Calendar of events

Sally-Anne Shearn of the Borthwick Institute for Archives provides a unique look into John Bowes Morrell’s imaginative idea for preserving and presenting history by building a Folk Park for York.

Join us for a sculpture trail consisting of 15 sculptures, all of which are part of the University's art collection.

This walking tour of York will transport you back in time, allowing you to discover the stories of Jewish people who have called this city their home.

Find out about Thankonomics, a new concept developed by York-based author, Andrew Robshaw, who will explain how, through value and appreciation, we can challenge the fundamentals of business and economics.

Award-winning Guardian journalist Luke Harding discusses the war that changed everything, talking about his experience reporting on the ground and confronting the crucial question: which side will prevail?

Science writer Katie Spalding shares the hilarious stories of celebrated historical figures that demonstrate the fine line between ‘genius’ and ‘extremely lucky idiot’.

Hear all about York Cycle Campaign’s manifesto, ‘42 Ways’, and find out how cycling in York can be made safe, convenient and accessible for everyone.

Gamelan Sekar Petak’s student and community ensembles present a relaxed performance in the spectacular setting of York’s 15th-century Guildhall.

Authors Emily Hund and Paula Marantz Cohen discuss how social media impacts our conversations, intimacy and relationship dynamics.

Philosophy professor Lawrence Shapiro explains why the tools of philosophy offer a powerful antidote to today’s epidemic of irrationality.

Celebrate divine and earthly beauty at this year’s Flower Festival, organised by the All Saints Church in collaboration with Askham Bryan College, York.

Join community environment charity St Nicks to see river restoration in action as part of the York Cares Big Community Challenge, which aims to support river and wetland restoration at various locations across our city.

Cognitive neuroscientist Ana B. Vivas from CITY College, University of York Europe Campus discusses a new approach to improve learning in people with cognitive impairments.

A panel of literature experts discuss the first ever anthology of Sri Lankan and diasporic poetry and how it reshapes our understanding of migrational poetics.

Participate in an exciting workshop on the power of clothes and their representation in literature, including creative writing exercises that will give you the opportunity to start your own piece of clothing memoir or fiction.

Join community environment charity St Nicks to see river restoration in action as part of the York Cares Big Community Challenge, which aims to support river and wetland restoration at various locations across our city.

Art curator Helena Cox introduces the hidden treasures from the University of York’s extensive and exciting art collection.

Neuroscientist Eric H. Chudler explores the mysteries and marvels of the three pounds of tissue between our ears - the brain.

Take a journey through the Mint Yard’s centuries-old story and through York Explore's extraordinary archives.

Join Alan Williams, Emeritus Professor of Iranian Studies, for a talk including a recitation and a performance by Seyed Ali Jaberi and the Hamdel Ensemble, centring on the story of an old musician, from the first book of Rumi’s ‘Masnavi’.

Find out about the OurLOTE Project, a collaborative social media project celebrating languages other than English used in the City of York.

Focusing on a curated selection of pagan art and artefacts, writer and researcher Ethan Doyle White explains the complex histories of paganism and how today’s Pagans are inspired by the pre-Christian past.

Join philosopher and theologian Peter Vardy for a lively discussion on some of life’s biggest questions, posed by his two young daughters.

Have your understanding of democratic politics turned upside down by political scientist Larry M. Bartels, in conversation with political analyst Jarosław Kuisz.

Queer science fiction writer and researcher Bee Scott explores how science fiction plays are reinvestigating and challenging our assumptions about the future of queer life.

Celebrate divine and earthly beauty at this year’s Flower Festival, organised by the All Saints Church in collaboration with Askham Bryan College, York.

Clinical neuropsychologist Kalliopi Megari from ​​CITY College, University of York Europe Campus provides intriguing insights into the dynamic relationship and strong connection between the heart and the brain.

Zoologist Louise Allcock leads you down into the canyons, trenches and hydrothermal vents of the watery abyss, presenting the deep ocean and its inhabitants as you have never seen them before.

Leading archaeologist Duncan Sayer of the University of Central Lancashire reveals how ancient DNA is helping us explore the movement of people in the early Middle Ages, between AD 450-750.

Join award-winning reporters Paola Totaro and Robert Wainwright for a fascinating exploration of how losing our sense of smell can shape our world, and how the global pandemic transformed our understanding of this mysterious sense.

Join us as we talk to ‘manonabeach®’, Ian Brighouse, about his fascinating project that celebrates the elemental power of the beach, where the air, land and sea meet.

One of the UK’s largest student-run music groups, The Chimera Ensemble, presents a scintillating programme exploring the theme of music inspired by art and colour.

Join writer, scientist and educator Lixing Sun as he explores the evolution of cheating in the natural world, revealing how it has given rise to wondrous diversity.

Neuroscientist and bestselling author Dean Burnett puts our everyday emotions under the microscope, uncovering how, far from holding us back, they make us who we are.

Participate in hands-on activities and tour the brand-new robotics laboratories and facilities at the University of York's Institute for Safe Autonomy.

Celebrate divine and earthly beauty at this year’s Flower Festival, organised by the All Saints Church in collaboration with Askham Bryan College, York.

Sports historian Duncan Stone discusses the history and future of English cricket in relation to social class, together with Kevin Tennent and Alex Gillett of the University of York’s School for Business and Society.

Our panel of experts investigate the ways women continue to be omitted from historical records, and discuss how we can better preserve women’s stories and voices.

Celebrate the beauty and diversity of our nation’s plants with ecologist, writer and BBC Countryfile presenter Mike Dilger, who discusses his mission to see 1,000 different wild plants in one calendar year.

Come along to learn all about the story of the Prince of Wales’s Own Regiment of Yorkshire during the Cold War years.

Join us for a day of interdisciplinary events focusing on the changing ways in which humans have lived and farmed in and around Heslington from the pre-Roman period onwards.

Join us for an exhibition and activities surrounding the seventh-century, 90ft-long Sutton Hoo ship, which was discovered in 1939 and is now being rebuilt.

Join Master Shipwright Tim Kirk to find out about the Sutton Hoo ship’s design and build, and to discover how the project celebrates Anglo-Saxon craftsmanship, the art of rowing and the possibility of power under sail.

Join Edgar Buchanan of the School of Physics, Engineering and Technology to discover how University of York researchers are planning to create the first robot system that will design and produce other robots.

Join archaeologist and educator Julian Richards for a fun, hands-on ‘indoor dig’ that will introduce children of primary age and above (as well as adults!) to the processes of excavation and the gathering of evidence.

Dai O’Brien and Steve Emery, lecturers in British Sign Language and Deaf Studies at York St John University, explore examples of radical politics in deaf communities and imagine how these politics can help us make our communities more accessible.

Join us for an exciting opportunity to conduct real-time, interactive research - choose from a Census record for The Mount School York or information about World War 1 VAD nurses.

Join us for an exciting talk with Alex Jackson, Curator at the National Football Museum in Manchester.

Palaeontologist Phil Manning takes you on a journey to the remote badlands of Wyoming, where he and his team have been investigating a dinosaur graveyard packed with skeletons, fossilised plants and footprints.

Learn about rescue robotics and discover how a laser-powered ‘puppet’ could tackle challenges of extremely harsh environments without sacrificing the mission.

Come and listen to top female and non-binary scientists as they take science to the streets of York - while standing on a soapbox!

Join us for an afternoon of energetic, crafty, puzzling and historical fun with University of York postgraduate students and staff.

York St John University academics and Biomedical Science students invite you to (re)discover the love of science, as they take you through the research design process to find new ways of understanding cancer and other common diseases.

Ignite Music celebrates 60 years since the publication of John Burningham’s touching tale, 'Borka: The Adventures of a Goose With No Feathers', with a magical 45-minute children’s opera weaving live music, drama, singing, puppetry and animation.

Award-winning dog groomer, TV personality and experienced dog handler Verity Hardcastle tells you everything you need to know to create a joyful friendship with your dog.

Delve into the fascinating topic of cryptocurrencies with science communicator James Lees, who examines their origin, purpose and future.

A panel of experts discuss how the successes and failures of policy makers in the face of previous periods of economic change, both at home and abroad, can help us work out a plan to successfully navigate the economic challenges we are facing.

Immerse yourself in gorgeous harmony with a massed choir of singers as we test the idea that group singing is an effective way of forming social connections with strangers.

Explore the planned voyages of the Sutton Hoo ship with University of York archaeologist and Sutton Hoo Ship’s Company Chair Martin Carver, and discover how they are designed to help us learn more about the seventh century.

Using creative methods developed at the University of York, this workshop will allow you to reimagine the future of mobility and how to rebuild our city for a sustainable future.

Join archaeologist Jim Leary of the University of York for a fascinating exploration of our past that will make you look at the landscape around you with fresh eyes.

Award-winning health journalist Sarah Graham reveals the systemic and deep-rooted sexism within medicine, and explains what it will take to bridge the gender health gap.

Textile expert and author Clare Hunter discusses how Mary, Queen of Scots, used textiles to advance her political agenda, affirm her royal lineage and tell her own story.

Join us for a lively evening of original music and words celebrating secrets of York life and culture, from folk and punk to fine art via city streets.

Join us for what promises to be a feast of music by British composer Vaughan Williams, performed by York Musical Society and its German partner choir, Philharmonischer Chor Münster.

Celebrate divine and earthly beauty at this year’s Flower Festival, organised by the All Saints Church in collaboration with Askham Bryan College, York.

Come along to learn all about the story of the Prince of Wales’s Own Regiment of Yorkshire during the Cold War years.

Join our panel of experts to hear all about the groundbreaking ‘Pyramids of Life’ project that seeks to better understand how we can work sustainably to manage our oceans.

Our experts survey the current state of the UK’s criminal justice system and discuss which areas most urgently need reform.

Join University of York Visiting Researcher Monika Zabrocka to discover how offering viewers more appealing, creative Audio Description formats allows us to reinvent this tool in entirely new contexts.

Award-winning writer Peter Ross shares the tales of our country’s churches, and through them a story of Britain, one that is about people as much as place.

Join us for a guided walk exploring the flora and fauna of the University of York campus grounds.

Author and linguist Paul Anthony Jones explains the true nuts and bolts of language, and provides answers to a plethora of linguistic questions you’ve likely never thought to ask.

Join historian Gillian Waters of the University of York’s Centre for Lifelong Learning to rediscover the fascinating stories behind the City of York’s coat of arms, which tell us more about medieval York.

Solicitor and former Chief Prosecutor Nazir Afzal provides insights into his 30-year-long groundbreaking career, the UK’s relationship with race and power, and more.

Travel back in time on this guided walking tour focusing on York’s industrial heritage and its colonial significance as ‘chocolate city’.

Learn about the lost art of baroque musical improvisation, and experience live how improvisation in classical music can increase accessibility, diversity and excitement.

Join our panel as they explore the root causes of public mistrust as well as the importance of understanding how policing contributes and responds to vulnerability.

Rediscover the Renaissance with Emily Stevenson and Lauren Working of the University of York, who, together with artist Loraine Rutt, will discuss how creating connections between art and archives can generate new ways of imagining the past.

Join historian and writer Caroline Dodds Pennock to find out what ‘discovering Europe’ meant for Indigenous Americans and how their worldviews and cultures impacted European civilisation.

Delve into the topic of biodiversity and discover the nuanced relationships between humanity and nature with environmental writer Emma Marris and Chris Thomas, Director of the Leverhulme Centre for Anthropocene Biodiversity at the University of York.

Travel back in time with media scholar Joanna Starzynski to watch and reflect upon footage from Queen Elizabeth II’s coronation and her tour of England.

Join our panellists as they compare and contrast the UK prison system with other approaches and alternative real-life examples.

Environmental writer Louise Gray shares the stories behind our favourite fruits and vegetables, and why nothing is ever perfect.

Film and TV studies expert Helen Wheatley of the University of Warwick discusses her recent study on representations of death, dying and bereavement on television, in conversation with University of York death studies scholar Ruth Penfold-Mounce.

Join us for a special film screening of ‘Spike Milligan: The Unseen Archive’, including a Q&A with the documentary makers and Spike’s daughter, Jane.

Former Financial Times Whitehall editor Sebastian Payne presents the explosive inside account of how a prime minister lost his hold on power.

This walking tour of York will transport you back in time, allowing you to discover the stories of Jewish people who have called this city their home.

Hear from service users, carers and healthcare professionals in this panel discussion, which considers how and why our healthcare system has to change to meet the needs of people with severe mental illness.

Join Graeme Green, curator for The Royal Dragoon Guards Collection, to discover the role of tanks during the Normandy landings.

Delve into the diversity of grammatical variation in spoken dialects of English with University of York linguist Claire Childs to find out how dialects follow their own sets of rules.

Join us to find out all about the curious and enduring relationship between one of Britain’s most renowned literary figures and his sister-in-law.

Join author and BBC Radio producer Phil Tinline for an insightful talk exploring the highs and lows of British politics over the past century.

Rediscover the intellectual and cultural value of art through a close encounter with objects from the historic collection at Castle Howard.

Our panel of experts discuss the world of complex and unexpected imagery that people throughout history have used to inscribe their identities on their bodies.

Join us for a film screening and Q&A that will change your understanding of what development means.

Writer Alex Niven provides an in-depth exploration of the importance of the North of England in the modern era.

Come along for a hands-on experience of what it’s like to be a student nurse at York St John University, and discover the cutting-edge facilities that are shaping the nurses of the future.

Personal and Business Coach Diane Tricker helps you discover a brilliant new way to problem-solve and expand your sense of possibility in partnership with the world around you.

Come along to this panel discussion, hosted by Citizens Advice York, to engage with and better understand the workings of our justice system.

Did you know that York is twinned with Münster in Germany and Dijon in France? Learn about York’s partnerships with these cities and discover how you, too, can get involved and benefit from these connections.

Join bestselling author, historian and broadcaster Tracy Borman to hear one of the most extraordinary mother-and-daughter stories of all time.

Science Museum Curator Glyn Morgan discusses the worldwide phenomenon of science fiction, revealing the scientific advances and imagination behind it.

Join us for a fascinating conversation with Michael Cashman, who made history - first as an actor, one half of the first gay kiss on a British soap, and then as a campaigner and politician fighting for gay rights.

Come along to this inspiring panel discussion and exhibition, captured by an artist’s live drawings, that will invite you to imagine what a rewilded York could look like.

Inspired by the unique Pricke of Conscience window at All Saints North Street, historian Andrew Crome of Manchester Metropolitan University explores how people through time have imagined the apocalypse.

Dave Harper, US-UK Fulbright Scholar at the University of York, discusses how the relocation of the King’s Printer to York in 1642 invites us to consider anew the relationship of print and power.

Our panel invites you to explore how we can find beauty in our day-to-day lives and to discover how beauty can manifest itself in seemingly ordinary items and actions - from slang to football shirts.

Join us for an unforgettable evening of powerful spirituals performed by GRAMMY-nominated countertenor Reginald Mobley and acclaimed jazz pianist Baptiste Trotignon.

Come along for a unique experience mixing magic, mentalism and fMRI research - and maybe have your mind read!

Join us for a walking tour of sites and stories of significance to York’s LGBTQI+ communities past and present.

Join Julius Bryant, Keeper Emeritus of Word and Image at the Victoria and Albert Museum in London, to discover some of the most influential and compelling illustrated books on topics ranging from religion to shopping, and natural history to fashion.

Our panel of historians, librarians and literary scholars revisits the work of York-born historian and public intellectual Christopher Hill, exploring the legacy and afterlife of radical traditions in local and national history.

It's the 10th anniversary of York's Three Minute Thesis Competition! Be inspired and learn about the cutting-edge research at the University of York from ten of our talented PhD researchers in the live final of the competition.

Join cultural studies expert Kirsty Sedgman to find out how unfairness and discrimination got baked into our social norms, and why, sometimes, we need to act unreasonably to bring about positive change.

Zombies have taken over York! Come along and watch as University of York scientists dissect a captured zombie, and help us save the city through hands-on activities.

Scottish MP Ian Blackford and award-winning broadcaster and writer Gavin Esler discuss the relationship between Scotland and England in the recent past, exploring the potential for creating a more constructive and positive relationship going forward.

From roses to rhubarb and from parsnips to pigs - this fascinating talk with garden historian, writer and researcher Twigs Way will explore the impact of WW2 on the garden.

Join geologist and science writer Nina Morgan to discover how every element of the Oxford University Museum of Natural History building was designed to teach science - and learn a lot about geology along the way!

Preti Taneja - writer, activist and literature professor - discusses her award-winning non-fiction book ‘Aftermath’, which interrogates the language of terror, trauma and grief, with writer and University of York lecturer Juliana Mensah.

In the spectacular setting of York Minster, University of York Choir and Symphony Orchestra come together to perform Elgar’s The Dream of Gerontius.

(Re)discover the Ukrainian language in its uniqueness and be reminded of the power of language in this important talk with University of York linguist Ursula Lanvers and Ukrainian visiting scholar Tetyana Lunyova.

Join author and perfumery expert Charles Sell for an engaging exploration of biblical perfumes that blends science, history and religion.

Join archaeologist, educator and broadcaster Julian Richards for a captivating discussion on why science may not have all the answers to our questions about the past, and why we need imagination to bring it to life.

Historian Thomas Wright discusses the role of coercion and control in 1950s colonial Kenya through the lens of the rediscovered and controversial ‘migrated archives’.

Come along to this interactive drop-in event for people of all ages to discover the latest research on how people over 65 in the UK are using the internet, and to find out how we can better support each other in the face of digital threats.

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.

Our two panels explore a different approach to urban regeneration through inclusive growth and by harnessing the power of major employer institutions, education providers and social enterprise for more equitable and inclusive economic outcomes.

Historian Charlotte Lydia Riley of the University of Southampton asks how the 1957 Home Office surveys and police responses to it can tell us more about the Windrush Scandal, the Hostile Environment and cultures of policing in Britain today.

Award-winning psychologist Harriet Ennis returns to the Festival to discuss the latest, intriguing dream theories and to explore the science behind why we dream.

Zombies have taken over York! Come along and watch as University of York scientists dissect a captured zombie, and help us save the city through hands-on activities.

Join University of York art historian Theo Gordon in conversation with photographer Sunil Gupta, whose work has continually pushed the boundaries of representation in photography, centring queer and postcolonial experiences.

Pianist Lucy Parham and actor Tim McInnerny come together in this powerful performance celebrating the 150th birthday of composer and pianist Sergei Rachmaninoff.

Bring along your instrument(s) and a music stand (if you have one), and be guided through a range of specially tailored activities and music conducted by the All Seasons Orchestra’s Artistic Director, Catherine E. Holbrook.

Immerse yourself in the innovative work created by the University of York’s talented Interactive Media student community and celebrate their achievements in an exciting field where creativity and technology converge.

Following their sold-out concert in 2022, University of York Jazz Orchestra returns for its popular summer mix of standards and new compositions.

Think you can do better than our current politicians? Want to challenge them and share your ideas with policymakers? Then come along to the Big Tent Ideas Festival to participate in conversations and interactive sessions.

Immerse yourself in the innovative work created by the University of York’s talented Interactive Media student community and celebrate their achievements in an exciting field where creativity and technology converge.

Discover the Brazilian martial art of Capoeira with musician, percussionist and workshop leader Claudio Kron in this fun-packed introductory session guaranteed to keep you on your toes.

Discover the Brazilian martial art of Capoeira with musician, percussionist and workshop leader Claudio Kron in this fun-packed introductory session guaranteed to keep you on your toes.

Immerse yourself in the innovative work created by the University of York’s talented Interactive Media student community and celebrate their achievements in an exciting field where creativity and technology converge.

Join us as the winners of the 15th annual York Design Awards are revealed.