Yorkshire Theatres and Art Galleries

Yorkshire Theatres

Leeds offers a superb choice of theatre venues from the historic Leeds Grand Theatre on New Briggate, first opened in 1878, to the acclaimed modern drama mecca - the West Yorkshire Playhouse. Look to the West Yorkshire Playhouse for cutting edge drama and often the best of radical UK theatre whilst the Carriageworks on buzzing Millennium Square offers an eclectic mix of musicals, dance, film, plays and workshops. The Leeds City Varieties Music Hall on Swan Street hosts superb old style music hall nights across March and April, whilst Opera North have their base at the Leeds Grand Theatre. The Leeds based Northern Ballet Theatre perform regularly at the West Yorkshire Playhouse and the Leeds Grand Theatre.

Sheffield's Theatre choice makes the city a top spot for theatre breaks. Sheffield's Lyceum Theatre is a special theatre venue indeed. First opening its doors in 1897, the Lyceum is particularly special as its the only surviving proscenium arch theatre in the country outside of London. Fans of snooker will certainly be familiar with Sheffield's Crucible Theatre which plays host to the World Snooker Championships annually. Dating from 1971, The Crucible is Sheffield's main theatre hub and has built up an acclaimed reputation for cutting edge drama over the years. Frequent productions of Shakespeare's plays are on offer here.

Hull boasts two premier theatres - the historic Hull New Theatre which first opened in 1939 and the acclaimed Hull Truck Theatre which also tours at various other Yorkshire theatres. Hull Truck's success sees it moving into a large new venue. Check the Hull's Truck's webguide right for details. The Alhambra Theatre in Bradford was built in 1914 and restored in the 1980s. Architecturally stunning both inside and out, the Alhambra makes for a striking centrepiece in the city and opposite sits appropriately the statue of Bradford's most famous playwright J.B.Priestly. The Alhambra today stands as one of the North's premier touring venue offering a prestigious selection of ballet, opera, variety, comedy, musicals, drama and always annually a pantomime. National shows including top West End musicals can often be seen here. Bradford's other huge entertainment venue, this time a Victorian concert hall, is St George's Concert Hall. St George's was also completely refurbished to great effect during the 1980s and today offers up an impressive choice of touring music, comedy and variety shows.

York's historic Theatre Royal has seen some changes through the years including new gothic frontage during the Victorian 1880s. The theatre's heritage however stretches way back to 1744, and today if you're on the hunt for the very best of contemporary cutting edge drama York's Theatre Royal is where to head! York's other historic theatre is the Grand Opera House, converted from the York Corn Exchange in 1902. Here you'll find epic modern day musicals, concerts, comedy and more. Scarborough on the Yorkshire Coast is one of the theatre hubs of Yorkshire and contains the stunning art deco marvel - the Stephen Joseph theatre, home to Alan Ayckbourn who is artistic director here. Also in Scarborough is the historic Spa Theatre complex at South Bay which includes the Grand Hall and Spa Theatre. See too the stunning Georgian theatre at Richmond on the edge of the North York Moors and Harrogate's historic Royal Hall which started life as the Kursaal Theatre and was designed by acclaimed theatre designer Frank Matcham in 1903.

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Yorkshire Literary Heritage

Haworth is a place of literary pilgrimage with huge numbers of visitors flocking to this picturesque West Yorkshire town due to worldwide interest in the Bronte sisters. Patrick Bronte and his family came to Haworth Parsonage in 1820 and this remained their main home base for the rest of their lives. For lovers of the Bronte novels and poetry a visit to the parsonage and surrounding moorland, so integral to their writing particularly Emily's Wuthering Heights, is to touch the essence of their influences. Not far from Haworth sits Mytholmroyd near Hebden Bridge, the boyhood home of Poet Ted Hughes.

Bradford pays due homage to its playwright son J.B.Priestly with a statue situated in front of the National Media Museum looking onto the Alhambra Theatre which regularly shows his plays.

Thirsk on the south west edge of the North Yorkshire Moors National Park is James Herriot country. Country vet and writer Alfred Wight, alias James Herriot, lived and worked as a vet in Thirsk North Yorkshire. Thirsk pays due tribute to its local hero, who never let fame go to his head, at the The 'World of James Herriot Centre' in the town. The centre is situated in what was Alf's original vet surgery at No 23 Kirkgate, Thirsk, North Yorkshire.

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Yorkshire Cinema/Film - National Media Museum

The National Media Museum in Bradford contains a media feast of exhibits covering the full spectrum of film, photography, TV, radio and the web. The museum plays host to four film festivals annually and includes a spectacular 5 storey IMAX cinema screen and recently added new TV history and interactive gallery.

The Leeds International Film Festival bursts into life every November with events and film showings in Leeds' superb choice of cinemas and other venues. Main hub venues for film screens are the two Vue cinemas in Leeds - one at The Light on the Headrow and the other on Kirkstall Road. Other big venues during the festival include The Carriageworks on Millennium Square and slightly out of the centre the superb Leeds independent cinema mecca - The Hyde Park Picture House off the A660 towards Headingly.

York's Picturehouse Cinema is situated alongside the River Ouse, with in-house cafe offering fine views of the river, The site is actually the renovated old Yorkshire Herald press works. Old and new architecture blend to great effect here at the Picturehouse which also has a Basement Bar serving as Internet cafe by day and York events venue by night.

Small charming independent cinemas in Yorkshire include the Hebden Bridge Picture House and the Picturedrome Cinema in Holmfirth near Huddersfield.

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Yorkshire Art Galleries

York's offering of art is impressive. Central hub is the longstanding York Art Gallery on Exhibition Square. Art collections here range from 14th century Italian panels to the Dutch Masters of the 17th century. On the contemporary side Hockney, Lowry and others are well represented. The gallery houses many special collections, including the William Etty (1787-1849) collection. Etty, a York born younger contemporary of Turner and Constable specialised in nudes.

Leeds Art Gallery lays claim to what's widely considered the finest collection of 19th and 20th century British art outside of London.

Sheffield is an art lovers' dream of a city. The choice of art galleries includes the Graves, Millennium Galleries (including the Ruskin Gallery) and contemporary art hotspots The Site Gallery and exhibition space at the new Yorkshire Artspace. All come together to form Sheffield's cutting edge arts scene.

Hull's Ferens Art Gallery has a well established history - the gallery first opened in 1927. This award winning Yorkshire art gallery is one of the regions best. The impressive collection includes a fine selection of old European masters, particularly Dutch works by the likes of Jacob van Ruisdael (1628-82) renowned for his landscapes. See too Huddersfield Art Gallery which has an excellent collection of British 20th century art including works by Francis Bacon, Lowry and Henry Moore and a craft gallery displaying works by local artists.

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Yorkshire Sculpture

An international centre for sculpture and contemporary modern art, the Yorkshire Sculpture Park sits on 500 acres of 18th century parkland (Bretton Country Park) south of Wakefield (easy access off the M1 motorway). Displays change constantly here, including large bronze sculptures by Henry Moore. The park often exhibits visiting pieces by Moore on loan from elsewhere. What you can always expect is to see internationally acclaimed artists such as Barbara Hepworth, the aforementioned Henry Moore, Anthony Caro, Antony Gormley, Serge Spitzer, Jonathan Borofsky and others. For up-to-date information on current displays checkout the YSP's weblink right for details.

Wakfefield Art Gallery is soon to be complemented by the Hepworth Wakefield, the new architecturally astounding art gallery shortly to open in the city. (see the Hepworth Wakefield webguide right for details). Collections to feature include 30 of Barbara Hepworth's original plaster sculptures and of course Henry Moores renowned 'Reclining Figure' (1936). Hepworth's early Mother and Child (1934) and Pierced Hemisphere (1937) will also move to the Hepworth Wakefield. The design is to be the work of David Chipperfield Architects who are also set to construct the new Turner Gallery in Margate, Kent.

Situated in the heart of Leeds' cultural centre hub - The Headrow, and conveniently next to the Leeds Art Gallery, the Henry Moore Institute is the definitive site for British sculpture from the second half of the 19th century. Overall the Leeds Museums and Galleries hold around 700 sculptures alongside numerous drawings by artists who are renowned particularly for their sculpture. The Institute prepares sculpture exhibitions for other Leeds galleries, particularly the next door Leeds Art Gallery, but the Henry Moore Institute also has some beautiful exhibition galleries of its own, with constantly changing and touring exhibitions. If you're new to sculpture you'd be hard pushed to find a better introduction, and if you've prior knowledge you'll find longstanding names such as Henry Moore, Julio Gonzalez and Dimitri Paciurea here at the Institute.

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Yorkshire Art Centres

Contemporary 20th century artist David Hockney is one of Bradford's most famous sons and within UNESCO World Heritage site Salts Mill you'll find one of the largest collections of his work. The old Mill building provides a wonderful setting for the David Hockney gallery, not to mention a huge choice of arts and crafts outlets selling everything from contemporary jewellery to art materials, books, furniture, posters and items for the home. Fine eateries within the complex include both a diner and chic Opera Cafe. Reproduction posters of Hockney's famous depiction of Salts are available for sale within the Mill site.

As you approach Halifax, Dean Clough - formally the world's largest Victorian Carpet Mill, fills the skyline. This is Halifax's colossal centre for the arts. From one end to the other the site measures two-thirds of a mile! It was the Crossley Carpets name that once sat atop Dean Clough which today is a modern arts centre.

The largest of the Dean Clough contemporary art spaces is aptly named the Crossley Gallery and is a hub for cutting edge large scale contemporary art and textile exhibitions. It's also sometimes used for venue for jazz. Move upstairs to the Mosaic Galleries for smaller displays which have included in the past work by the the likes of genius Burnley born illustrator Paul Slater. A photography gallery is also here, with work by both local and well known photographers. For full listings of what's on and constantly changing art exhibitions see Dean Clough's comprehensive webguide link right.

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