Council Pleased with New Opportunities for Scarborough Creative Talent

Scarborough's creative talent is being given more opportunity to shine thanks to the work of the council and arts and culture leaders.

Scarborough has been the focus of a number of initiatives in the past year, all with an artistic theme.

Events organised by North Yorkshire Council as part of a revamped Scarborough Fair, have attracted more than 400,000 people to date.

Among them were Scarborough Lights, which saw spectacular light displays at some of the town’s most iconic venues, Scarborough Streets, with 48 free performances, workshops and murals, and Scarborough Art and Fringe, which featured more than 100 events at 50 venues.

Combined with the hard work and dedication of local organisations and people, they are helping to broaden the offer for visitors and residents alike and build on its reputation as a welcoming seaside resort.

Scarborough Fair festival director, Julian Caddy, said:

“Over the past 10 months we have been able to help nurture and support the town’s creative economy and have been overwhelmed by the positive response from artists and audiences alike.  

“We look forward to building on this in future years, both with these festivals and also Scarborough Extreme, a sports, music and dance showcase which will take place for the first time on October 5.”

Recent developments have seen a number of demolition-threatened buildings earmarked as potential artistic spaces.

Chair of Scarborough Studios, which manages the Old Parcels Office Artspace in the town, Sally Gorham, said since it opened in 2021 more than 20,000 visitors had passed through its doors.

Last year, Scarborough Studios received £12,000 from Scarborough Fair for an arts project aimed at breathing new life into empty shops around St Helens Square and Newborough.

Sally Gorham said:

“Working with local artists, we opened our first two arts spaces on Newborough in the summer of 2022,”

“Encouraged by the success of Gallery 33 and Mandy Apple we pressed on with negotiations to acquire leases on the further properties.

“We’ve now taken on the disused Shakespeare pub, the newsagents on St Helens Square and the shop around the corner on Newborough for more galleries and we are using the space above them as artists’ studios.

“It’s really bringing a creative buzz to this neglected area of the town and giving local artists an opportunity to showcase their work.”

Sally said organisers were hoping to build on the success of Scarborough Art and Fringe next year, adding:

“We’re already starting to plan for next year’s festival, we are hoping to get more arts organisations in the town involved and want to encourage local cafes and hotels to partner with us to showcase work by local artists on their walls - it happens in other places so there’s no reason why we can’t make it happen in Scarborough?”

North Yorkshire Council is currently drawing up a cultural strategy for the county, working with community organisations, partners, visitors, participants, and colleagues. Once finalised, it is set to go before councillors in October, with the aim of it being formally adopted in November.

North Yorkshire Council’s executive member for arts and culture, Cllr Simon Myers, said this demonstrates how keen the council is to support arts and culture across the county saying:

“The importance of creative arts to the wellbeing of residents is well-documented, It can improve how you feel, reduce stress and is relaxing. It can also be thought provoking and challenging.

“There are also obvious economic benefits, with events such as Scarborough fair attracting people from far and wide to spend money in our communities.

“As an authority, we have a long history of providing support to initiatives such as those we have seen along the east coast this year and, in partnership with organisations with expertise in this area, we will continue to do so in the future.”

The chair of the Scarborough Town Board, David Kerfoot, said:

“The Old Post Office at Scarborough Station and its reincarnation as a gallery for local artists to show their work has been inspirational with so many people passing through its door.

“Since then, several new sites have been acquired and the town has reflected its cultural and artistic drive with a new cultural strategy soon to be implemented countywide.

“It’s so important to have that artistic desire because it can help so much with a person’s well-being as well as bring economic benefits to the town.

“It’s also key to building on the huge success of Scarborough Fair and the fringe to ensure the town maintains a creative culture for the benefit of all.”