Yorkshire Day @ Hyde Park Picture House

Image courtesy of hydeparkpicturehouse.co.uk

The importance of the Hyde Park Picture House to the cultural scene in Leeds is no secret; since its opening in 1914 it has become a central hub for all things ‘artsy’, whilst at the same time managing to entirely avoid any sense of pretentiousness. Here at TSOTA we are huge fans of the HPPH, and its beauty and uniqueness has been discussed in extensive detail here, which you should check out if you’re interested in learning a little more about its history…

But for now – celebrate the history of not only the HPPH, but Yorkshire itself! On Saturday 1st August the Hyde Park Picture House is set to open its doors for a day of free screenings and activities, celebrating this year’s Yorkshire Day. The day, made possible thanks to support from funders Leeds Inspired, will celebrate film making and watching in Yorkshire, as well as showcasing some of the best local artists and food producers in the region. The day will begin with family friendly activities, including a train making craft session followed by a screening of the classic Yorkshire film THE RAILWAY CHILDREN. There will also be a chance to see the winning short films from this year’s Leeds Young Film Festival.

Image courtesy of Tony O’Connell

Later in the day the cinema will also screen contemporary short films from local filmmakers and artists. Leeds International Film Festival’s Short Film City will screen some of the best short films from the region, including CUSHY, winner of the Yorkshire Short Film award at last year’s festival. Contemporary arts curators Mexico will also be at the cinema, screening a programme of artists’ moving image works from local practitioners and image makers.

Outside the cinema and throughout the day there will be stalls featuring the work of local artists, curated by collective &/Or Emporium, as well as tasty food stands from the likes of That Old Chestnut, Banh Mi Booth and Leeds Bread Co-op. Projection room tours will also be taking place, providing the opportunity for people to see behind the scenes and learn more about the history of film projection and how it works today, in one of the oldest cinemas in Yorkshire.

Image courtesy of goodwintrust.org

There will also be an exhibition of original artwork from Yorkshire based artists, each nominated by organisations in the city to re-imagine a poster of their favourite Yorkshire film. The artists range from illustrators and painters, to photographers and collage makers and include Lucy Sherston, Sam Hutchinson, Jake Blanchard, Siân Westcott, Karl Vickers and Kristyna Baczynski. The day will culminate with a screening of Sheffield Doc Fest festival winner WE ARE POETS, which follows the journey of six young poets from the Leeds Young Authors group, as they compete in Washington D.C.’s International Poetry Slam competition. Watch the trailer here

Image courtesy of guardian.com

‘Yorkshire Day is a daft old day, but one we love to get behind here at the Hyde Park Picture House! Yorkshire has such a long and wonderful history of film making and watching, so we’re delighted to open our doors this year to celebrate local film in all its wonderful forms. From family friendly classics and projection room tours, to a poster exhibition and top notch grub, we hope there’s something for everyone as we come together to celebrate the very best Yorkshire has to offer!’
Ollie Jenkins, Picture House Administrator.

Malak El-Gonemy

Hyde Park Picture House’s Yorkshire Day will take place between 11am – 7.30pm, on Saturday 1st August. No tickets or pre-booking required, other than for projection room tours. For the full programme of events, see here