Thursday 13 February, 18.00-21.30
Yorkshire Museum, Centre for Excellence and York Minster
Reignite VII celebrates innovation and collaboration. This latest event brings together pioneers from across disciplines, each pushing boundaries and reimagining what creativity can achieve in the digital age. Speakers include York Minster’s new Centre for Excellence, Viridian Labs and Peel X.
The Centre’s work in digital preservation and immersive storytelling transforms how we engage with history, from 3D scanning to augmented reality overlays. Viridian Labs will showcase the potential of the Apple Vision Pro, whilst Peel X shows us groundbreaking wearable tech and installations that reimagine how we experience performance and interactivity. For artists, technologists, and anyone with a passion for the creative, this is an evening not to be missed.
Reignite VI: Culture Makes Places was the sixth part of the hugely popular event series. Representatives from three UNESCO Cities of Media Arts – Braga (Portugal), Linz (Austria), and Oulu (Finland) – shared how they leverage culture to drive transformative change in their cities. Attendees discovered how culture enhances economic development, creates jobs, and offers skills and opportunities for young people, fostering growth and innovation across the entire urban ecosystem. Reignite VI: Culture Makes Places ran during the BAFTA-Qualifying Aesthetica Film Festival.
The event was opened by Mayor David Skaith, followed by an address from Cherie Federico, Director of Aesthetica. Presentations from each city explored their unique approaches, followed by a dynamic panel discussion led by Heather Niven (University of York). The evening concluded with a drinks reception and a visit to the UNESCO City of Media Arts EXPO at the Guildhall. The EXPO celebrated a decade of York’s designation. This was an opportunity to learn how culture is shaping the future of cities globally.
On 4 September 2024, we explored unexpected collaborations. Surprising and innovative results occur when different organisations come together, breaking traditional boundaries and fostering creativity. Held at Yorkshire Museum, Reignite V showcased partnerships that have led to new innovations across the city. Attendees listened to speakers from: Pilot Theatre, who shared their work with new technologies; City Cruises, who worked with Netflix on Bodies; the National Railway Museum, who commissioned artworks for WonderLab; and Castle Howard, who have recently organised an ambitious Tony Cragg programme.
The focus of Reignite V was to shine a light on innovative collaborations and ask questions about how, as a city, we can work together across sectors. Talks were followed by a LATE event at York Art Gallery, which offered access to the collections and a last chance to see the gallery’s hugely successful Monet show.
On 30 May 2024, we invited you to York St John University's Creative Centre to see the work of 60 new exhibiting artists across Fine Art, Photography and Illustration, as well as network with businesses in York. You heard from a panel of young entrepreneurs that have based themselves in the city and are working with clients such as HarperCollins, Ravensburger, Lottie Shaw, Guinness, Adidas, Puma and Pepsi. You also heard more about York’s new Creative Business Skills Academy, which has been set up to support entrepreneurialism in the Creative Industries in York. The focus of Reignite IV was to shine a light on York’s Next Generation of talent and how they will contribute to the future ecosystem of the city. This was followed up by the Reignite Party, which included Art Tours, a DJ, drinks, and networking with a range of businesses from all sectors in the city.
Reignite III:
Global Stages
On 11 April, Reignite III brought leading figures from York’s business and cultural sectors together to explore the city’s rise as a global creative hub. The event at Yorkshire Museum highlighted our thriving creative exports and how the city could further position itself on the international stage. As we approach the 10th year of this designation, we explored how York could better leverage this to boost creative industries, fostering opportunities, economic growth and careers. Following the presentations, York Art Gallery came alive with a dynamic after-hours programme. Guests enjoyed a live DJ and drinks whilst exploring the gallery’s exhibitions after dark. A dedicated drawing studio provided a space for artistic expression, whilst a bespoke Audio Visual experience created by Viridian FX (House of the Dragon, Netflix, HBO, Amazon) showed how sound and light can interact with the body.
The purpose of this event was to demonstrate the economic impact of large-scale cultural programming on our city, inclusive of an uplift in the city's centre both through economic and social inclusion. Reignite II took place on 9 November across two venues, City Screen York and Pitcher & Piano, as part of the BAFTA-Qualifying Aesthetica Film Festival. The purpose of this occasion was to unite businesses from across all sectors into the city centre in order to see and experience large-scale cultural media arts programme through film. This event looks at the impact that culture can have on place through its economic uplift but also its unique way of uniting communities and driving social cohesion. In York, the Aesthetica Film Festival is the only large-scale Media Arts event, which attracts thousands to the city across an entire week to engage with film, games, XR masterclasses, workshops and wider screen culture. How can other sectors benefit from this large-scale event?
Elsewhere (2011), dir. Mathy Tremewan and Fran Broadhurst.
Screened at Aesthetica Short Film Festival 2011.
Reignite I:
The Economic
Impact of Media Arts
Reignite started on 14 September at Raddisson Hotel. Here we discussed the economic impact of the sector in York and how to leverage the city’s UNESCO status to attract inward investment and develop new career paths. York is undergoing a transformation, and the Creative Industries play a key role in developing a knowledge-based economy. We need to reinvent ourselves as a regional city that thinks nationally and internationally. We looked at the value of the sector to all businesses in York and encouraged attendees to hear more about how the Creative Industries impact different organisations. Businesses heard our intentions to create clear education pathways from primary through to higher education as well as support the next generation of women to develop their entrepreneurialism and build creative, digital and tech businesses.
