Voicing the Hidden: Creative Legacy

Voicing the Hidden is a York Civic Trust creative project exploring the rich relationship between heritage and the imagination.

Held at the beautiful and historic St Denys Church at the heart of the Walmgate community, Voicing the Hidden: Live Event  featured short films and live readings that showcased the poems, writings, and photographs produced through the Trust’s Heritage Open Days 2021 creative heritage walks around the historically rich streets of Walmgate and Fossgate.

It was fantastic to see people out on the streets of York directly engaging with heritage beyond the big tourist hotspots. Fossgate and Walmgate have a real working class history which the tours and follow-up event helped to unearth and keep alive.

In collaboration with award-winning York-based poet Robert Powell, the project asked questions about how imaginative responses to the past influence our sense of place and how we understand our city.

“Some of York’s history is famous and well-known, but lots of it is hidden and anonymous. Through imagination, writing, photography and art, we can help bring this ‘hidden’ aspect of the past to the surface in exciting ways. I was really impressed by what the Civic Trust ‘Creative Walk’ participants produced!”

Robert Powell

As well as members of the public who joined us on the heritage walks, it was especially encouraging to see so many members of the St Denys congregation and Walmgate community get involved.

Thank you again to everyone who contributed and came along to support the tours and follow up event. The Trust hopes to build on our productive relationship with the Walmgate community, and continue to collaborate on future projects that celebrate and redefine York’s heritage.

  • Click here to read Robert Powell’s original poem based on St George’s Churchyard and the grave of the infamous Dick Turpin.
  • Click here to read the fantastic poetry and prose sent in from participants on the heritage walks.
  • And finally, click here to view the video montages the Trust put together to showcase photography inspired from the walks.