York is the UK’s only UNESCO City of Media Arts and is a global stage for film production, games development, VFX, publishing & design. The city’s creative industries are a major contributor to the local economy, driving job creation, tourism, and investment. Join us to celebrate 10 years of the city’s UNESCO designation and see the impressive work happening across the region.
Set within this year’s BAFTA-Qualifying Aesthetica Film Festival, the UNESCO EXPO is a dynamic marketplace for innovation and cutting-edge ideas. It showcases the region’s thriving and growing creative sector by exhibiting the local organisations who are making a national and international impact. In 2023, the Aesthetica Film Festival welcomed over 26,000 visitors, bringing a £2 million economic boost to York. This year’s event is expected to build on that success, drawing even more attendees and generating further benefits for local businesses. Make It York is proud to be a partner in this exciting collaboration, helping to drive the city's cultural success forward.
Visit The Guildhall, 7-9 November 2024, to try out new projects, speak to creatives and see how York is harnessing its global status to generate future opportunities, drive inward investment and develop educational pathways.
The creative industries contribute £109 billion pounds to the UK economy annually and employs 2.3 million people. York is a leader in the creative economy and its cultural significance is on a global scale. It is 1 of just 26 cities worldwide that was selected by UNESCO as a City of Media Arts.
The city’s outputs are on a par with the other 26 destinations that have been awarded UNESCO City of Media Arts status. These include influential locations like Austin, Texas; Sapporo, Japan; and Toronto, Canada. York is world-leading in its achievements across film, TV, games, design and more.
The UNESCO City of Media Arts EXPO is a significant catalyst for the creative industries on both a national and international level. It offers attendees the unparalleled opportunity to experience cutting-edge work, forge strategic partnerships and speak with the creators making waves in the UK’s creative industries. Explore groundbreaking work on major international projects and hear from companies who are delivering projects with world-class clients.
- Viridian is a VFX powerhouse based in the North of England. Over the years, it has become one of the UK’s leading studios, bringing captivating worlds to life, from the Golden Globe-winning House of The Dragon to The Infernal Machine, starring Guy Pearce. The company’s clients include big name streaming platforms, such as Apple TV+, HBO and Netflix.
- Button Down is a factual TV production company, making narrative-driven work for the BBC and Channel 4 alongside content for brands, such as Cadbury, Dyson, Sky and Wired. They are recipients of the Channel 4 Indie Award for Documentaries, an accolade that highlights their commitment to telling authentic stories with heart and humour.
- Orillo is an award-winning production company that makes a range of film content, including advertising, documentary, music and features. They have worked with everyone from big-name brands, such as Adidas, Beats by Dre, BT Sport, Gumtree and Pepsi to Brit Award-winningmusician Rag ’n’ Bone Man and singer-songwriter Samm Henshaw.
- Art of Protest Gallery is pushing important and timely conversations beyond the silos of country, class and social media groups. They make it possible for contemporary art to reach new audiences, by being a space for projects to be exhibited, dispersed, traded and owned beyond closed interest groups.
As a city, York is harnessing its global status to generate jobs and drive inward investment. Media Arts create exceptional opportunities and prospects in all sectors: retail, hospitality, transport, services. Aesthetica has been actively working with a range of city-wide partners to drive progression routes and pathways into the creative industries.
In addition to connecting filmmakers, developers and screen executives attending the film festival with businesses that deliver the services they need, the EXPO will also act as a mechanism to support the next generation of talent by showcasing educational pathways and career progressions.
Exhibiting Companies
In attendance are: Aesthetica, Art of Protest Gallery, Art is My Career, Ay-Pe, Bright White, Button Down Productions, Creative Business Skills Academy, , Last Maps Illustrations, Orillo Productions, Peel X, Pollen Studios, Pilot Theatre, Revolution Software, The Distance, Viridian FX XR Stories. They demonstrate the sheer breadth and scale of York and North Yorkshire’s cultural output, collaborating with big-name clients, such as Adidas, Apple TV+, BBC, Channel 4, HBO, ITV, Netflix, Pepsi and Sky, to name a few.
Premiere: Stunning Installation by Steve Messam
Steve Messam’s latest commissioned work, Lantern I, will premiere at the UNESCO City of Media Arts EXPO. Known for his large-scale temporary installations that merge architecture and the natural environment, Messam has designed Lantern I as an exploration of space and interaction.
The piece promises to captivate audiences through its intricate play with light, which transforms the historic Guildhall setting into an immersive and ethereal environment. Messam is an internationally recognised artist, specialising in temporary projects that challenge perceptions of space and place. He was shortlisted for the Aesthetica Art Prize in 2022 and his large-scale exhibitions include a number of site-specific installations across the Venetian Lagoon during the Venice Biennale and the first off-site installation at the Shanghai Biennial.
Reignite VI: Culture Makes Places
The sixth edition of the Reignite series – Culture Makes Places – will take place during the BAFTA-Qualifying Aesthetica Film Festival and UNESCO City of Media Arts EXPO. York will come alive with culture from an engagement point of view, but also economic. The city will be full of attendees local, national and international.
- Representatives from three UNESCO Cities of Media Arts – Braga (Portugal), Linz (Austria) and Oulu (Finland) – will share how they leverage culture to drive transformative change in their cities. Discover how culture enhances economic development, creates jobs, and offers skills and opportunities for young people, fostering growth and innovation across the entire urban ecosystem.
- The event will be opened by Mayor David Skaith, followed by an address from Cherie Federico, Director of Aesthetica. Presentations from each city will explore their unique approaches, followed by a dynamic panel discussion.
- Conclude the evening with a drinks reception and a visit to the UNESCO City of Media Arts Expo, celebrating a decade of York's designation. Don't miss this opportunity to learn how culture is shaping the future of cities globally.
Find Out More About the EXPO Here.
Download the Aesthetica Film Festival Programme Here.
Cherie Federico, Director of Aesthetica says:
“The UNESCO City of Media Arts EXPO is one of the most exciting and enriching experiences to celebrate the UK’s creative industries. In our region, we are working on a global stage and the EXPO celebrates 10 years of designation whilst also looking forward to how York can position itself as a national and international leader in the sector, creating jobs, driving inward investment and developing clear educational pathways.”
Sarah Loftus, Managing Director of Make It York says:
"Make It York are thrilled to partner and support the first UNESCO City of Media Arts EXPO. The creative arts and culture sectors, along with 10 years of UNESCO designation, are some of the many reasons that make York such a wonderful place to both live and visit. To be able to showcase this with the EXPO, in the centre of the city, is very exciting." |
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