YoCo News (April 2022)
25th April 7-8pm
Our monthly round up of news. There is lots going on and in particular there are lots of events coming up in May, from exploring how we make change to looking at how to grow the mix use neighbourhood set out in the YoCo Community Plan for York Central. We hope to see you there, whether it’ll be your first YoCo event or you’ve been involved in York Central related conversations for years!
York Central Partnership News
In our regular York Central Partnership news slot. Ian Gray has left as York Central Project Director. Mike Goulding is acting as interim Director. YoCo had a follow up meeting with Mike Goulding after the Greg Dyke-led strategic day in March 2022 (see March News). We emphasized that YoCo wanted to have a strategic role. We have said we will develop a ‘prospectus’ for YoCo that could be passed to a major financial investor.
There have been City of York Council meetings on York Central. Key issues include concerns over spiralling costs of infrastructure and investment in the river path.
YoCo Objection to NRM planning application
YoCo have objected to the NRM planning application in terms of the arrangements for public access through the building. We have taken a focus on encouraging a re-engagement with the local community and to take the opportunity to enable movement through a museum of movement.
YoCo Change Makers Event
Sunday 8th May, 2-5pm, St Barnabas Church, Register here
We’re working with Coaching York to explore how we make change. What ways of thinking, feeling and acting help us make change? What are our assumptions about how to make change? How might we connect grassroots activity and influencing decision-makers? What are we already doing to bring about the big picture changes we desire? What about the view from other people's shoes? How can seeing YoCo through other people’s eyes help us develop our approach to change?
Grow Your Own Mix Use Neighborhood Event
Saturday 14th May, 1pm-4pm, St Barnabas Church, Register here
Spark:York CIC will be joining is to consider how “meanwhile use” on the York Central site can sow the seeds for a range of businesses which will drive the local economy as the site develops. We’ll have design talent in the room with architects from around the city, and we’ll shape a creative session which gets everyone thinking about key questions and how we can answer them. We have some initial funding to work up ideas for meanwhile use on York Central – so let’s decide how best to do this!
Centre for Learning / Local Food Systems
How can engaging local food systems be part of creating a Centre for Learning on York Central?
We’ve been having lots of different meetings to develop the Centre for Learning / Local Food Systems idea including with York Learning, Food Circle, Supper Collective, St Paul’s Primary School and a wider network of people interested in local food. Next steps are to reach out to people interested in food poverty and links between fuel poverty and food poverty via Marie Addy (Local Area Co-ordinator) and to start to firm up the workshop. To find out more and get involved contact Helen on yocoinformation@gmail.com
Rewilding and Soil Remediation
The discussions to explore using planting to remove contaminants from the soil have developed and an initial meeting has been held with the Stockholm Environment Institute on rewilding. For more background see March News and to find out more and get involved contact Lyndon on yocoinformation@gmail.com
World Localisation Day
Celebrating Localization: An Alternative Future for York Central?
20th June, 6-7.30pm, Southlands Methodist Church, Register here
York Central Co-owned (YoCo) is partnering with World Localisation Day and York Festival of Ideas, bringing together global thinkers with local activists to discuss an alternative future for York Central development site. Join us for a free screening of the new film, Celebrating Localization (~45min), followed by an audience discussion.
Arts Council Bid ideas
Julia Davis is developing an Arts Council bid that will work creatively with the 4500 post it notes collected, documented and archived as part of My York Central. Julia describes the emerging projects:
‘The idea of all that writing, all those beautiful little illustrations and thoughts - literally over years, can be used to create a large map or huge tapestry - a beautiful physical articulation of what we already have woven, made together by participants old and new to physically show (like those wonderful mining banners) what we are talking about when on site.’
York Creatives PechaKucha
29th April, 7-9pm, Hungate Reading Cafe / https://www.yorkcreatives.com/pechakucha-night
YoCo is doing a PechaKucha – 20 slides 20 seconds each… will be a whistle stop tour through who we are and what were up to. Come down for a drink!
Next Open Meeting
23rd May, 7-8pm
What's going on with York Central - and how can we shape what happens there? Join this regular YoCo open meeting to find out. All very welcome.