With light shows, VR and 3D York’s first ever Design Week is a celebration of creativity for all
Look at York through a new lens…
York Design Week is a brand new seven-day festival that celebrates the creative industry sector in York. The organisers describe it as “offering attendants a surprising new perception of our historic city, and exploring how, in such uncertain and complex times, design can help us adapt, grow and learn.”
The week will consist of a variety of different events all related to design, including talks, open studios, family workshops, VR experiences, and exhibitions.
York Design Week invites all residents to participate, explore and play through over 20 events across the city.
Here are a few of the highlights. For our full listings for York Design Week events go here.
Printed programmes will also be available from Visit York, Snowhome, Spark York, and York Ghost Merchants.
York Design Week is Wednesday 23 October to Wednesday 30 October.
All week: Grow!
Germinate your own oak tree at home! Snowhome is teaming up with York Design Week to distribute 246 acorns to start to take small steps to reduce carbon footprint. Use the hashtag #yorkoak to share your oakling growing! Collect your acorn and instructions from Snowhome.
There are no upcoming events at this time.24-31 October: Lighting up the Minster
See York Minster in a different light this autumn as the awe-inspiring Northern Lights returns by popular demand.
The sound and light installation, which debuted to sell-out audiences in June 2018, will again transform the cathedral’s cavernous Nave with images and audio inspired by the medieval Minster’s stained glass and stone.
There are no upcoming events at this time.25 October: Favourite colour
Ever wondered what the colour of York would be? Join GF Smith at York St. John for a talk all about ‘The World’s Favourite Colour’, part of their international study into colour, emotions and associations.
There are no upcoming events at this time.26-27 October: Jellyfishin’
Step into an underwater virtual world! This free VR experience is aimed at primary school children to help raise awareness about the effects of plastic on the ocean. Listen and interact with the sea creatures about what they have to say.
There are no upcoming events at this time.26 October-2 November: Playful data
An interactive installation that asks what you feel about transport and sustainability! Situated in the National Railway Museum, take a journey through a series of arches and answer questions by mapping a ribbon through multiple-choice holes. Watch how it slowly transforms into a tunnel of colour the more people take part.
There are no upcoming events at this time.27 October: Family workshop
Explore playful 3D shapes and designs in a family workshop led by designer Anna Manfield. This workshop encourages children to come and design their own play space using craft materials.
There are no upcoming events at this time.28 October: Found fiction
It takes a city to write a story! The Writing Desk have toured literary festivals across the UK and are here for York Design Week. Help ‘co-write a masterpiece’ and visit the desk to add a line to an ongoing short story.
There are no upcoming events at this time.30 October: Whose problem?
This long table event is a collaborative conversation for our future. Everyone is invited to join in the discussion – ‘historians, councillors, teenagers, creative practitioners, students, environmental activists’. This discussion will promote the message that everyone is creative, that culture is made by us, and inspiring a move towards cultural democracy.
There are no upcoming events at this time.