Pocklington Arts Centre

So, Pocktoberfest 2014 is no more, a victim of building work and a simple lack of time. However next year’s event promises to be bigger and better than ever before and the organisers, Pocklington Arts Centre, have a busy programme planned to entertain us in the meantime…

Venue Manager Janet Farmer gave us an update on what’s going on at the area’s Number 1 arts venue in the next few months.
“We are delighted to announce the venue’s new season of live events, broadcasts and exhibitions – we really do feel it has something for everyone. Running from September to February, the programme features a diverse range of over forty performances from household names, used to performing in much larger theatres, to new, emerging performers and companies. The venue’s 2014 spring/summer brochure proved very popular with sixteen sold out performances and over 5700+ people in attendance – we hope our new season will emulate this success.

The venue’s 2014 spring/summer brochure proved very popular with sixteen sold out performances.

Forthcoming shows include Grammy nominated guitarist Joan Armatrading on 20 and 29 September (both sold out months in advance), Total Theatre Award nominees Idle Motion present That Is All You Need To Know (26 September) a visually stunning piece of theatre telling the story of Bletchey Park, Cockney Rebel Steve Harley presents an intimate evening of music with his acoustic trio on 8 and 9 October, performance poet/rapper and “voice of a generation” Kate Tempest performs her first full length release entitled Hold Your Own on 21 October, Irish Perrier Award winning comedian Tommy Tiernan performs at the venue for the first time as part of his nationwide tour on 30 October, Nashville based singer-songwriter Mary Gauthier promotes her acclaimed new album Trouble and Love on 1 November, Oxford folk/rock band Stornoway make a welcome return to the venue on 11 November, Canadian singer-songwriter, daughter of Loudon Wainwright III and sister of Rufus, Martha Wainwright performs on 21 November, followed by a double headline show by BBC Radio 2 buzz bands The Shires & Ward Thomas on 22 November, star of our 2013 Christmas Comedy Club Lucy Beaumont performs her highly acclaimed debut show on 27 November, author and comedian Mark Steel on 2 December, broadcaster and political historian Jonathan Dimbleby discusses his latest book about the Second World War and the battle of El Alamein in North Africa on 28 January. Leeds based band Ellen & The Escapades headline our third Emerge Yorkshire music showcase on 23 January, the event promotes regional musicians and is made possible through financial assistance from Arts Council, England.
“In addition to the live events we have a fantastic exhibition and workshop programme, curated by the venue’s Visual Arts officer Helen Steele.
“Live broadcasts have become hugely popular and a big part of our programme since we converted to digital cinema. We have productions from the National Theatre (Medea on 4 September, John on 9 December, Treasure Island on 22 January), the Royal Shakespeare Company (The Two Gentlemen of Verona on 3 September) and London’s West End (A Street Car Named Desire on 21 September and Billy Elliott on 28 September) all booked for this autumn. We are very pleased to announce we have just signed up to screen three productions from English National Opera in 2015.”

James Duffy, Assistant Manager, explained just how many local people regularly get to use the Arts Centre’s excellent facilities. “The building is used extensive by local community groups, schools and businesses. Recent examples include The Care Quality Commission, East Riding of Yorkshire Council, The Vintage Tractor & Steam Engine Association, York Theatre Royal, Beverley Folk Festival, Gina Campbell Music, Pocklington Junior School, British Heart Foundation, Wolds Wonders, Woldgate College…”

The building is used extensive by local community groups, schools and businesses.

The local community is heavily involved in the management and operation of the venue, principally through the Friends of Pocklington Arts Centre (a registered charity) and there’s a stated aim to involve as many people as possible in the area as participants. Thus, the Friends of Pocklington Arts Centre provide staffing for box office, auditorium duties and leaflet distribution. If you would like to know more, please call in to say “hello” at the coffee mornings held on the first Saturday of each month or email friendsofpocklingtonartscentre@yahoo.co.uk.
With a rolling exhibition and workshop programme organised by the venue’s Visual Arts Officer Helen Steele, the Arts Centre regularly draws in visitors, both to admire the artwork and to learn the skills to produce their own. Exhibitions run every 6-8 weeks featuring local and regional artists and cover a diverse range of styles and mediums. Recent exhibitions have shown the paintings of Hull artist, Angela Bell and a look at Pocklington School’s 500 year history, with photographs from Victorian times and old uniforms.

And Pocktoberfest? The popular music and beer festival has had to be postponed until next year, as work on the Old Railway Station, where Pocktoberfest takes place, gave a degree of uncertainty on whether it would be available and it became untenable to put together a suitable musical line-up. However we have heard that plans are afoot to make next year’s festival bigger and better than ever before and those plans will be revealed in a few months’ time.