York Festival of Ideas returns from 2 to 15 June with an eclectic programme featuring over 150 free in-person and online events.
This year’s Festival invites you to ‘Rediscover, Reimagine, Rebuild’, and promises to educate, entertain and inspire with an array of talks, concerts, exhibitions, family activities, panel discussions, and more.
With events covering 15 different themes and topics ranging from archaeology to art and music to mental health the Festival truly offers something for all interests.
The Festival celebrates human ingenuity and imagination, and the power of education and ideas to influence lives positively.
Event highlights
There will be contributions from a host of exciting speakers including BBC presenter and Team GB triathlete Louise Minchin; solicitor and former Chief Prosecutor Nazir Afzal; environmental writer and award-winning author Louise Gray; science writer and twice-University Challenge contestant Katie Spalding; and more.
You’ll also have the opportunity to engage in important conversations. A series of focus sessions involving global experts put the spotlight on some of the most pressing issues we are facing, including how we can transition to a future free from poverty and how we can reimagine our criminal justice system for everyone’s benefit.
In addition, the Festival will welcome a variety of talented performers, including violinist Anna Phoebe, local vocalist and storyteller Supriya Nagarajan, the Ligeti Quartet, and GRAMMY-nominated countertenor Reginald Mobley, who has joined forces with French jazz pianist Baptiste Trotignon in a unique collaboration to offer a newly curated programme of songs written by black composers, alongside their own improvisational arrangements on original texts.
Come along to the Festival Finale on 15 June, Elégie – Rachmaninoff, A Heart in Exile, a powerful performance featuring pianist and composer Lucy Parham and actor Tim McInnerny (Blackadder, Game of Thrones).
And don’t miss acclaimed author Michael Morpurgo as he returns to the Festival with a magical concert adaptation of his bestselling novel War Horse, performed in the stunning surroundings of York Theatre Royal.
Plus, there’s also the chance to hear from and support fellow PGRs at various events, including the York Three Minute Thesis Final!
Browse the full programme: yorkfestivalofideas.com
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