In August 2016 I was appointed as Creative Director of York Mediale, tasked with raising the funding, building the organisation, and delivering the largest media art festival ever staged in the UK.
Reflecting a step-change moment in the UK’s media arts programming, the Mediale is focused on engaging audiences with exciting, innovative and high quality programming, whilst maintaining a commitment to education and talent development. It follows York’s designation as the UK’s first UNESCO City of Media Arts.
York Mediale 2018 was the first major event, planned, developed and delivered by the newly formed, independent, not for profit (CIC) organisation. Created as the accessible expression of the UNESCO designation for York as a Creative City of Media Art, the festival was an enormous success on many levels.
York Mediale 2020 comprised six major new commissions, including five world premieres and one UK premiere. Starting on October 21st and continuing into the new year, YM2020 was a cacophony of experiential digital art conceived for and influenced by 2020.
Over the challenging last three years, as well as managing to deliver a 2020 festival, and survive as an organisation, we’ve been shifting towards a model we think can thrive and flourish for the long term.
As part of this shift, we have restructured to a flexible, dynamic, core team producing ambitious, experimental work which challenges artists whilst engaging audiences from communities across the UK and internationally.
We are working to drive up the overall value of – and grow the global market for – our sector’s cultural output. We will proactively generate high-value opportunities across the UK and beyond via a razor-sharp focus on innovation and excellence. So, consider Mediale to be open for business everywhere, year-round.