York Festival of Ideas 2015

From 9 – 21 June, York Festival of Ideas will be taking place across the city and on the University of York campus. This colourful and intriguing festival has something to appeal to any age or interest, with a theme of “secrets and discoveries” and a high calibre of experts involved in the projects. Whilst there are a great deal of theatrical and musical performances taking place, there is also a plethora of factual talks, practical demonstrations and foods to sample. With the majority of events running free of charge, the event is incredibly accessible to anyone who would wish to take part.

There will be a diversity of headline speakers involved in the festival. The guests range from former children’s laureate and author of War Horse Michael Morpurgo, to Major General Gordon “Skip” Davies, NATO’s Deputy Chief of Staff, Operations and Intelligence. Children’s events allow participants to rebuild York’s landmarks from Lego or become a chocolatier at York Cocoa House, while the history enthusiasts may take a Victorian walk through the city, get a behind the scenes look at the York Archaeological Trust or learn about Anglo-Saxon astrology. The more scientifically minded are also catered for, with Science Out of the Lab taking place on 29 and 30 May, bringing scientific experiments to the streets of York. Other highlights include a workshop about tea and feminism at Betty’s and a talk from Claire Wilcox, Senior Curator at the V&A, London, about the exhibition Alexander McQueen: Savage Beauty.

York Festival of Ideas was established in 2011 and is now running into its fifth year with increasing levels of success. 30,000 visitors delighted in the great assortments of events last year, with the event’s goals being to “entertain, educate and inspire.” With the varied experiences on offer and such a high standard of international guests, it seems York Festival of Ideas is on course to succeed with these aims once again in 2015.

York Festival of Ideas, 9-21 June, across the city of York.