ACOUSTIC BLUES & ROOTS WEEKEND 2022 A weekend of guitar and slide guitar tuition - plus jam sessions, student performances, great company and a special Saturday night concert.  This is a weekend for anyone interested in playing acoustic guitar and slide guitar in blues and roots styles. All levels are welcome. Acoustic instruments only. Learn from two of the finest guitarists in the UK - Michael Messer and Robbie McIntosh. Robbie & Michael will hold a class together on the subject of performance and playing in a duo. Spending time with Robbie McIntosh, Michael Messer and other attendees in the classes and at the evening events will be a fantastic experience for everyone involved.  The Saturday night concert will be a unique event - Robbie McIntosh & Michael Messer plus guests.

A weekend of guitar and slide guitar tuition - plus jam sessions, student performances, great company and a special Saturday night concert.  This is a weekend for anyone interested in playing acoustic guitar and slide guitar in blues and roots styles. All levels are welcome. Acoustic instruments only. Learn from two of the finest guitarists in the UK with Michael Messer and Robbie McIntosh. In addition and by request, Robbie & Michael will hold a class together on the subject of performance and playing in a duo. Spending time with Robbie McIntosh, Michael Messer and other attendees in the classes and at the evening events will be a fantastic experience for everyone involved.

Enjoy an evening immersed in the blues with two of the world’s finest guitarists Robbie McIntosh has played with Sir Paul McCartney, Pretenders, Norah Jones, John Mayer and many other great artists. Michael Messer is an award winning musician whose reputation as an innovator of the blues and master of slide guitar is well known. Together and with some special guests, they will present an intimate evening of acoustic blues & roots music.

In this special acoustic performance Barbara Dickson and her pianist Nick Holland explore her catalogue of songs at an intimate level. The pair let the words and melodies take ‘centre stage’ as they perform a wonderful range of material drawing on Barbara’s folk roots, contemporary greats, and some of her classic hits.

If you are going to a Beth Nielsen Chapman concert get ready to laugh and cry and, well, just fasten your seat belt. One thing you can count on is one great song after another and some fascinating stories woven between them. Twice Grammy-nominated Nashville based, Beth Nielsen Chapman has released thirteen solo albums and written seven #1 hits and songs recorded by Bonnie Raitt, Willie Nelson, Bette Midler, Elton John, Neil Diamond, Michael McDonald, Keb Mo’, Roberta Flack, Waylon Jennings, Indigo Girls, & Faith Hill’s mega-hit This Kiss, ASCAP'S 1999 Song Of The Year. The fall of 2021 will bring the release of Beth’s 15th solo album along with a world tour starting in the UK. Working with legendary producer Ray Kennedy (Lucinda Williams, Steve Earle) this one is going to be epic!

Join the world-famous Brighouse & Rastrick Band for a fantastic festive concert with all of the Christmas trimmings, yuletide greats and carols. Regarded by many as the best and most consistent ‘public subscription band’ in the world. In its time the majority of premier band championships have been held by ‘Briggus’, most recently becoming National Champion Band of Great Britain in 2017, whilst the band has also attracted a formidable reputation for highly entertaining concerts for both the general public and brass band connoisseur. The ever popular Brighouse and Rastrick Band caught the ears and imagination of the British public with their recording of “The Floral Dance” holding the No.2 position in the British singles chart for 9 weeks. Even though they were held off the top spot by Paul McCartney, they still achieved sales of over a million, earning both Gold and Silver discs. ‘The Floral Dance’ has now become a permanent feature of the band’s programs as the ‘unofficial’ encore. Over recent years the band has been engaged in a number of very successful music collaborations, outside the brass band tradition, including Kate Rusby, BBC Radio 2 Folk award winners The Unthanks and classical actor Simon Callow. It is still true to say that no other public subscription band has held such high status for as long as the Brighouse and Rastrick Band!

In previous years, Chantel stepped out in the pro-musician world and her stunning live performances demonstrated that she had the ability to perform rock for the new age, played by a musician born with an effortless virtuosity. Since then, she has built a loyal and growing fan base who follow her every move. If you measure an artist’s prospects by the company they keep, then Chantel has been moving in the right direction. Early in her career, Chantel was invited to perform with Joe Bonamassa, on two of his UK tours. Over the last few years, Chantel has received great reviews of her 5 albums, the last 2 being released during the 2021 Covid lockdown. The ‘Shed Sessions Volumes 1 & 2’ were recorded at home and mixed by Wayne Proctor of Superfly Studios due to the pandemic. They were born out of a weekly livestream which Chantel performed throughout lockdown. Over lockdown, as well as the 2 albums, Chantel released a rock cover of ‘Stupid Love’ by Lady Gaga and had a track on ‘Gumbo Blues, a tribute to Dr John’, both through Cleopatra Records in the USA. She also released the single ‘I Will See’, which she co-wrote and recorded with David ‘Nova’ Nowakowski (Scars on 45). Chantel is writing for her next studio album, and is debuting some of the new tracks on her tour which, is taking place throughout the UK. These are one off shows not to be missed. Chantel stated, ‘I’m over the moon to be back out on tour again, the last couple of years have been incredibly tough for everyone in the music industry and it’s just so wonderful to be able to play live music in front of great crowds once again’.

25 years on from the release of The Seahorses’ seminal album Do It Yourself, acclaimed vocalist Chris Helme will revisit the iconic record with a series of one-off acoustic performances across the UK. Watch as Chris lovingly brings the memorable album’s cherished tracks back to life, including Love is the Law – which reached number 3 in the UK and number 1 in the Scottish singles charts and has racked up more than 8.2 million streams on Spotify –, and Love Me and Leave Me, which was Liam Gallagher’s first ever songwriting credit. Support: Tom Townsend Tom Townsend is a musician and songwriter from Scarborough, UK, whose 20 year career has seen him become one of the area's best loved and most versatile performers. Tom is a gifted multi-instrumentalist specialising in guitar, drums and bass and brought up with the sounds of folk, blues, country, rock & roll and soul.

When a shy groom practices his wedding vows in the inadvertent presence of a deceased young woman, she rises from the grave assuming he has married her.

Join our hero ‘Dick Whittington’ on an adventure to London, where the streets are paved with gold! TaleGate Theatre return with another spectacular pantomime, Dick Whittington! Packed with songs, slapstick, silliness, audience participation and all the fairytale magic of traditional pantomime. This fun-filled extravaganza is guaranteed to delight the whole family, so turn again Dick Whittington, three times Lord Mayor of London!

Don’t Worry Darling centres on husband and wife, Alice and Jack, who live in an experimental 1950s utopian society, or so it seems. Alice begins to fear that there is more to their surroundings than meets the eye.

While millions of birds migrate freely in the skies, Fadia, a Palestinian refugee in Lebanon, yearns for the ancestral homeland she is denied. She challenges Sarah Beddington, the Director, to find an ancient mulberry tree that stands as witness to her family’s existence – with only inherited memories, a blind man and a two-headed dragon as her guides. Along the way, Sarah meets with ornithologists whose observations on the homing instincts of the birds inadvertently reveal the unresolved problems of the region. Spanning fifteen years, this story of a friendship that stays connected across a divided land and a fragmented people adopts a birds’ eye perspective to reflect on freedom of movement, exile and the hope of return.

Fire and Rain’ are not a tribute or a soundalike act, they are 6 of the North’s finest musicians coming together to play the soundtracks of our lives. They’ll be returning to the Pocklington Arts Centre after their near sell out concert in 2019. This year’s performance will be celebrating the music of six time Grammy award-winning songwriter James Taylor. It’s no surprise that it takes great ability to play the music of such a mercurial talent.

November can be a dull month, so why not join us to celebrate the arrival of this year’s Beaujolais Nouveau on its release date of 17th November, at 7pm in PAC’s Studio? Friends and non-members will receive a glass of Beaujolais and in addition enjoy a fun tasting of 8 Christmas themed wines from Majestic Wines, accompanied by water, nibbles and cheese. Live musical entertainment will be provided.

Three former parapsychology professors set up shop as a unique ghost removal service.

Something amazing happens when Hothouse Flowers step onto the stage – something that has been shaped by over thirty years of singing and playing all over the world, yet no two shows have ever been the same! There is a sense of musical adventure, an impulse to reach new heights and depths in music where the unspoken aim is that the band and the audience become one and the world becomes a different place for a while. There is an unpredictable energy in the band that harkens back to their "Risk" days playing on the dancefloors of Dublin’s late-night clubs. They call upon their grand repertoire to create a show that is unique to the time and place. Improvisation can come at any point and allow the band express their brightest and their darkest influences. "Rock and Roll is not about safety or politeness, it is not about perfection either. It is expression and it is spirit." Humour is also never far from a Hothouse Flowers night. They do not take themselves seriously however, there is no mistaking the musical integrity among them as they open up to each other in musical dialogue. Fiachna, Liam and Peter are traditional musicians. This allows for moments of ancestral connection. From a Doors-like musical workout one minute, to an earnest and timeless offering to the memory of Currachaí na Tra Báine the next. A song inherited by Fiachna describing the blow inflicted upon a community and a family due to drowning. This moment and moments like these set the Flowers apart from almost any other band of their time and trade. They are carriers of culture and all of what that entails. Hothouse Flowers are a rock n’roll band, Hothouse Flowers are a traditional band, Hothouse Flowers are a soul band.. Hothouse Flowers are a jam band with their own brand of jam on both sides of the bread! Despite the bands lengthy career which is now well into its fourth decade there is a sense of unfinished business. Every night they want to play the best gig they have ever played and take the musical risks that can maybe make that possible. There are still songs to be written and emotions to share. Whether its in a tiny club, an arena or in a festival field there is a sense that the best is yet to come. The bands touring in Ireland, the UK and on the festival circuit prior to the global pandemic saw them reveal new material from their brand new album Let’s Do This Thing which they released on www.hothouseflowers.com . In March 2020 Let’s Do This Thing was released on all digital platforms just as their touring plans were all put on hold. The band can’t wait to safely get back to their natural habitat in front of a live audience!

In the summer of 1989, a group of bullied kids band together to destroy a shape-shifting monster, which disguises itself as a clown and preys on the children of Derry, their small Maine town.

A singer-songwriter known for his lyrical acumen and plaintive harmonica style, Joe Pug dropped out of college and moved to Chicago where he worked as a carpenter before breaking into the city's music scene. Since 2008 he has released a string of critically-acclaimed albums and toured heavily in the U.S. and abroad. Paste Magazine wrote of his music: "Unless your surname is Dylan, Waits, Ritter or Prine, you could face-palm yourself to death trying to pen songs half as inspired". He has toured with Steve Earle, Levon Helm, The Killers, Justin Townes Earle, Sturgill Simpson, and many others. He has appeared at Lollapalooza, Bonnaroo, and The Newport Folk Festival. His music has appeared on NPR's "Prairie Home Companion" and "Mountain Stage". His music has been released by Lightning Rod Records, which features an alumni roster of Jason Isbell, Billy Joe Shaver, and James McMurtry. Additionally, he is the creator and host of the popular podcast The Working Songwriter.

Raised in the East Yorkshire flatlands on the fringes of Hull, Katie Spencer’s landscape has always been that of open skies and widening rivers. Industry still shapes the city here. The people, as with the land, are moulded by tides and stark horizons. Stand in the same place for long enough and you can watch the sun rise over the North Sea and then sink into crop fields, glowing auburn in late-summer sun. It is this sense of space and movement that flows through Katie Spencer’s music. The songwriting, and most notably her guitar playing stems from a time when the steel-stringed instrument was truly finding its voice. Artists like Joni Mitchell, James Taylor and perhaps most evidently Michael Chapman, flow into her sound, carrying with them the warmth and idealism of the early 70’s folk and songwriter movements. Katie Spencer’s highly anticipated new album, The Edge of the Land (2022), follows her debut release, Weather Beaten (2019) which was praised for its unique song-craft, spell-binding musicianship and crystal sonic clarity, as she brought together fans of music from all backgrounds and walks of life. Delicate and un-rushed, the ten songs on The Edge of the Land drift by like ships on the horizon, yet intimacy and introspection still remain. The inclusivity found in her recorded works is most apparent when on stage, with a personal connection and humour that allows the listener time to appreciate the emotion of the music. Her historical gig list is extensive, taking in the world-renowned Celtic Connections and Cambridge Folk Festival, whilst performances with Danny Thompson and Alan Thomson have left audiences in awe of her confidence and craftsmanship. As live music returns to our world, we can expect to see Katie Spencer where she belongs once more, eyes closed, in the moment, performing.

Eclectic Americana Folk Singer-Songwriter Lady Nade pours creativity into every song, often lavishing them with a recipe to match. Regardless of lockdown and the pandemic Lady Nade has continued to use the power of her creativity and songwriting to aid health and well-being. Artistically she found this ‘forced stillness’ gave her a prolific outpouring of words that she has formed into her third album Willing. This is a collection of stories about love and friendship — both regular subjects for Lady Nade. She adds to the songs that explore self and loneliness – and all of these emotions are brought to you with a sense of finding and losing these feelings during this strangest of times.

Maggie Whitley is a local author who has written 9 books (so far). 5 of these are books for older children/young teens; the others are for adults. All of her books, whatever the age of those who read them, have the same characteristics - they are funny, quirky, with unexpected twists and turns, and larger-than-life characters. Maggie's books will make you laugh, cry and always leave you wanting more. Maggie will be focusing on children’s books at this event, giving children the opportunity to ask questions to an author in person. The event is suitable for children with a reading age of 8 – 11.

Fresh from Live at The Apollo, A League of Their Own, Mock The Week, and The Last Leg, Best Newcomer nominee Maisie Adam is back with her new show ‘Buzzed’. Rammed with witty observations, high-octane energy and some right good jokes. This high-energy show promises to be better than whatever else you had planned (unless you had plans to go dancing with Cher).

In partnership with the House of Dior, MRS. HARRIS GOES TO PARIS tells the story of a widowed cleaning lady in 1950s London who falls madly in love with a couture Dior dress, and decides that she must have one of her own. After she works, starves and gambles to raise the funds to pursue her dream, she embarks on an adventure to Paris which will change not only her own outlook, but the very future of the House of Dior.

In this relaxing and enjoyable session, you will learn how to needle-felt an animal into fabric. Needle-felting onto fabric is a wonderful activity to learn and is like 'drawing with fibres'. We provide tuition from beginners level to ensure you create a wonderful outcome. We also give you a kit to take home and continue in your own time. Great for beginners who want to learn a new skill. Session delivered by Textile Artist Holly Davis from Thread and Press CIC.

“What’s a bad miracle?” Oscar® winner Jordan Peele disrupted and redefined modern horror with Get Out and then Us. Now, he reimagines the summer movie with a new pop nightmare: the expansive horror epic, Nope. The film reunites Peele with Oscar® winner Daniel Kaluuya (Get Out, Judas and the Black Messiah), who is joined by Keke Palmer (Hustlers, Alice) and Oscar® nominee Steven Yeun (Minari, Okja) as residents in a lonely gulch of inland California who bear witness to an uncanny and chilling discovery. Nope, which co-stars Michael Wincott (Hitchcock, Westworld) and Brandon Perea (The OA, American Insurrection), is written and directed by Jordan Peele and is produced by Ian Cooper (Us, Candyman) and Jordan Peele for Monkeypaw Productions

Oysterband, the five times BBC Folk Award-winning outfit that brought passion and power to folk and roots music, enter their fifth decade as vital and creative as ever, with some of the finest songs in the modern folk canon to their name. They still play with that spirit of the punk ceilidh band that roared through people’s lives all those years ago, but the growing depth and sensitivity of their song writing, coupled with the strength of John Jones’ voice and their remarkable musicianship, has lifted their music into a richer, more acoustic era.

When you watch this panto you move into another dimension. A dimension of laughter, a dimension of song, a dimension of silliness… you’ve just crossed over into, The Panto Zone. This spooktacular halloween panto is sure to trick and treat all the family. TaleGate Theatre, who have brought you other howlers including ‘Harry Panto’ and Hocus Panto’ guarantee to have you screaming… with laughter. This October half term show is full of all things that go bump in the night.

Fresh on the heels of his critically acclaimed memoirs, Nailing It, Montana’s transatlantic messenger returns with new rants, knife-edge observations, thrilling musical interludes and an ever-formidable knack for laughs on the fly. You’ll pay for the whole seat, but you’ll only need the edge of it.

Representing the musical powerhouse that is Belgrave Music Hall & Canteen in Leeds, The Belgrave House Band reimagine classic albums with a very satisfying attention to detail and a bouncing energy that makes for a unique take on the past, while delivering an exciting performance very much set in the present. In their past five shows they have covered ‘The Miseducation of Lauryn Hill’, ‘Baduizm’, ‘The Writing’s On The Wall’, ‘The Love Below’ and a double show of Amy Winehouse's ‘Frank’, all to sold out audiences. The band is made up of some of the most exciting musicians coming out of Leeds’ burgeoning Jazz and Soul scene, with members from Tetes De Pois, Mamilah, Skwid Ink, B-Ahwe and the Tight Lines label, with each show featuring guest appearances, giving each performance a unique sound and dynamic. This time round they're taking on one of the most critically acclaimed, highest grossing and culturally significant albums of all time... Rumours by Fleetwood Mac. “The best gig I’ve ever been too” “They were absolutely insane” “The next best thing”

Awareness of the benefits of music for people living with dementia has grown rapidly. Join the charismatic Michael Cooper who will lead the group in singing a familiar repertoire of songs that will unlock memories. One carer to each person with dementia goes free. Places limited so book early! Includes tea/coffee. Supported by the Friends of Pocklington Arts Centre

In a brand new one man show Steve will perform material that surfaced over two years of isolation and inactivity. Songs such as the ‘Bristol Slaver’ and ‘You’ll Get By’ were refreshed by headlines and current affairs whilst classic covers such as ‘Forever Young’ and ‘The Boys of Summer’ struck a chord with the thousands that tuned in to his hours of online content. Insights, anecdotes and a bunch of new songs will attempt tochronicle and draw a line under an extra episode in all our lives.

Suzi Ruffell likes things snappy: her stand up, her decisions and her suits. Suzi's brand new show is all about settling down (but not settling), becoming a mother (without becoming mumsy) and still worrying about everything - of course she is - have you seen the news? Multi-award nominated comedian Suzi Ruffell's last tour, 'Dance Like Everyone Is Watching' received critical acclaim and was recorded as an Amazon special. Suzi has also appeared on numerous shows such as Live At The Apollo, The Jonathan Ross Show, QI, The Last Leg, and Womanhood to name but a few. Suzi is also best known for her hugely popular podcasts 'Like Minded Friends' and 'Out'. “instinctively, exquisitely funny from the moment she sashays onto the stage… a crowd-pleasing show packed with punchlines.” Evening Standard “a very likable presiding spirit, combining daft physical comedy… with disarming emotional candour” The Guardian

In 2012, having been lost for over 500 years, the remains of King Richard III were discovered beneath a carpark in Leicester. The search had been orchestrated by an amateur historian, Philippa Langley, whose unrelenting research had been met with incomprehension by her friends and family and with scepticism by experts and academics. THE LOST KING is the life-affirming true story of a woman who refused to be ignored and who took on the country's most eminent historians, forcing them to think again about one of the most controversial kings in England's history.

The Manfreds are returning to the Arts Centre, Pocklington, on Friday 9th December for a much-awaited performance. They are considered one of the finest and most respected bands from the ’60s era and their numerous hits were not just ‘pop’ songs. Many were R&B based with an undercurrent of jazz - a very unusual but winning combination of playing style and substance. As a result, their records have a timeless quality and, almost 60 years on, The Manfreds, with original frontman, Paul Jones, will be performing many of their hits, including ‘Do Wah Diddy Diddy’, one of the most popular and instantly recognisable songs of the ’60s, and still the biggest audience pleaser at their concerts, along with a mix of Jazz and Blues covers and tracks from their individual solo albums. Paul Jones, with his unique harmonica sound, will be joined by Tom McGuinness on guitar, Rob Townsend on drums, Mike Gorman on keyboards, Marcus Cliffe on bass, and Simon Currie on saxophone/ flute.

After a long pandemic induced hiatus, The South can get back on the road and do what they do best - perform the songs of that great British pop institution, The Beautiful South, to the thousands of fans of these timeless classics. The South are an impressive 9 piece band who feature former members of The Beautiful South including singer Alison Wheeler and lifelong sax player Gaz Birtles. Since Dave Hemingway, the original singer, left the group at the end of 2016, Gaz has moved across to front the band with Alison and taken on vocal duties. Since the demise of The Beautiful South in 2007, this exciting live band have spent 11 years touring the theatres and festivals of the UK up and down the country, bringing back the full sound and arrangements of these treasured songs - A Little Time (the number one single), Perfect 10, Rotterdam, Song For Whoever, Old Red Eyes Is Back, Good as Gold, Don't Marry Her plus many more singles and album tracks as well as a few choice South originals. These songs span an impressive 18 year career starting way back in 1989! Let’s Carry On... Regardless!

After the success of her first ever solo tour in 2021, Thea Gilmore is back with an eagerly anticipated new set of live dates in October and November. A formidable performer on stage, Thea is among the finest singer songwriters of her generation, a frank and fearless pursuer of home truths who has constantly adapted to remain relevant in the fickle, forever changing music industry. And done so on her own terms. A painful creative and personal rebirth delivered a brace of brilliant albums last year. Although poles apart musically Afterlight, the 18th album of her career, and The Emancipation of Eva Gray, written by Thea’s alter ago and imagined 100 years ago, share the same foundation in their sentiment and subject matter – the end of a toxic relationship – as she explores the female experience through her own story. Writer Neil Gaiman brilliantly encapsulated the spirit of Afterlight as “an emotional rollercoaster in a musical wrapper… a post mortem with better lyrics, executed by someone who can sing her heart out even as she slices into yours.” In the 24 years since the teenage Thea released her first album, Burning Dorothy, she has worked with and won the admiration of Bruce Springsteen, Joan Baez, Martha Wainwright, John Cooper Clarke, Billy Bragg, Steve Earle, Beth Orton and The Waterboys among many others. Her landmark 2011 album Don’t Stop Singing was a collaboration with the late Sandy Denny and her music featured in the BAFTA-winning film Bait (2019) as well as Blithe Spirit (2020) starring Judi Dench.

Direct from a sell-out five-star hit tour of Australia and New Zealand, join international award-winning singing sensation Velma Celli for an overindulgent diva fest celebrating the songs and behaviour of all of your favourite divas including Cline, Mariah, Whitney, Aretha, Cher, Britney (maybe not!) and many more, jam-packed with impressions and banter brought to you by the international star and creator of hit show 'A Brief History of Drag'. No diva is safe, no riff she won't sing - so strap yourself in and let the belt off begin. Winner of Best Cabaret 2020, Fringe World Perth.

The Wind in the Willows by Kenneth Grahame, adapted by Louis Roberts – Touring the 14th of November until the 15th of January 2023. “Beyond the Wild Wood comes the Wide World!” In this classic tale we follow Mole, who ventures forth from the comfort of his underground home to explore the outside world. There he meets Ratty and their relationship blossoms into a heartwarming friendship as they embark on adventures together and meet other characters such as Badger and Toad! Suitable for children and families of all ages, this version will be adapted by NTC and performed in our usual fast paced, physical style with live music, song, plenty of laughs and uplifting and joyous moments.