Scarborough Art Festival Set to Unveil Diverse Creativity

Scarborough is preparing to host a major celebration of artistic talent with the Scarborough Art festival, scheduled to run from Saturday 5 July to Sunday 3 August 2025.

The month-long initiative promises to transform various venues across Scarborough town centre and its surroundings, offering an extensive exploration of the creative community. The Scarborough Art festival will serve as an essential platform for close to 70 visual artists, most of whom are local, spanning all disciplines.

Visitors can expect to encounter a wide array of artistic media, including paintings, sculpture, photography, and printmaking. This event is designed to immerse art lovers of all ages in a day filled with creativity and inspiration, showcasing Scarborough's rich artistic heritage and allowing attendees to discover hidden artistic gems.

A key feature highlighted by the organisers is the opportunity for the public to view, learn about, and directly purchase work from the artists themselves. This direct engagement will take place in traditional galleries, outdoor locations, artists' studios, and even in some artists' homes.

The festival's comprehensive programme is structured into several key categories:

Diverse Exhibitions Across Scarborough A "feast for the eyes" awaits visitors with numerous exhibitions filling venues of all shapes and sizes throughout Scarborough. These displays will feature abstract paintings, mixed media pieces, landscapes, glass art, textiles, drawing, and sculpture, among other forms. The themes explored are remarkably diverse, ranging from social history and environmental sustainability to space and comic books, ensuring there is "something for everyone to enjoy and engage with".

Immersive Installations The festival is also set to feature two major immersive installations. Composer Sarah Dew's "Birds of Heart and Sky" will be presented in St Mary's Church, celebrating vulnerable birds. Additionally, Animated Objects will contribute "Touch Tour," described as an interactive tactile mural that will extend throughout the town. Other installations will include "Aztec Masquerade Ball" and "Scarborough Fashion", alongside various sculpture installations such as "Creatures of the deep".

Intimate Open Studios Many artists will open their studios, and in some cases their homes, providing a unique glimpse into the creative spaces where their work flourishes. This offers an intimate opportunity to see abstract art, ceramics, glass, mixed media, painting, drawing, and photography. Highlights include Lindsey Tyson Open Studio for abstract art, Karen Thompson Open Studio for ceramics, and Rachel Welford Open Studio for glass art.

Engaging Talks & Workshops Beyond viewing, the Scarborough Art festival provides ample opportunities for visitors to engage hands-on and create their own art. Several artists and makers will host workshops. Attendees can participate in "Collage – The Art of Play", "My Scarborough: Collage and Gel Printing Workshops", and various "Art & Craft Workshops". Glass fusing workshops, "Cold Water Creativity – Drawing the Sea", and pottery workshops are also planned. For those looking for innovative approaches, Home Spun Printmaking Workshops will invite participants to create art using recycled materials, while SHEP Kitchen will combine art and food.

Street Art and Community Murals The festival will also extend its reach into the public realm with street art, including a "Paint-By-Numbers Community Mural" and "No Stairway – Sponsored by Tysers Live".

Organisers underline that Scarborough Art is a key component of "The Scarborough Fair," the broader year-round programme of distinctive arts, heritage, and sporting events staged across Scarborough. 

Visitors are encouraged to consult the festival's daily diary for the most current information, as event details are subject to change. 

There are more details at https://scarboroughfair.uk/art/