York creatives invited to pitch ideas for Castle Gateway events

Ideas and pitches that bring the Castle Gateway area of York to life are being sought from artists, musicians and creatives that live in the city, as part of a new initiative to animate this key part of the city centre.

The £30,000 fund for cultural projects has been set aside by City of York Council, and is available for projects taking place in the Castle Gateway area – which stretches from the Ouse to Fossgate – between July and November 2019. Bids for the fund are welcome from anyone who lives within the boundaries of the City of York, and it is anticipated it will fund at least two to four projects.

These projects will provide a window into the exciting future planned for the Castle Gateway area. The masterplan prioritises high quality public spaces – including one to replace Castle Car Park – at the heart of its regeneration, and organisers are particularly keen to receive ideas for events on Castle Car Park.

The team behind York Mediale is managing and co-ordinating the distribution of funds, on behalf of City of York Council. Entries will be considered by an expert panel which includes representatives of City of York Council, Make It York, York BID and York Mediale, along with two arts industry specialists from nationally respected organisations. It is an open brief, but they are particularly interested to receive projects that include events and installations that celebrate the future of York – where heritage meets hi-tech. The project should be free for the public to enjoy, with content suitable for all ages; accessibility, inclusion and economic impact will be assessed as part of the judging process.

“The area included within the Castle Gateway boundaries is incredibly diverse, incorporating the Ouse and Foss riversides, public green areas, three car parks, museums, monuments, a shopping centre – so the potential for using different aspects of this zone are immense,” comments York Mediale Creative Director, Tom Higham. “This space sits at the heart of the city, and it is incredibly exciting that we are handing over the space to York residents to show us some of the potential of the site. There is a real opportunity here to imagine and prototype ideas for the future of a newly developed, but historically significant, public space.”