York city centre for lots of fun and family-friendly hands-on activities, and discover some of the exciting research being carried out in York.
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Your Heritage, Your Story
Our panel introduces a University of York project that challenges dominant, white, middle-class storytelling in archaeology and heritage, and spotlights the everyday stories of people who have immigrated to the UK.
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The World at Your Feet
Join David Raffaelli, ecologist and Trustee at Woodmeadow Trust, to learn about the partnerships between fungi, flowering plants and trees, and to discover how strange and familiar animals keep our soils, and our planet, healthy.
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Toy Stories
Kids, join us for an interactive workshop that will give you the unique chance to turn your favourite toy into the star of a fully-animated short film.
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Rediscovering the Dead of Roman York
Rediscover the archaeological treasures of Roman York in this fascinating panel discussion, which focuses on a Roman burial custom that, until recently, was shrouded in mystery.
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Ligeti Quartet x Anna Meredith
The innovative Ligeti Quartet returns to York to present a ground-breaking new project with University of York alumna Anna Meredith, which marks the thrilling alignment of the two camps’ aesthetics.
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Africa and Europe: Reversing points of view
Our experts explore the complex dynamics between Africa and Europe, and the deeply-rooted social and political challenges that, if better understood, could pave the way for better collaborations and dialogue.
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Who Gets to Imagine the Future?
Join our panellists as they discuss the importance of imagination and hope in supporting a transition away from an economic model in which poverty continues to rise.
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Another World Is Possible
Join us as we discuss how we can grow our collective ability to imagine a future free from poverty, to reshape economic and social models driving inequality.
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Poverty in the UK
Tom Clark, editor of 'Broke: Fixing Britain’s Poverty Crisis' leads a discussion about the scale of poverty, its impact and consequences, and the inequality in Britain today.
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Explore!
Come along to explore space in virtual reality! Discover the Martian landscape, fly over a moon of Saturn, wonder at the scale of space and experience what it might feel like to be an astronaut.
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Explore!
Come along to explore space in virtual reality! Discover the Martian landscape, fly over a moon of Saturn, wonder at the scale of space and experience what it might feel like to be an astronaut.
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Mona Lisa and the Others
Join us for an entertaining workshop with children’s author Alice Harman, who will provide a witty introduction to the Louvre Museum’s many masterpieces, including the Mona Lisa.