Sold out Reignite event celebrates inspiring collaborations seen around the world

Reignite returned for its fifth event ‘Unexpected Collaborations’ on Wednesday night.

The event brought together over 250 creatives and business leaders to celebrate collaborations that have led to new innovations across the city and foster new interdisciplinary partnerships.

Reignite V demonstrated the transformative potential when diverse fields intersect, leading to groundbreaking advancements and inspiring new ways of thinking. The event, held at the Yorkshire Museum and York Art Gallery, showcased an array of unexpected pairings between artists and businesses.

Cherie Federico, Director of Aesthetica, said: “Reignite V showcased the power of cross-sector collaboration to drive innovation and growth. There are amazing things happening on our doorstep, and these pioneering collaborations provide the blueprint for how, as a city, we can work together to unleash our creative ambition. The results will be immense.”

At this special event, guests heard from Chris Pegg of City Cruises and their exciting work with Netflix, Lucy Hammond of Pilot Theatre and their journey to developing ground breaking work with new technologies, Abbigail Ollive of Castle Howard on working with world-renowned sculptor and Turner Prize winner Tony Cragg, and Charlotte Kingston of National Railway Museum on commissioning thought-provoking artworks by Steve Messam and Hayley Wall.

Following the talks, guests enjoyed a LATE event at York Art Gallery, with local DJ, Upside Your Mind, complimentary drinks provided by Dutch Barn Vodka, and the opportunity to view the gallery’s hugely successful Monet exhibition before it closes on 8^th September.

Reignite is a vision for the city in which we leverage our UNESCO Media Arts designation to attract inward investment, develop educational pathways, retain graduates, create more jobs, and quantify the economic impact of the sector on the wider economy of York. The next Reignite event, ‘Culture Makes Place’ will take place on Thursday 7^th November. Follow Aesthetica and The York BID to find out more.

Reignite V was organised by Aesthetica, York BID, and York Museum’s Trust, and was supported by the City of York Council, City Cruises, Pilot Theatre, Castle Howard, the National Railway Museum, and Dutch Barn Vodka.